Hakeem’s quotes show how Embiid is disrespected
When the greats talk, fans like to listen. He deserves respect, and sports fans of all leagues and levels should absolutely give the players time and space to impart wisdom.
But when a great person says something that needs to be corrected, we should be ready and willing to let him know.
That’s why I want to talk about the recent quotes from Hakeem Olajuwon in a Sports Illustrated feature story about death after playing in the NBA.
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Embiid’s game doesn’t seem to have affected Olajuwon, one of the greatest big men in NBA history and the name of the Dream Shake… he still loves Nikola Jokic’s game. Here we are again.
Here are Olajuwon’s quotes about the respective players.
“He’s got every move, but the leverage of the moves is different. Why would he shoot the three? He’s got the edge every night, and if I’ve got the edge, I’m going to throw you out.
“[The three shot] is settling! When I’m tired, I settle. You don’t settle when you want to win. You don’t start the game settling!”
“He’s playing the game, and you think he’s not serious, but he’s so effective. He doesn’t look strong, but I see he gets such a deep job. I think maybe it’s the discrepancy, but then he does the same thing against bigger guys. His shot, his fakes, they are very difficult to time. You don’t know when he is faking and when he is real. He has tricks!”
These quotes from Olajuwon feel like he sees these two players in different leagues, when they are probably two of the three or four most complete basketball players in the world. Kind of disrespectful.
Let’s look at some stats dating back to the start of the 2020-21 season, Jokic’s first MVP year, and see if Olajuwon’s main points of argument hold up.
“Why would he be shooting threes?”
Olajuwon criticizes Embiid for shooting three pointers, straight up. It’s a strange argument in the modern NBA, but if you don’t like big men shooting threes, you don’t like it. To see also : 10 Best Video Games That Can Be Played Only Once. Olajuwon wouldn’t choose something like that, right?
Well, here are Embiid and Jokic’s three-point shooting numbers per game since the start of 2020-21:
“If I have the advantage, I’m going to wear you out.”
Olajuwon makes it sound like Embiid is constantly drifting under the perimeter and hanging out near the top of the key, while Jokic (“I see him get such a deep post”) is pushing down low like he’s vintage Shaquille O’Neal.
Is that the story the numbers tell? Let’s take a look at their field goal attempts inside 10 feet over the last three years: Read also : Collin Sexton deserves more than what the free agent market seems willing to pay him.
If Olajuwon had made these comments two and a half years ago, or even during last season he would have had a point! But Embiid has been adding shots closer to his game every year, and this season it’s just a one-shot gap.
Is that one shot per game really the reason why Jokic is a mainstay of pure post play and Embiid is a dangerous contact jump shooter? Or are we running and gunning with preconceived notions at this point? Hmm.
“You don’t start the game settling!”
Olajuwon strangely goes after Embiid’s decision to shoot threes in the first quarter here, which belies a clear misunderstanding of Embiid’s game. He is one of the greatest first quarter players in the NBA, and he often does that by getting to the line early. See the article : Slovakia beat the United States at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Sixers fans have criticized Embiid for not being as aggressive inside later in games, when he is tired. So this is just a fundamentally wrong observation.
But that aside, is Embiid really shooting a ton of first-quarter threes from the hip while Jokic ignores those silly circus shots for Real Basketball(TM)?
To the numbers we go, to find out how often these two players have shot three pointers in the first quarter since the beginning of 2020-21:
So are you telling me they are separated by less than 0.5 three point attempts per quarter or tied over the last three seasons?
Look. I don’t think Olajuwon is coming out here and intentionally dissing these two players. What I think he’s doing, and what many basketball analysts think he’s doing, is making arguments that are rooted more in long-held beliefs about a player’s game than in reality.
Embiid and Jokic are two extremely talented players who often excel at the same things. We don’t need to pretend that one is an unfathomable icon and the other is less than an overwrought hoop. They rule both.
So, let’s start acting like it, and stop telling jokes that aren’t true.
Who is Joel Embiid engaged to?
In September 2020, Joel Embiid and Anne de Paula welcomed their first child named Arthur Elijah de Paula Embiid. Embiid shared the news in an Instagram post, in which he also expressed his desire to have many more children: “We are so blessed and lucky to welcome our little boy into this family. The first of 11 or more?
Did Joel Embid get married? Anne De Paula is Joel Embiid’s wife, a stunning Brazilian woman who started dating Joel Embiid in 2018. Through a common friend, the pair met for dinner in New York City. In October 2018, they made their first public appearance.
What disability does Joel Embiid have?
Joel Embiid’s Plantar Fasciitis Gives New Context to D’s Early-Season Struggles.
Who is Joel’s girlfriend?
Esther was mentioned briefly in the One Night Live episode, in which it was revealed that Tommy Joel had settled down with a woman named Esther.
Are Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons friends?
“I don’t talk to Jo. We haven’t really talked,†said Simmons. As it turns out, Simmons and Embiid don’t have much of a friendship at all.
Where is Joel Embiid from originally?
What ethnicity is joel embiid?
How many NBA players are from Cameroon?
Koloko is the fifth Cameroon native to start an NBA game, joining Siakam, Embiid, Luc Mbah a Moute and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.
Is Joel an embiid Jamaican?
Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), who also holds French and American citizenship. After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks, he was drafted third overall by the 76ers in the 2014 NBA draft.
When did Joel Embiid move to America?
Embiid was originally born in Cameroon and moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue his dreams as a professional basketball player. The 7’0 center originally attended Monteverde Academy, but transferred after his freshman year due to a lack of playing time.
Does Joel Embiid have a torn meniscus?
Activity that forcefully twists or rotates the knee, especially when full weight is put on it, can lead to a torn meniscus. Sixers center Joel Embiid has a minor lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, and his status is listed as day-to-day.
What disability does Joel Embiid have? Joel Embiid’s Plantar Fasciitis Gives New Context to D’s Early-Season Struggles.
Did Joel Embiid play on a torn meniscus?
PHILADELPHIA – The last time we saw Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid on a basketball court, he was playing through a right meniscus tear he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Washington Wizards.
Who tore their meniscus in the NBA?
Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris underwent arthroscopic surgery to perform a meniscectomy on his left knee. His return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment. Harris (6’4â, 210, 9/14/94) played in 61 games (30 starts) last season with Orlando, averaging 11.1 ppg., 2.0 rpg.
How rich is Joel Embiid?
He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season, although he only played 31 games for his team. Embiid was nicknamed ‘The Process’. ‘ As of January 2023, Joel Embiid’s net worth was approximately $35 million.
How much is Chris Paul’s net worth? Chris Paul’s NBA salary is the biggest part of his wealth. The Phoenix Suns star received his first major contract after his third season with the Hornets. That was over $63 million, a four-year rookie deal with the New Orleans Saints and as of December 2023 Chris Paul Net Worth was $160 million.
How much is Klay Thompson’s net worth?
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson began his college basketball career this season. According to updates Klay Thompson Net Worth 2023 is $70 million which he made mainly from the game and brand endorsements.
What’s Ben Simmons net worth?
Ben Simmons has a net worth of 8 million dollars and most of that money comes from the game of basketball. He started his professional basketball career about 6 years ago.
