Joel Embiid is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and there’s no doubt about it. He holds a career average of 27.8 points per game and led the league in scoring during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, averaging 30.6 and 33.1 points, respectively.
Several factors make Embiid a tough player to stop. Standing at seven feet tall and weighing 280 pounds, he’s bigger than most, but what sets him apart is his agility and mobility for someone his size. His ability to find scoring angles, combined with his excellent footwork, soft touch, and an incredibly deep bag of post moves, even draws comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon.
However, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard pointed to another reason why Embiid is so tough to guard. Beyond his skillset, Howard believes Embiid’s ability to incorporate flopping into his game makes him even more difficult to defend, ultimately calling him the toughest player to guard.
“Embiid is the toughest to guard because he knows how to flop. He knows how to use his size and strength when he has to. He can shoot really well. If I was checking him, I’d beat him up and down the court, not letting him get easy points, don’t go for no pump fakes… I’m crowding his space because I know he’s either going to do like this and try to go around me. I’m eating that space up as soon as I see the ball come up, as soon as he goes like this, I’m getting right up under him so the next time he puts it down he’s going to have to turn his back or think about it. So Embiid is one of those unicorns.”
