The Sixer Sense
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Joel Embiid’s 2K rating is an intriguing case

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 18, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 18: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 18, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will start the season with an 86 rating in NBA 2K18. Is that a fare valuation of the breakout stud?

With the regular season approaching and free agency winding down, we’ve reached the point in the offseason where NBA 2K becomes a legitimate point of discussion. Players are joining new teams, while different factors contribute to the rise and fall of certain rankings. The ranking itself is meaningless, but the discussion it sparks — at it’s very core — incorporates some very real talking points.

Certain players are overvalued, while some get the short end of the proverbial stick. It’s a controversial subject matter that few agree upon, and thus that resulting discussion is in a constant state of variance. We as humans seldom agree on a definitive placement for things like this, as the most minute of details can alter our opinions.

When Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid heard his ranking for the first time, he was on the very same boat.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/887052686419480577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Fphiladelphia-76ers

Being the comedic wizard that he is, Embiid’s response was expected. He’s going to shoot for something astronomically high, while throwing some shade at his actual ranking in the process. This debate, however, isn’t tied to a numerical value or how good Embiid is in a video game. It comes down to where he actually stands amongst today’s centers.

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This is a tricky topic in general due to Embiid’s lack of experience. We’ve only seen him on the floor for 31 games. Regardless of whether or not he was well into the upper echelon of talents during that time span, it’s difficult to comfortably rank him against players like Rudy Gobert, Marc Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins — all of whom have a more stable sample size to work off of.

Embiid was arguably the best two-way center in the league when he was on the court last season. The metrics favored him over other top flight fives on both ends of the court, while his ability to lead an undermanned Philadelphia squad to a competitive status was downright impressive.

If Joel had stayed healthy all season, the Sixers may have had a real shot at the playoffs. With Nik Stauskas and T.J. McConnell starting in the backcourt, that’s not shabby company to be in.

That sample size does, however, minimize Embiid’s room for error. He was well-rested, not playing in back-to-backs while also playing in short, 25-minute spurts. If he was playing under a full minutes load in all 82 games, fatigue and the general ebbs and flows that come with NBA basketball could bump down Embiid’s efficiency in more than a few areas.

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That’s something that needs to be leveraged against him in these discussions, but it shouldn’t necessarily bar him from be mentioned conversationally amongst the league’s best centers. Superstardom is a rarity in the NBA, and Embiid flashed tools that could feasibly lift him to that level.

His post moves drew Hakeem Olajuwon comparisons, while his mobility on defense and versatility on offense makes him a difficult matchup on both ends of the floor. No other player in the league boasts physical tools quite like Embiid. He’s light on his feet — despite multiple foot surgeries — and is still fluid with his movement. He’s also 7-foot-2 with surprisingly well-built frame for a player of his stature.

One of the tallest, strongest players in the league having the ability to block 2.5 shots per game limited minutes while creating his own shot at all three levels offensively is unheralded. That’s special.

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I won’t over-analyze other 2K ratings, as that’s most likely a pointless endeavor. But when you balance out that limited sample size with the degree to which Embiid succeeded, an 86 seems like a reasonable starting point. That puts him in the realm of names like Gasol and Karl-Anthony Towns, yet remains a tier below names like Cousins and Anthony Davis — who he has yet to equal.