Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft: Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic
Milwaukee Bucks. Joel Embiid. 2. player. 89. . C
Re-drafting the 2014 NBA Draft — 2. Joel Embiid
In almost any other year, Joel Embiid would be the runaway No. 1 pick. He’s an absolute force of nature and one of the best two-way talents of the NBA’s modern era. No player in the NBA can quite match Embiid’s blend of strength, agility, and skill. Defenses can’t guard him straight up — he’s a guaranteed matchup advantage every night, against every team.
On top of Embiid’s prolific offensive output, he’s an elite defensive anchor. Were it not for the historic defensive prowess of Rudy Gobert (and the presence of another all-world defender in Ben Simmons on the same team), Embiid might have a DPOY under his belt. His ability to clean up messes at the rim empowers his teammates to play more aggressive defense on the perimeter.
Jokic is a more efficient player who has dealt with fewer injuries than Embiid. Those are the primary separating factors here. It’s not terribly common to get two Hall of Fame talents at the same position in the same draft. Not to mention two players who have changed how we understand their position.