A 2018 clip of Joel Embiid playing pickup basketball is recirculating this week. Watching the civilian in the clip receive an entry pass from Embiid and take a few abortive dribbles before flinging a kick-out pass in Embiid's direction got the staff thinking about the absurdity of performing any basketball maneuver in the vicinity of a flesh-and-blood NBA player.
It must feel stupid and doomed. But it must be kinda neat, too. Anyway, here is a definitive ranking:
- Passing ball to NBA player
- Allowing NBA player to bounce the ball off of one's face
- Building team morale by celebrating NBA player's feats
- Getting windmill-dunked on by Joel Embiid
- Dominant-hand layup
- Receiving pass from NBA player while stationary
- Spot-up jumper
- Off-hand layup
- Pull-up jumper
- Receiving pass from NBA player while on the move
- Setting screen for NBA player
- Rebounding
- "Defending" NBA player