Fred VanVleet Compares Joel Embiid to Several Legends

This weekend, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors are set to face off for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Philly and Toronto are no

This weekend, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors are set to face off for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Philly and Toronto are no strangers. Considering they play each other four times per year, the Sixers and the Raptors know each other well. Therefore, Toronto All-Star Fred VanVleet has gotten a good look at Sixers All-Star Joel Embiid over the years.

Ever since debuting for Philadelphia years ago, it was clear Embiid had the "it" factor to succeed in the NBA. However, these days, Embiid is finding success at the highest level as he just wrapped up another MVP campaign this season by getting crowned the NBA's scoring champion for the first time in his career.

As the Raptors prepare for their playoff war against Embiid and the 76ers, Toronto standout VanVleet sent some hefty praise Embiid's way by comparing him to several NBA greats and future legends.

A Mixed Bag of Legends

"I think he was a little more back to the basket then, playing like a five," VanVleet told reporters while describing Embiid's game of the past. "Now, he’s turned into Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq all put together."

Joel Embiid has been urged to stay on the block and play the game like a traditional center for the last several years. But Philly's big man revolted against the suggestions and continued expanding his skill set to become as versatile as possible. Now that he's a proven threat as a three-level scorer, Embiid has garnered respect from his opponents from all over the floor.

"He’s handling a little bit more, he’s playing on the perimeter a little bit more, he’s facing up at the nail, he’s playing at the elbows so he can see where the help comes," VanVleet continued. "You can see the jumper; the touch is there. He’s found different ways to get to the line, and he’s using his size on mismatches. He just continues to get better, and that’s probably the most overlooked part of what we do in the league. We forget that these all-world guys and these incredible talents can get better, and he’s certainly gotten better since 2019."

The good news for Toronto is that they've defended Embiid well enough in the past to prevent him from going supernova against their defense. Therefore, Embiid admitted he'd have to turn the playmaker switch on at times and trust his teammates to help him out when the Raptors are sending several defenders to him on the catch.

"We got our work cut out for us for sure," VanVleet finished. "We’ll put together a plan and we’ll throw a bunch of bodies at him and see if we can make it tough for him."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.