Utah Jazz Star Rudy Gobert Considers Joel Embiid His Toughest Matchup

As Joel Embiid continues thriving in the NBA, he's been garnering much praise from respective stars around the league. Recently, Brooklyn Nets superstar and

Justin Grasso | Mar 25, 2022

Utah Jazz Star Rudy Gobert Considers Joel Embiid His Toughest Matchup /

As Joel Embiid continues thriving in the NBA, he's been garnering much praise from respective stars around the league.

Recently, Brooklyn Nets superstar and former NBA MVP Kevin Durant gave the Philadelphia 76ers big man a ringing endorsement.

Not only did Durant agree with Embiid's comments regarding the Sixers big man's belief that he's a bunch of legends mixed into one player -- but Durant also considers Embiid the league's MVP at this moment.

Durant isn't alone with his praise for Philadelphia's star big man. Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert recently sat down with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks. That's when Gobert revealed his toughest matchups in the NBA.

Gobert's Most Challenging Matchups

"Definitely Jokic and Embiid," Gobert said. "They're two guys that are pretty unique. I know that I need to be ready for those matchups because they put a lot of pressure on your team. There's no perfect game plan, right? You have to always adjust. You have to adjust. You have to try to surprise them. You have to bring it to them differently than some other guys. That's what makes it exciting."

It's no surprise Gobert views Denver's Nikola Jokic and Embiid as two of the toughest matchups for him in the league. After all, both Jokic and Embiid were finalists for the MVP race last season, and that could very well be the case this year as well.

Last season, when Embiid and Gobert faced off, Embiid dominated on the offensive end as he dropped 40 points in Philly's overtime win over Utah.

While Gobert found success against Embiid this season as he held the MVP candidate to just 19 points and his team collected the victory, the Jazz star knows that preventing the five-time All-Star from scoring over 20 points is a rare accomplishment as he's one of the most dominant players in the game today.

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

Published Mar 25, 2022

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA