Wizards Center ‘Can’t Stand’ Playing Against Sixers’ Joel Embiid

Wizards center Daniel Gafford expresses his dislike for playing against Joel Embiid.

Joel Embiid doesn’t have a fan in everybody, especially when it comes to his opponents. While the Philadelphia 76ers center's game is typically respected by his opponents, he often frustrates the players going against him in different ways, whether it’s with his two-way dominance or simply baiting guys into foul trouble.

For Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford, the latter situation is where he’s developed a strong dislike for going against the reigning MVP.

While streaming live on his Twitch channel, Gafford fielded some questions from the chat section. When presented with the question, “Who is the least favorite person to play against?” Gafford took a quick pause to think about it before coming up with Embiid.

“I don’t really know why, but I hate playing against Joel,” the Wizards' center said. “Bro, honestly, I can’t stand it. Everybody be getting on my [expletive] because I be in foul trouble. I don’t be in foul trouble just to be — I don’t be out there smacking the [expletive] out of these dudes. You know what I’m saying? I most definitely be trying to at least try to play defense on these [expletive]. Well, the defense I’m able to play instead of what they force me to play.” 

Over the years, Embiid has established himself as a free-throw machine. Not only does his size and frame make it difficult for defenders to avoid fouling him, but Embiid has prided himself on baiting players to send him to the line as well.

Gafford has played against Embiid six times during the regular season since 2021. Aside from a February 19 matchup in 2021 when Gafford played for the Chicago Bulls, the veteran center has faced Embiid and the Sixers as a member of the Wizards. 

In games played against Gafford, Embiid has averaged 38 points and 12 rebounds. The Sixers’ big man attempted a total of 72 free throws in those outings, an average of 12 per game. He was successful on 86 percent of his shots from the charity stripe, which makes the situation much more difficult for Embiid’s opponents to deal with.

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