Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid are arguably the two best centers in basketball, but Jokic won the NBA Championship and Joel Embiid didn’t. It is a surprise because Joel was the MVP this season. So, what allowed Nikola more success than Embiid?
Nikola Jokic Won the Finals and Joel Embiid Didn’t, Why?
Nikola’s Passing Ability
Nikola is far superior at passing than Embiid, yet it is not just the assists per game in the Regular Season. Jokic averaged 9.5 assists in the Playoffs, and Embiid averaged 2.7. Moreover, Embiid averaged 3.9 turnovers, while Jokic surrendered 3.5. Therefore, Jokic ends most of his possessions with an assist and takes care of the ball. Embiid turns the ball over more times than he renders assists.
Now, there are reasons for that. Jokic makes much quicker decisions when he gets the ball. Embiid takes 3-5 seconds longer than Jokic to decide how he wants to attack. His pause in his moves allows the defense to set up and be ready for him. Passing helped Jokic make quicker decisions because doubles get burned whenever teams deploy them upon him.
More important, is the assist percentage. These big men have the ball in their hands for a lot of the possession, so generating more ball movement per possession is essential. Once again Jokic wins that category. Jokic had the best assist percentage in the league. He produced the most field goals through his passing in the NBA. Additionally, he has the third-best assist rate in the league, meaning he generates some of the best ball movement in basketball. However, Joel Embiid does not compete well in these categories. Embiid has a ratio of 9.6 and Jokic is at 25.9.
It comes down to what gets a team winning: passing. Jokic generates good ball movement, turns it over less, and generates far more opportunities for his players.
Efficiency
Nikola is an efficient player and it was evident in the Regular Season. However, the disparity in efficiency reared loudly in the postseason. Embiid went down ten percentage points in field goal percentage, and 15 percentage points in three-point shooting this playoff run. On the other hand, Jokic rose his three-point shooting percentage and kept his field goal percentage around 55%. Efficiency is everything. Embiid is more physically dominant, more athletic, and as skilled as Jokic. Nevertheless, efficiency comes from the shot selection.
Jokic takes high-percentage shots, shooting 55.4% on post-up opportunities, and Embiid only shot 42.1%. Jokic resorts to lay-ups, jump-hooks, and then fadeaways if nothing works. On the other hand, Embiid loves short, contested jumpers and fadeaways. Embiid does not lay the ball into the basket as efficiently and consistently as Jokic. He resorts to fall-away shots with smaller defenders on him. Jokic is efficient, and is someone at the top of efficiency in the last three seasons.
So How Can Embiid Respond?
Joel Embiid can catch Nikola Jokic in postseason success. However, he needs to pass the ball better, make his decisions quicker and use his size to be efficient around the basket. Embiid needs to use his gifts more than he already does, and he must stay healthy.
Jokic is better because he embraced all those tools, and Nikola is now an NBA Champion. If Embiid wants to regain the crown, he must look in the mirror and realize his shortcomings.
