The NBA’s unicorn era is upon us. Never have we seen so many seven-footers who can shoot from the outside and handle the rock like a guard. Kevin Durant was one of the originators, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is quickly becoming a fully-realized version of that as Bucks coach Jason Kidd has entrusted him with point guard duties on a full-time basis, the results of which have been breathtaking.
So it isn’t that crazy when someone like Joel Embiid proclaims, without any hint of irony or self-awareness, that he too would like to play point guard one day. Granted, Embiid has been known for saying and doing outlandish things, whether that includes his prediction that the Sixers will make the playoffs, an inexplicable online beef with a famous porn star, or his penchant for trolling his own teammates on Instagram for no reason whatsoever.
Yet, Embiid was entirely serious about wanting to run the point one day. Here’s what he had to say when asked about it on The Ringer NBA Show with Kevin O’Connor:
“Yeah, dead-ass. I’m really serious,” Embiid said. “I feel like I’m willing to learn, and I feel like I can do anything on the basketball court, and if I had someone to teach me how to be a point guard, I think I can. Obviously, guarding other point guards would be kind of tough. But, you know, if I get the chance to do that, that’s what I want to do.”
Where do we sign up? Sure, JoJo doesn’t have the sheer foot-speed that makes the Greek Freak such a formidable force in the open court, but he has range all the way out to the three-point line and a developing court awareness that could be a major asset. Plus, it’s a good bet that the novelty of all this isn’t going to get old anytime soon.
