Embiid's the only big (in the East) I'm worried about.
Horford (as we know from experience) isn't a dominate offensive force, not somebody who can go get a bucket at will. Same goes for Gasol, Ibaka, Lopez bros, etc., (and they're all 30+ on the decline). Even Siakiam, great complimentary piece, not sure if he can be a go-to bucket getter, Tobias is the same way. These guys can all be contained, and some probably won't even be averaging double figures this year. Not worried about any of these guys.
Embiid on the other hand, the C's have no answer for though.
So the way I see it, only one big in the East to really worry about. Get the best seed possible and hope to avoid that match-up come playoff time.
Are you forgetting a certain 7-footer in Milwaukee?
Is Giannis a big now? I don't consider him a big, same way I don't consider Durant a big.
C's have to worry about him for sure, and he's as close to unstoppable as you get, but that's a different (though very similar) issue than the C's not being able to match up down low.
You're right in that he's not a traditional big in that he freelances on D and likes to start on the perimeter or midrange, though his intention is almost always to finish inside.
In terms of D, you need someone strong enough to force him away from where he wants to go or stout enough down low so he can't just start inside and overpower you. This is where the loss of Horford hurts so much. It was already an impossible task, now it's near impossible.
They're not going to find the matchup answer now or in the foreseeable future. I wish Brown and Tatum were a tad stronger, but I'm not sure how bulky they will ever end up being, or if that is even something they are comfortable doing.
At some point they need somebody inside with that bulk/height/speed combination that can guard 2-5 and also isn't a negative on offense.
If Semi develops a more consistent three point shot he could be that guy. He does give up some inches in length and height, but is strong and fast enough to keep up with Giannis. Don't see Giannis developing a game where he'd use his length to shoot over guys ala KD anyways.
Haha, I just saw that I wrote "impossible" twice. Let's just say it's really, really hard!
I like Semi a lot and hope some minutes open up for him. By all accounts he's a hard worker and we need a 3 and D guy who isn't out there looking for 15 shots/game. If he can raise his 3pt. pct he can have a long career for himself.
That being said, nobody can really guard Giannis but Horford was the best. Semi might have been second-best but that's not saying much, unfortunately.
