Joel Embiid has been studying Marc Gasol’s game from a distance for the past two years. On Tuesday night, he will experience it firsthand when the Sixers take on the Grizzlies in Memphis.
Embiid is eager to compete against Gasol, a two-time All-Star entering his ninth NBA season. He watched and analyzed Gasol’s game film during his lengthy rehab, observing how he combined size and skill.
The 7-foot-2 Embiid saw areas in which he could learn from the 7-foot-1 Gasol, who averaged 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game last season. Embiid is developing his game to include traditional post moves, versatile shooting and a towering defensive presence.
“His game is finesse,” Embiid said. “If he wants to use his power, he’s so big. If he wants to use his height, he can. I think I’m kind of like that. ... I think we have pretty similar games and it’s going to be a challenge going against him.”
Sergio Rodriguez knows Embiid has a tall task on his hands. He began playing with Gasol in Spain as a teenager, and the two have competed on the national level together. Rodriguez advised Embiid to be “smart and focused” when defending Gasol.
“I love playing with Marc. He’s one of the best bigs playing the game right now,” Rodriguez said. “He knows how to play. He’s a great IQ player and he’s very talented. It’s going to be difficult for our bigs to stop him.”
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Embiid has battled against four-time All-Star Al Horford and Marcin Gortat in preseason action. Matching up against Gasol will be another growth opportunity for him.
“I think for him it will be very good to watch Marc, how he plays,” Rodriguez said. “Especially the game that we are playing. Coach wants us to have Joel involved in every play. Not only scoring on the post, having the ball on the elbow and trying to set plays.”
Off the court, Embiid followed how Gasol transformed his body. Going into the 2014-15 season, Gasol followed a mostly-vegetarian diet void of processed foods. The change was so drastic, teammate Mike Conley estimated Gasol shed 50 pounds.
A coach showed Embiid stories on Gasol, which helped him lose weight during his rehab. Embiid would like to shed a few more pounds before the start of the season to drop from 275 pounds to under 270.
“I’m going to go at him,” Embiid said. “He’s pretty friendly every time he sees me. He always says what’s up. I can’t wait.”
