The Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll when it comes to ESPN’s player rankings. With Sixers stars Tyrese Maxey (19) and Paul George (21) making the list on Wednesday, it was just a matter of time until Joel Embiid found himself in the upper echelon of players. Don’t let the lower ranking fool you though, as he is still the league’s best big man since Shaquille O’Neal.
Joel Embiid has been one of the most dominant forces in league history over these past few seasons and it’s far from outrageous to suggest that, if it wasn’t for an injury last year, he would have won a second straight MVP.
Appearing in only 39 games, the 7-time All-Star averaged a jaw-dropping 34.7 points per game on 52.9/38.8/88.3 percent shooting splits. He became only the second player all-time to score more points (1,353) than minutes played (1,309) with a minimum of 50 minutes played, joining the great Wilt Chamberlain in the record books.
While Embiid will probably see a drop in his scoring with the addition of Paul George and the continued rise of Tyrese Maxey, he will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with this season. Embiid is, of course, one of the best pure scorers in the league. However, Embiid’s impact goes so much deeper than that.
Embiid is also one of the best rim deterrents in the league, averaging 1.7 blocks last season, a terrific rebounder, averaging 11.0 boards, and he set a new career-high mark with 5.6 assists per game, the third most of any center in the league. Add in Paul George, Eric Gordon, and Caleb Martin on the perimeter next to Tyrese Maxey, and those numbers could easily continue to rise.
This offseason, there has been a lot of talk about Embiid making sure that he stays healthy for the playoffs. While the Sixers organization and fans may miss seeing him in back-to-backs, it’s clear that Joel Embiid is ready to focus on bringing a championship to Philadelphia.
The rest of the NBA should be terrified of what a healthy Joel Embiid can do in the playoffs. Just last year, Embiid led all playoff performers in points per game with 33 a night while still recovering from his meniscus injury. Imagine what he can do with his revamped roster and a clean bill of health.
Joel Embiid’s ranking among the ESPN Top 100
Considering the injury Embiid suffered during last season, it’s understandable that he ranked a few spots lower than last season. However, Embiid’s slide was more drastic than anticipated or arguably deserved.
After ranking third by ESPN ahead of the 2023-24 season, Embiid was dropped down to eighth in the league, being leapfrogged by Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Steph Curry, and LeBron James.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote the section on Embiid’s ranking—it’s important to note he was simply analyzing Embiid’s ranking, not deciding it—including the why and the what to watch:
“Injuries. When Embiid was healthy last season, he was having a truly historic season, as he was on pace to become the second player — alongside only Wilt Chamberlain — to have more points than minutes played. Then a knee injury derailed his season.”
Bontemps continued, “As a result, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player wound up being ineligible to defend his crown, playing just 39 games. He came back in time to play against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs but clearly was less than 100 percent due to the combination of his knee and a case of Bell’s palsy, across Philadelphia’s six-game exit.”
Was the Sixers’ star ranked too low?
Injuries certainly impact the game and one’s ability to make an impact. It is perfectly reasonable and understandable that yet another injury, one that kept Embiid from MVP, All-NBA, and other award considerations, would result in a lower ranking.
With that said, falling to eighth feels shortsighted at best by ESPN, especially considering that, when Embiid was on the court, he was far and away the best player in the league last season.
Looking ahead of him, is a 39-year-old LeBron James, who has also dealt with availability issues and also failed to take his team beyond the first round, truly a better player than Joel Embiid? Is today’s Steph Curry, who failed to lift his team to the postseason, truly a better player than Joel Embiid? Not to mention Jayson Tatum, who is seemingly benefitting from ring culture, being named a top 5 player despite not once being legitimately considered in last season’s MVP discussion.
Then, there’s Bontemps’ note on Embiid in the Sixers’ playoff series against the Knicks. Bontemps mentioned the loss, noting that Embiid was not at 100 percent due to the knee injury and a case of Bell’s Palsy. Admittedly, it remains true that the frequency at which Embiid is injured remains a bit worrisome, but despite everything that he suffered through during the playoffs, Joel Embiid was nothing short of dominant, averaging 33 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, despite his physical limitations.
The NBA’s last taste of Embiid saw him lead the league in postseason points per game, in addition to leading the league in scoring during the regular season, despite not qualifying for the official title. In years past, Embiid could have been fairly criticized for his post-season performance. This year, he was arguably the most productive player to touch the court in the playoffs, despite the injuries, and yet, he has ultimately lost his standing, at least according to ESPN.
