The NBA regular season is weeks away, but the Joel Embiid-Deandre Ayton rivalry already has layers to it.
On ESPN's "The Jump," the Philadelphia 76ers star was asked about facing the Phoenix Suns and Ayton, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
It's safe to say Embiid will show no mercy when facing the former Arizona Wildcat.
"He's about to get his ass kicked this year ..." @JoelEmbiid joined The Jump to talk about the upcoming NBA season and the comparisons to him and the No. 1 overall pick, @DeandreAyton. pic.twitter.com/uj1W8mBM0Q
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 21, 2018
"He's about to get his ass kicked this year," Embiid told host Rachel Nichols.
Friday marked the latest shot taken by Embiid toward the Suns rookie. When Phoenix drafted Ayton in June, Embiid tweeted that there is no comparison between the two players. Why?
Donât compare Ayton to me either... I play DEFENSE
â Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 22, 2018
Despite his digs, Embiid has complimented Ayton as a player.Â
"He's going to be good," Embiid said. "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."
The first Ayton-Embiid matchup will be Nov. 19 in Philadelphia. It will be televised on NBATV at 5 p.m.Â
