(Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers are hosting the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, which means a big man matchup of epic proportions between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
The two superstar centers have combined to win the last three regular season MVPs, but both have gone about winning those awards in different ways.
Embiid is leading the league in scoring for a third consecutive season, while Jokic fills up the stat sheet to the brim.
Hall of Fame center and “NBA on TNT” personality Shaquille O’Neal pointed out this difference in their games while pointing out that Embiid has been simply dominant.
“Embiid is dominating because when he gets the ball he’s looking to score first,” O’Neal said.
“Embiid is dominating because when he gets the ball he’s looking to score first. Joker lets the game come to him. … He is the true definition of a great player.”@SHAQ with high praise for Embiid and Jokić pic.twitter.com/bHXBm9rY6o
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 17, 2024
Through 28 games this season, Embiid is putting up 34.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.0 blocked shots per game, and his scoring and assists averages are career-highs.
After missing three games with a knee issue, he returned to game action on Monday and dropped 41 points in a nine-point win over the Houston Rockets.
Philly came into Tuesday’s contest in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-13 record, and while they may not be quite on the same level as the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, they should have a real shot at defeating them come playoff time.
Meanwhile, Jokic is averaging nearly a triple-double for the Nuggets, who are 28-13, and his passing makes them go, especially when he leads the fast break and gets his teammates easy baskets.
He and Embiid were the two frontrunners for last season’s MVP award, and the same balloting results could happen at the end of this season.
The post Shaq Says 1 NBA Player Is ‘Dominating’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.