Bill Simmons slams Nikola Jokic-Joel Embiid comparisons, reckons '70 against Zach Collins' doesn't move needle
Prominent sports journalist Bill Simmons recently shared his thoughts on Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, saying he's tired of comparing the star big men to each other. Simmons suggested that Embiid's achievements will never compare to what Jokic has notched in his career.
The journalist further pointed out that Jokic works hard and comes through for the Denver Nuggets when they need him the most. Then there's the fact that Jokic delivered a championship to Denver which further solidified his status as one of the all-time greats. While Embiid is considered in the same realm as Jokic, Simmons isn't impressed with how the Philadelphia 76ers big man operates.
Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, he said:
"I'm just done talking about [Joel] Embiid and [Nikola] Jokic, I'm not doing it anymore. Jokic plays, Jokic has come through in big games, and Jokic won the title and his playoff performance resume for the age that he's at in his career is unbelievable. We cannot compare Embiid to him anymore because Embiid scored 70 against Zach Collins."
Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic: Comparing their career achievements
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are two of the greatest big men in the NBA today. Both stars have undeniably taken their respective teams to great heights and have achieved several accolades individually. However, no matter how good both superstars are, one of them is bound to be better than the other. In this case, many believe that Jokic is the better big man compared to Embiid.
The reason the fans and critics tend to support the Denver Nuggets star more is due to his achievements compared to Embiid. While Jokic may not be the flashiest player on the hardwood, no one can deny his efficiency as a player. He is a back-to-back league MVP award winner, has been named an All-Star six times in his career so far, made the All-NBA First Team three times, and the All-NBA Second Team twice.
Most notably, Jokic helped the Nuggets secure his and their first NBA title in history. With all that in mind, there's no denying that the Serbian giant has walked the talk.
As for Joel Embiid, there's no question that he's a great basketball player. However, he has no achievements to show for, unlike Jokic. Embiid is a seven-time All-Star, made five All-NBA teams, and three All-Defensive teams. The Philadelphia 76ers star may have won the league MVP last season but fans think that Jokic was robbed of the award and should've won it instead because the Nuggets star carried his team more than Embiid did by winning the title.
With all that said, Joel Embiid still has a lot more to prove than just scoring 70 points on a single night. He needs to take the Sixers to at least the Eastern Conference Finals if not the NBA Finals to prove that he's capable of achieving playoff success. If he continues to get knocked out of the postseason, then Nikola Jokic will forever be the basketball world's undisputed great modern big man over Embiid.