Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Former NBA player has stunning comparison for Joel Embiid

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 12/1/23

Joel Embiid is the reigning MVP. The veteran big man is one of the most dominant and most physical players in the NBA. His ability to score from all three levels and create his own offense out of the post consistently puts defenses in tough positions.

According to Tony Bradley, who spent six years in the NBA, Embiid is similar to a 300-pound version of Kevin Durant in terms of offensive skill set.

"He is just different, 300 pounds, seven-foot," Bradley said. "You underestimate his feet. He's like KD, but he's 300 pounds. His footwork is crazy. His feet are way quicker than you think. He's faster than you think. It shocked me."

Have we ever seen a player like Embiid before?

“He’s like KD but he’s 300 pounds…His feet are way quicker than what you think. He’s way faster than what you think.”

- Tony Bradley

Via: Run Your Race pic.twitter.com/zFAZ4lqsJ6
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague) December 1, 2023

When healthy, there aren't many players more impactful than Embiid. He can single-handedly dominate an NBA game on both sides of the court. However, his motor has often been questionable. Embiid has run out of gas in multiple playoff games throughout his career, which has cost the Philadelphia 76ers at times.

Earlier in his career, teams would purposely play fast and physical against Embiid, knowing they could wear him down by the third quarter. Over the past year or two, he has improved his overall fitness and has been reaping the rewards. This season, under new head coach Nick Nurse, Embiid is playing a more free-flowing game and has seldom looked behind the pace of the game.

In fact, the MVP big man is thriving in the Sixers' new offensive structure. In his 16 games so far, Embiid is averaging 32 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists, shooting 49.8% from the field and 31.5% from deep. He is also doing more work in the mid-post and initiating more offense as a dribble hand-off option.

Embiid is proving himself to be a diverse big man. Likening his skill set to Durant may be a step too far, as KD is arguably one of the best pure scorers the league has ever seen. However, in terms of a big-man comparison, Bradley isn't far off the mark. Embiid is that good. It's hard to think of a versatile big man in the league's history who could compare to such a talented modern center.

More must-reads: