Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid have won the last three MVP awards and have been two of the league’s most dominant players in a position that has seen its importance fade with many teams across the league.
What’s it like to guard them? Pacers big man Myles Turner — a two-time league leader in blocked shots and a guy on the fringe of All-Defensive Teams — broke it down on Gil’s Arena, the show/podcast hosted by Gilbert Arenas. (Hat tip Clutch Sports). With Jokić, it takes a five-man team to slow him down.
Jokic’s game is unconventional — there has never been another player like him with the combination of scoring and passing. There are no other centers you run an offense through. Turner seeing Embiid as the embodiment of how Shaq or another traditional big would play the game is smart — Embiid hits more threes, but he comes out of that family tree. Jokić is something else entirely.
Which means how to build a team around Jokić and Embiid are different things. In Denver, they figured it out (and were patient while it all came together and guys got healthy). In Philadelphia, they are still figuring it all out, to put it kindly.
As a side note, keep an eye on Turner and the Pacers this season. They could be sneaky good and better than a lot of people predict.
