Where Did Sixers Star Joel Embiid Fall in Latest NBA Center Rankings?

Should the Sixers big man be ranked higher?

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Joel Embiid (11) and forward Anthony Davis (14) laugh together on the bench during the fourth quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Over the past few years, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has cemented himself as one of the most dominant players of his generation. Heading into the 2024-25 season, he has been ranked among the top players at his position.

As the offseason continues, the people at HoopsHype have done positional rankings for all NBA players. The latest rendition to come was centers, which sees Embiid come in at the No. 2 spot. Ahead of him is reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, a player the Sixers star is regularly debated with. Rounding out the top three was LA Lakers star Anthony Davis.

Embiid led the league in scoring, though he didn’t qualify for the scoring title due to games missed, while also posting 11 rebounds nightly, over five assists, one steal and nearly two blocks per game. And he did that all while shooting almost 53 percent from the floor (39 percent from three) and facing opposing teams’ best big-man defender every night, even often staring at double-teams. Those are the numbers a modern-day Wilt Chamberlain might be posting if his prime were taking place today.

Through the first half of the season, Embiid looked well on his way to winning another MVP. He was consistently putting up historic numbers that had him in conversations with the likes of legendary big men Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O'Neal. Embiid's most eye-popping performance came against the San Antonio Spurs, where he dropped 70 points.

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Unfortunately for Embiid, his historic season got derailed when he suffered a knee injury against the Golden State Warriors. This resulted in him missing an extended period of time, not making his return until just before the postseason. Embiid finished the regular season with 39 games played and averages of 34.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.6 APG.

Following a strong offseason from the Sixers front office, Embiid finds himself with arguably the best roster of his career. If he's able to consistently stay on the floor and lead his team on a deep run, Embiid might be able to leap Jokic in these rankings.