Thanks to a litany of stars and well-coached teams, the Eastern Conference Playoffs in the NBA should prove to be a gauntlet this spring. There’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Milwaukee. DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls in Chicago. Jayson Tatum and the Celtics in Boston. And, of course, Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat.
But, when push comes to shove, none of these players can stand up head-to-head with the most prominent tower in Philadelphia’s skyline: Joel Embiid. The 76ers’ big man is having one of the best seasons by any seven-footer in, well, ever. If the postseason comes down to individual star power, it’s hard to see anyone toppling Embiid in the low post.
Or, so proves this statistic about each of the East’s primary contenders and their top defender for Embiid since 2018.
Spoiler alert: He’s unstoppable against everyone.
Across the last four seasons, I looked at Eastern Conference contending possible defenders of Embiid to see how they’ve fared in halfcourt matchups.
Takeaways: Embiid is still great vs. everyone, Brook Lopez matters the most, Al Horford is his nemesis, LaMarcus Aldridge does OK pic.twitter.com/YAXgAtU4Bt
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) February 25, 2022
By this measure, it would appear that Bucks center Brook Lopez and Celtics center Al Horford will probably fare best against Embiid should either team matchup with Philadelphia. But even still, Embiid’s “bad” against these two would still be prolific by any other player’s standards. That’s what happens when you’re arguably the league’s top superstar.
Embiid’s unfiltered control over any individual matchup reflects well on the 76ers’ title chances. According to Tipico Sportsbook, Philadelphia currently has +350 odds to win the East (third-best) and +700 odds to win the NBA championship (fifth-best). That sort of projection should also undoubtedly improve if the newly acquired James Harden plays up to his star capabilities.
Thanks in no small part to Embiid, the 76ers are going to be a tough out come April, May, and perhaps even June.
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