While Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is an MVP candidate, and arguably the best offensive big man in the game today, the Toronto Raptors have been a thorn in his side for years. Be it Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, or even Aron Baynes this season, Toronto has done a solid job of keeping Embiid in check.
Most teams would quiver in fear at the thought of a 7-1 big man that weighs nearly 300 pounds, yet can still shoot, dribble, and score like a much smaller guard. While Nick Nurse is viewed as more of an offensive coach than predecessor Dwane Casey, both of them have done a masterful job of not letting No. 21 take over games.
Embiid, still in the middle of an unreal season, is well aware that whatever the Raptors are doing with him seems to be working, and he finally voiced his frustrations about being unable to get over the Toronto hump to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
On Lowe’s podcast, Embiid claimed that the Raptors are the only team that regularly plays tough defense on him, claiming that they “won’t leave him alone” when he receives the ball down in the low post. Toronto’s reputation as the Embiid-stoppers was not born out of media hype.
Basically Embiid is saying Toronto is the only team with the discipline to make him pass out of the triple team before they back out of the triple.
— Kate Limit Exceeded (@KateBDoll) April 16, 2021
Other defenders don’t have the discipline and will back out of the double when it looks like Embiid has backed off attack
"“Toronto is the only team that really just doesn’t allow me to [have the ball in my hands],” Embiid said. “Every single time we play them as soon as the ball is in the air they have 3 guys in me and won’t leave me alone”"
Joel Embiid hasn’t played great against the Toronto Raptors
Embiid, who averages 24.8 points per game in his career, is averaging just 19.6 in 14 games against the Raptors. Only two teams (Memphis and New Orleans) have held Embiid to a lower scoring average, but he only has six games each against those two teams, while he has 14 against Toronto.
Included in Embiid’s history of struggles against the Raptors are both his poor performance in their playoff series that saw Gasol lock him up and a regular-season game in which he scored a whopping zero points. That not only spawned one of the greatest Stephen A. Smith rants of all time, but it showed that Nurse has cracked the Embiid code.
The Raptors are uniquely equipped to handle Embiid, even without Gasol. Baynes is a big body they can throw at Embiid, but OG Anunoby’s 7-2 wingspan and sturdy frame make him one of the best help defenders in the game. With Ben Simmons not a threat to shoot, the Raptors are more than happy to close in on Embiid and try to beat him down over the course of a game.
Make no mistake, Embiid is as talented as they come, and Toronto taking him lightly the next time they meet is a good way for him to score 40 points and grab 20 rebounds. However, stopping Embiid, a nigh-impossible task for most, appears to be quite easy for the Raptors.