Joel Embiid says choice number 1 Deandre Ayton "is about to get kicked this year"



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If there is one thing that Joel Embiid has done so far in his career, it is that he is not afraid to express himself. Whether during interviews or via his own social media, the great man is always ready to let you know what he feels. And one thing he's perfectly understood in recent months is that he's not interested in comparisons between him and Deandre Ayton.

More recently, during an appearance on ESPN's "The Jump", Embiid said the Phoenix Suns rookie was going to have a tough start to the season. Although he says that Ayton will eventually become a good player, Embiid also said that the youngster has a lot of work to do. Via ESPN:

"He's about to get his ass kicked this year," said Embiid at the 76ers' practice center in Camden, New Jersey.

"It's going to be good," said Embiid to Rachel Nichols and Stephen Jackson of ESPN. "But when you talk about" he looks like Joel Embiid, "I play both sides of the field, I think I'm a good offensive player, a good defensive player, I do it on both sides of the field. I've seen him play and he has a lot of work to do, but he has a lot of potential, he'll be really good. "

This just comes a few months after Embiid tweeted, "Do not compare Ayton to me either … I play defense" in the night of the NBA 2018 draft.

Although he himself has been in the league for only a few seasons – and has had a lot of injury problems – it's not really that crazy that Embiid is already bothered by comparisons. Last season, he collected 22.9 points, 11 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, while playing 30 minutes per night. At 24, he has already imposed himself as one of the most talented players – let alone the big men – in the league.

Ayton may have the size and physical tools to compare to Embiid, but it will have to be impressive to achieve this comparison in terms of skills and production.

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