Getty Images Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid
At this point in the season, it’s no secret that Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is easily one of the best at his position right now. In fact, some could argue that he is, in fact, the best at his position. After all, he is currently one of the early favorites for the Most Valuable Player honors that occurs at the end of the year. Obviously, there’s still plenty of time left in the year, but so far Embiid has been quite impressive.
So impressive, that some respected veterans are calling him the best in the game. Recently, a music Tour Manager who happens to be a verified Twitter user by the name of Taalib questioned who the best big man in the NBA was. His initial tweet asked if Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was the best all-around center in the game.
A few responses quickly came in with rebuttals. Some were saying New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis was one, while Minnesota Timberwolve’s Karl Anthony-Towns had a mention or two as well. But a Los Angeles Clippers veteran guard sees the answer to the question being about a guy from his old city playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lou Williams Sends His Praise to Philly
Lou Williams didn’t say Embiid’s name, but we can all accurately guess that he was talking about the 24-year-old, seven-footer. It’s hard to argue Williams’ response. While NBA fans made the argument that Davis is the answer, many failed to realize that Embiid kept Davis in check when the Sixers hosted the Pelicans a couple of weeks ago.
Look at the numbers – Joel Embiid is currently averaging 27 points-per-game, along with 13 RPG. He’s one of the league’s best defenders, and he’s even improved his shooting from outside of the perimeter over the offseason. Saying that Embiid is better than Jokic is obviously not a knock on Denver’s big man, but the numbers just merely arent comparable right now.
There’s no right or wrong answer to the question as it is all opinion. But it’s not hard to recognize that Embiid is currently one of the best big men in the game, and is technically one of the best overall players in the game. There’s still plenty of season left, and things could change – but right now there shouldn’t be much of a debate on this.