[dudo670Participant]

 I know there was a thread about the game the other day, but who do you take if you’re starting a franchise and why?

For me its easily Embiid. He impacts his teams’ chance of winning in so many ways that aren’t in the box score. Teams settle for a lot of jumpers when he is in the game and when he gets the ball in the post, the only way to prevent him from getting his shot off is to foul him. Plus, from watching him play quite a bit, he doesn’t chase stats because he is more concerned with winning. Instead of trying to pad his rebounding numbers, he boxes out and lets Cov or Ilyasova grab them. He is also hindered by lousy PG play.

 So if you’re looking at the box score yes Towns’ aggregate numbers are better but I think Towns has a lot of meaningless stats (for instance, he scored a lot of his points when the wolves were down 30 and the sixers seems uninterested defensively, the same thing happened for Anthony Davis against the sixers as he did all his damage when Embiid was on the bench) as even with supposedly one of the best young cores in the game his team is only one game better than Embiid’s team which is a vastly inferior team. I know the NBA GM’s were surveyed and all said they would take Towns, but now that we’ve all seen Embiid I wonder how many of those GMs would change their minds.

[Sewok15Participant]

 The only argument I think you can make for taking Towns over Embiid long term is durability. 

Right now they are comprable players but I think that Embiid has as high a ceiling as just about any young player in the league. Towns will surely improve as well but if each reaches their full potential I don’t think this will honestly even be much of a debate in the next 3-4 years…

 

[dudo670Participant]

 "The only argument you can make for taking Towns over Embiid long term is durability"

The only thing that will prevent Embiid from being an all-star almost every year of his career and dominating the game will be his health. Embiid is better from a size and athleticism perspective, is just as good of a natural shooter, has just as good of footwork and is a much much better defensive player, also is a killer competitor and doesn’t care about stats and really just cares about winning.

Also to add to my OP, when I take Embiid over Towns I’m not saying Towns is bad I just think Embiid is that good. But I do think Towns is overrated somewhat in the media as he is putting up great numbers but it isn’t leading to his teams’ success. Also he rarely guards the other teams’ best big man which tells you how much confidence coach Thibs has in Towns’ defensive ability. He will put up 20-10 minimum for his career and make a lot of all star teams, but if you are a GM your goal is to win and I don’t think Towns will be a winner without a lot of help.

 

[Arc12345Participant]

Never thought I’d say it, but if you could guarantee the health of both of them, I think Embiid is by far the better player. Which says a lot because Towns is so good.

Embiid can shoot just as well, may be even more polished in his post moves, is stronger, bigger, and just more of a physical presence. He also is way more of a defensive presence IMO simply because of his physical gifts.

I’ll give the nod to KAT when it comes to quickness, but other than that, give me Embiid. Both are so special though, I think anyone would be thrilled to start their team with either.

[Hype Machine]

The real battle is between Embiid and Porzingis. 

Towns isnt even in the picture for me with his league worst defense.

 

 

 

[dudo670Participant]

 I would take Porzingis over Towns as crazy as it may sound just because I think he would be easier to build a championship team around and that is the point of the sport. Its not even that Towns is bad but Porzingis is 7’3" with athleticism, 3 point range, good handles for a 4 and a solid defender. The perfect complement to Embiid. But nah, the Sixers had to take Okafor and Porzingis’ agent who had to pout and not let him work out for Philly. If the sixers had Embiid and Porzingis they’d already be a playoff team this year especially if Simmons came back.

[nath09Participant]

I think you then have to ask yourself would you rather Porzingis or Simmons. Not guaranteed but they may have won more games with Porzingis’ defence last year. All hypothetical, but worth thought.

[festar35Participant]

I’m taking Embiid and at this point for me it isn’t even close. He is such a talent to be so big with unbelievable footwork, length, soft touch and range on his jumpshot. Taking nothing away from KAT, but I think he still has some development to come as Embiid had basically 2 years to work on his game whilst healing which he was very smart with and used that time well.

Let’s not discount Porzingis and Turner as time goes by either, they are definitely in the “Unicorn” discussion.

[trombonematrix43Participant]

 I haven’t watched mutch Wolves basketball this year, but I’ve watched a decent amount of Sixers basketball and I can say that Embiid makes this team markedly better. It’s unreal. He makes everone around him so much better. T.J. McConnel is playing like a real point guard now. Stauskas isn’t terrible any more. Ersan Ilyasova is playing so well. Dario Saric is playing so well. It’s amazing. 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Embiid lands weird alot of the time. His running gait is awkward and while I love that he dives for lose balls it doesnt reasure me that he will stay dominant. Although I mist say he really does look like Hakeem 2.0. Towns is just so fundimentally sound and reliable. He is like super Al Horford. Best of both worlds in risk/safe pick but Id go with Towns because the talent differwnce is not as much as rhe risk difference.

[negguaryParticipant]

lands weird, his running gate, his hair is nappy, he eats jelly beans lol these over analytical guys are costing their franchises generational talents for comments just like that!! 9 teams past on Myles turner because he "runs weird" hahahaha!!! 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

As a Pacers fan, thank you to those 9 teams lol. He’s a STUD. 

[holefillers1Participant]

 Boston avg 43 pts in the paint. They had 6 at halftime, scrapped their blueprint and took 40+ threes…Boston won but Embiid shut down any notion of scoring in the paint.

[HitsterParticipant]

KAT is younger has done a lot more in the NBA but something about Embeast just intrigues me, if he could have stayed sound I believe he could have gone Number 1 in his draft years and might have been winning titles with LBJ or irobically playing alongside KAT at Minny.

 

 

[ksmith9Participant]

 And my job was on the line I would go with Towns. Both are good picks and if I had a 4 year window I might go with the upside of Embiid. But if I were going to lose my job at the end of the year towns all the way. Purely based on health. No minutes restriction. Don’t need to hold my breath when he goes down. 

 

 

 

 

[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

and you clearly are playing to the fans, who also love the aggressive play and all the showman’s flair after a dunk.  Towns comes off corny at times with all that screaming and flailing he does after he makes a play.

Thats all show though, the reality of it is, Towns doesn’t come close to Embiid defensively.  Thats why you’d get fired.  Big mistake.

The only issue is right now Embiid isn’t as strong as Towns.  Towns is built compact like a jaguar or tiger, and Embiid is like a lion, but he has that innate African strength that Biyombo also has.

So I imagine Embiid will get stronger as his body matures.  But it doesn’t matter, even now, Embiid is a far better game changing defender that is kind of underrated.  He is as good a defender as Mutombo.

All Embiid needs is a true big man coach, I hope he spends time to learn from both Kareem and Hakeem in the offseason.

 

 

 

  

[BeastMode716Participant]

 I’m going to assume that since this is a hypothetical that we’re saying all external factors are equal so health is not factored into my decision.

I absolutely LUV Towns! I Luv him. I think the kid is going to be a Hall of Fame stud. But Embiid is an alien life form.

I watched the Brooklyn / Phila game today b/c it was on at 9 am west coast time (noon east coast) and I am just Floored at how fast this kid is learning & adjusting. You can see he’s not thinking as much. For example, when the season began teams would double Embiid & he would react slowly & turn the ball over a lot.

Now, he establishes position (pretty much where ever he wants on either side of the block from 20 ft & in) & he immediately either drives, raises up for a silky smooth jumper or draws the double team to him & passes to the open man for a wide open 3 or a cutter to the Rim.

He’s doing this after Only 25 games while shaking off rust from a 2.5 year lay off playing Zero organized basketball & he’s doing this against the best players in the world in the NBA & look at the players he has around him! What is going to happen when Embiid & Ben Simmons develop chemistry. 

Embiid learns so fast & everything just comes naturally to him. He can not be guarded one V one. For example, against KAT he just bulldozed Towns underneath the rim or shot over him whenever he felt like it. At the other end, KAT had schooled Embiid w/ his pump fakes in their 1st match up but in the game last week Embiid would not bite on the pump fake & KAT could not do Anything againt him. Embiid guarded KAT obe V one w/ no problem, frustrating KAT more than I have ever seen to the point where KAT starting yelling at the Ref. But KAT could not guard Embiid at all, he needed help each time. 

KAT is a Legit 7 foot but Embiid was just taller & longer & bigger but just as quick – it was really kind of shocking to watch it. I know this will sound sacriligious but Embiid is starting to feel like I’m watching a cross between Shaq & Hakeem b/c he’s starting to realize that he’s just bigger & stronger than anyone but just as quick. 

Embiid & Simmons are going to be scary good. (so is Minnesota w/ KAT & Wig). Qucik side note I was Really impressed w/ Dario Saric today, Anyone else see the game? Saric & Embiid (& Covington) were the team leaders in that Brooklyn win & Saric is not great but he is So fundamentally sound for a Rookie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dudo670Participant]

 yes! Dario is really coming along. While I’m not sure he’ll ever be a legit starter on a title team I think he could be a very good sixth man or excellent role player off the bench. He’s not a very good long range shooter and so the Sixers are adjusting by having him take less of them and letting him work inside where he’s great at driving especially on smaller defenders and has nice touch from 10 feet or so.

[Sewok15Participant]

 Saric has been a better outside shooter than I thought actually. His 34 % clip is ahead of players that are considered knock down shooters like Devin Booker, Rodney Hood, Vince Carter and Jamal Murray. 

I really like how hard he plays and although his best position is PF he can play either forward spot effectively which is nice considering the lopsided nature of the Sixers current roster. He doesn’t seem like somebody who is going to make a huge improvement because of his average athleticism but he definitely knows how to play the game and is adjusting well the to NBA style of play. 

 

 

 

 

 

[binetParticipant]

 Embiid is more unique. I think he has a legit chance to be an HoFer, not so sure with Towns.

 I think I am becoming biased by how disappointing the Timberwolves season is though.

 

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