All-Star Joel Embiid is ready to welcome rookie Deandre Ayton to the League.
In an interview with ESPN’s The Jump on Friday, Embiid said the 2018 No. 1 overall pick is “about to get his ass kicked this year.”
Ayton drew comparisons to Embiid around the draft, leading the Sixers big man to respond on Twitter:
Don’t compare Ayton to me either… I play DEFENSE
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 22, 2018
“I was watching the draft and I kind of felt disrespected,” Embiid told ESPN, specifically calling out analyst Chauncey Billups. “[Ayton] is going to be good. But when you talk about ‘He looks like Joel Embiid,’ I play on both sides of the court. I think I’m a good offensive player, good defensive player. I do it on both ends of the floor. I watched him play and he’s got a lot of work to do. But he’s got a lot of potential. He’s going to be really good.”
