[LA12Participant]

 Embiid’s stock has skyrocketed and looks like a near lock for the first pick. Here’s one idea on how he could make himself a complete lock to go first. He talked about how he models his game after Olajuwon’s, so why not schedule a workout with The Dream himself before draft day?

I feel like the media would jump all over a story of Embiid, who’s seen as possibly being the next Hakeem, working out with Hakeem himself. I think Cleveland would love to hear about him working out with The Dream, helping them solidify Embiid as their go to pick. Not only would it make him seem like even more of a lock to go number one, it would also help his game tremendously. Imagine Embiid coming into his rookie year with skills he picked up training with Olajuwon. It would be scary.

[omphalosParticipant]

Probably not going to happen given how expensive lessons with the Dream are, his agent won’t be willing to shell out that much money just to maybe get him the first spot in the draft (which he should have locked up anyways).

Also, not sure if Hakeem is still allowed to train random players now that he’s with the Rockets, I know Drummond didn’t get to train with him last off-season (which sucks), but who knows.

 

[omphalosParticipant]

Probably not going to happen given how expensive lessons with the Dream are, his agent won’t be willing to shell out that much money just to maybe get him the first spot in the draft (which he should have locked up anyways).

Also, not sure if Hakeem is still allowed to train random players now that he’s with the Rockets, I know Drummond didn’t get to train with him last off-season (which sucks), but who knows.

 

[deshawynkeys91Participant]

 I know big val from the raptors is schedule to spend time with dream this summer..  So if u got the cash the dream seems available.

[deshawynkeys91Participant]

 I know big val from the raptors is schedule to spend time with dream this summer..  So if u got the cash the dream seems available.

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 I think Hakeems training gets overrated a little. Dwight has been there a tonne, as has Javale McGee and Deandre Jordan, and every time they do everyone gets hyped up thinking they will have a mad post game when the season rolls round, and none of them have ever been significantly better.

[Ebown5Participant]

 I have watched some videos of Hakeem training Dwight Howard and he is a really good teacher. The problem is that you have to have the raw attributes that can be molded by good coaching and that is what makes Embiid so exciting. He has so much more potential offensively than the three guys you mentioned. 

I think that he specifically would benefit greatly from working with Hakeem.

[omphalosParticipant]

This^ is completely correct. Embiid learned his amazing footwork from watching an Olajuwon instructional video, think about how much he could learn from the man himself?

I think Drummond is a guy who would really benefit from Hakeem’s training as well. Drummond has the fluidity and quick feet to really benefit, he just isn’t very polished in the post yet and the right instruction could work wonders.

 

 

[ZarathustraParticipant]

 We could see some epic battles between Dre and Jo-Jo in the next few years.I’m really looking forward to it.Some interesting young bigmen will arrive in the next years too.I’m not predicting a new "bigmen era" but i’d like to see more dominant bigmen.

[ZarathustraParticipant]

 We could see some epic battles between Dre and Jo-Jo in the next few years.I’m really looking forward to it.Some interesting young bigmen will arrive in the next years too.I’m not predicting a new "bigmen era" but i’d like to see more dominant bigmen.

[omphalosParticipant]

This^ is completely correct. Embiid learned his amazing footwork from watching an Olajuwon instructional video, think about how much he could learn from the man himself?

I think Drummond is a guy who would really benefit from Hakeem’s training as well. Drummond has the fluidity and quick feet to really benefit, he just isn’t very polished in the post yet and the right instruction could work wonders.

 

 

[Ebown5Participant]

 I have watched some videos of Hakeem training Dwight Howard and he is a really good teacher. The problem is that you have to have the raw attributes that can be molded by good coaching and that is what makes Embiid so exciting. He has so much more potential offensively than the three guys you mentioned. 

I think that he specifically would benefit greatly from working with Hakeem.

[Jester87Participant]

It’s partly true, but it’s not Akeem’s fault mostly. Most of those guys go to work out with him for a few days or two weeks in the summer, but you can’t just learn all the things he has to teach in such a short period of time. So he shows them things, and he suggests drills, but they have to keep working on those things by themselves, doing the drill and practicing. We don’t know how much those guys work when they’re not with Akeem and even if they put the effort, if they’re able to do the drills correctly without him and so on (I’m dumbing things down a lot, obviously each team has a staff for players development but it’s not always the same). You can see how Kobe benefited from workouts with Olajuwon and he probably has the best footwork in the Nba right now. But to improve as much as Kobe did you need to have the same work ethic.

As for Dwight, I disagree, working with Olajuwon has helped him, he now has a better footwork and some moves he didn’t have when he was playing for the Magic, especially a couple of counters to his drop step using the reverse pivot. He’s just not as explosive as he used to be, so he’s not always as effective and his potential as a low post scorer is somehow capped because he doesn’t have a great touch or great feel for the game. Also, his biggest problem is, he’s turnover prone because he’s a poor passer and struggles a lot against double teams.

[Jester87Participant]

It’s partly true, but it’s not Akeem’s fault mostly. Most of those guys go to work out with him for a few days or two weeks in the summer, but you can’t just learn all the things he has to teach in such a short period of time. So he shows them things, and he suggests drills, but they have to keep working on those things by themselves, doing the drill and practicing. We don’t know how much those guys work when they’re not with Akeem and even if they put the effort, if they’re able to do the drills correctly without him and so on (I’m dumbing things down a lot, obviously each team has a staff for players development but it’s not always the same). You can see how Kobe benefited from workouts with Olajuwon and he probably has the best footwork in the Nba right now. But to improve as much as Kobe did you need to have the same work ethic.

As for Dwight, I disagree, working with Olajuwon has helped him, he now has a better footwork and some moves he didn’t have when he was playing for the Magic, especially a couple of counters to his drop step using the reverse pivot. He’s just not as explosive as he used to be, so he’s not always as effective and his potential as a low post scorer is somehow capped because he doesn’t have a great touch or great feel for the game. Also, his biggest problem is, he’s turnover prone because he’s a poor passer and struggles a lot against double teams.

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 I think Hakeems training gets overrated a little. Dwight has been there a tonne, as has Javale McGee and Deandre Jordan, and every time they do everyone gets hyped up thinking they will have a mad post game when the season rolls round, and none of them have ever been significantly better.

[Rip255]

I think the dream actually helped Dwight Howard. Al Jefferson he’s not but he gets his points. 

He’s not the smoothest but I’d say he’s gone from having a poor post game to a medium post game. Still improvement. 

 

  

[Rip255]

I think the dream actually helped Dwight Howard. Al Jefferson he’s not but he gets his points. 

He’s not the smoothest but I’d say he’s gone from having a poor post game to a medium post game. Still improvement. 

 

  

[KidBParticipant]

 Yeah.   I truly hope he’s a lock to go first by now too.  That’ll definitely make it a lock that we’d get Parker or Wiggins at 3 !!!

[KidBParticipant]

 Yeah.   I truly hope he’s a lock to go first by now too.  That’ll definitely make it a lock that we’d get Parker or Wiggins at 3 !!!

[Andrew1984Participant]

A lot of people compared Anthony Davis to Dream. Now a lot of people are comparing Embiid to Dream. But Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid are so different; they can’t both be like Dream! I think ‘Brow has earned the right to retain this comparison. The most observable distinction in Dream’s game was that he was seven feet but he moved like a guard. Normally there’s a difference between the way a 6-3 guard and a seven-footer carry their frames, but when you watch both Dream and ‘Brow play, it blows the mind how light they are on their feet considering their height.

Embiid still moves like a big man, and that’s probably never going to change. Skills and muscle can improve, but the way you move is innate. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, though. Most of the dominant bigs in history moved like bigs. This isn’t to say that Jo-Jo won’t be a great player; I think he will be. He just doesn’t get to keep the Olajuwon comparison.

[ballislyfe25Participant]

Davis to the Dream really isn’t a great comp and wasn’t one that was thrown around too often, if at all. Davis is not a true center, and did not flash any semblance of a post-game that would resemble Olajuwon’s. In the ideal situation, Davis is a power forward who can man the center spot for small ball type substitution lineups His basketball IQ improved greatly since he came to Kentucky and the NBA, but is not even comparable to Dream’s.

Embiid, on the other hand, has shown (inconsistently, yes, but has shown nonetheless) footwork and post moves that resemble Hakeem’s. His passing ability from the block, defensive ability, and body type at age 20 also result in the Hakeem comparisons.

The comparisons to an all-time great shown just how much potential these two players have, however, it’s unfair to them and allows for unrealistic expectations. A fair statement would be that Embiid is the player who’s game most resembles Olajuwon since Olajuwon himself.

[Andrew1984Participant]

I disagree with your statement that the Dream comparison wasn’t thrown around much. I saw it A LOT.

But I agree that it isn’t the most accurate. They are definitely similar in the way they move, run, and carry their weight, but the comparison ends there.

Personally, I compared Anthony Davis to “Artis Gilmore meets Toni Kukoc.”

[Andrew1984Participant]

I disagree with your statement that the Dream comparison wasn’t thrown around much. I saw it A LOT.

But I agree that it isn’t the most accurate. They are definitely similar in the way they move, run, and carry their weight, but the comparison ends there.

Personally, I compared Anthony Davis to “Artis Gilmore meets Toni Kukoc.”

[ballislyfe25Participant]

Davis to the Dream really isn’t a great comp and wasn’t one that was thrown around too often, if at all. Davis is not a true center, and did not flash any semblance of a post-game that would resemble Olajuwon’s. In the ideal situation, Davis is a power forward who can man the center spot for small ball type substitution lineups His basketball IQ improved greatly since he came to Kentucky and the NBA, but is not even comparable to Dream’s.

Embiid, on the other hand, has shown (inconsistently, yes, but has shown nonetheless) footwork and post moves that resemble Hakeem’s. His passing ability from the block, defensive ability, and body type at age 20 also result in the Hakeem comparisons.

The comparisons to an all-time great shown just how much potential these two players have, however, it’s unfair to them and allows for unrealistic expectations. A fair statement would be that Embiid is the player who’s game most resembles Olajuwon since Olajuwon himself.

[Andrew1984Participant]

A lot of people compared Anthony Davis to Dream. Now a lot of people are comparing Embiid to Dream. But Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid are so different; they can’t both be like Dream! I think ‘Brow has earned the right to retain this comparison. The most observable distinction in Dream’s game was that he was seven feet but he moved like a guard. Normally there’s a difference between the way a 6-3 guard and a seven-footer carry their frames, but when you watch both Dream and ‘Brow play, it blows the mind how light they are on their feet considering their height.

Embiid still moves like a big man, and that’s probably never going to change. Skills and muscle can improve, but the way you move is innate. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, though. Most of the dominant bigs in history moved like bigs. This isn’t to say that Jo-Jo won’t be a great player; I think he will be. He just doesn’t get to keep the Olajuwon comparison.

[CavFanPRParticipant]

My comparison for Joel “JoJo” Embiid is a mix of Shaq and Bynum.

[CavFanPRParticipant]

My comparison for Joel “JoJo” Embiid is a mix of Shaq and Bynum.

[BallinmvpParticipant]

 A. Davis is more KG than Dream. And Embiid is more like Bynum than Shaq. Shaq had RAW power

[ballislyfe25Participant]

Davis to Garnett is the one that made the most sense. Similar thin build with the potential to fill out very nicely, developing inside-out offensive games, great rebounders, etc. I liked it for them at the same ages. I thought it was unrealistic to expect Davis to reach KG’s heights but after this season he absolutely has the potential to be league MVP and the defensive anchor/one of the top dogs on a championship team. KG has always been one of the most intelligent players on both ends of the floor, and Davis is starting to show that IQ.

As for Embiid to Bynum and Shaq, Bynum is the more similar but the only real similarities between Embiid and Bynum is their size, length, and post/shooting touch. Embiid can really move for a guy his height and I think that will give him an edge over centers that Bynum never had, the ability to make an impact as a scoring threat in transition. Bynum (at his weight on the championship teams/all-star year, afraid to ask what it is now) must have been around 50-60 lbs heavier than Embiid.

[ballislyfe25Participant]

Davis to Garnett is the one that made the most sense. Similar thin build with the potential to fill out very nicely, developing inside-out offensive games, great rebounders, etc. I liked it for them at the same ages. I thought it was unrealistic to expect Davis to reach KG’s heights but after this season he absolutely has the potential to be league MVP and the defensive anchor/one of the top dogs on a championship team. KG has always been one of the most intelligent players on both ends of the floor, and Davis is starting to show that IQ.

As for Embiid to Bynum and Shaq, Bynum is the more similar but the only real similarities between Embiid and Bynum is their size, length, and post/shooting touch. Embiid can really move for a guy his height and I think that will give him an edge over centers that Bynum never had, the ability to make an impact as a scoring threat in transition. Bynum (at his weight on the championship teams/all-star year, afraid to ask what it is now) must have been around 50-60 lbs heavier than Embiid.

[ZarathustraParticipant]

 Embiid is just an other kind of athlete,he’s really fluid…A bit like Olajuwon.

[ZarathustraParticipant]

 Embiid is just an other kind of athlete,he’s really fluid…A bit like Olajuwon.

[BallinmvpParticipant]

 A. Davis is more KG than Dream. And Embiid is more like Bynum than Shaq. Shaq had RAW power

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Anthony Davis is more of a 6’10 Kareem.  He should work on his sky hook.  Guys like him and Tim Duncan should use the hook shot more.  They aren’t going to jump through you like Shaq, so they need a go-to weapon.

Then that could set up a Dream Shake.

Embiid could use the hook, the Dream Shake, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kevin McHale’s Low Post Game. 

Embiid needs to stay away from The Art of Dribbling Around The Perimeter And Taking 20 Foot Jumpers by Ralph Sampson.

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Anthony Davis is more of a 6’10 Kareem.  He should work on his sky hook.  Guys like him and Tim Duncan should use the hook shot more.  They aren’t going to jump through you like Shaq, so they need a go-to weapon.

Then that could set up a Dream Shake.

Embiid could use the hook, the Dream Shake, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kevin McHale’s Low Post Game. 

Embiid needs to stay away from The Art of Dribbling Around The Perimeter And Taking 20 Foot Jumpers by Ralph Sampson.

 

[tidhoParticipant]

As much talk as their is about guys studying Olajuwon, if I were coaching a big I’d want his nose in that McHale book you mentioned.

[tidhoParticipant]

As much talk as their is about guys studying Olajuwon, if I were coaching a big I’d want his nose in that McHale book you mentioned.

[Neggedpastor]

never saw the davis dream comp

I say the kg ,and marcus camby comps but never the dream

and jo  isn’t the quickest but for a big man he runs the floor very well one of the best 7 footers  I ever seen run  all that weight and length isn’t easy to pick up let alone pick up speed with. you ever look at hasheem thabeet run ,gather or move compared to jo . seems like 2 different species when compared lol.

[Neggedpastor]

never saw the davis dream comp

I say the kg ,and marcus camby comps but never the dream

and jo  isn’t the quickest but for a big man he runs the floor very well one of the best 7 footers  I ever seen run  all that weight and length isn’t easy to pick up let alone pick up speed with. you ever look at hasheem thabeet run ,gather or move compared to jo . seems like 2 different species when compared lol.

[BallinmvpParticipant]

If you really think A. Davis is more Hakeem that Garnett than we must be talking about two different players. 

[BallinmvpParticipant]

If you really think A. Davis is more Hakeem that Garnett than we must be talking about two different players. 

[Author]

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