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The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors will face off in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It will be a matchup of impressive depth, as Toronto has a starting lineup and bench full of impactful players, and star power, as Philly relies on a handful of players to get the job done. Although the Raptors have an army, the Sixers have Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia's big man is a certified superstar. He won the scoring title with 30.6 points per game and made a mockery of defenses everywhere. He also averaged 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists, both of which are career-highs. Although an MVP Award is not guaranteed for his efforts, Embiid had a phenomenal season.
Raptors All-Star Fred VanVleet gave Embiid credit ahead of the matchup. He said that the Sixers star has developed his game to the point that he emulates stars like Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
VanVleet on Embiid: "He was more back to the basket (in 2019), playing like a 5. Now he's turned into Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, Kobe, Shaq all put together."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 14, 2022
Embiid has previously said that his skills are a collection of those from past greats and Kevin Durant said that he agrees with him. Now, another All-star is validating the claim. The Sixers superstar used brute force and feathery shooting touch to get buckets from everywhere. Suggesting that he is reminiscent of multiple all-time greats is a lofty claim but not a ludicrous one.
The Raptors will have a tough time slowing Embiid down, but they do have numerous defenders that can make life tough for him. Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Khem Birch, Chris Boucher and the other Toronto forwards/bigs will have to work by committee.
