Sixers Star Joel Embiid Still Viewed Among NBA's Top Centers

Over the past five years, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has cemented himself as one of the most dominant stars of his generation. Despite a lackluster showing last season, the superstar center is still viewed among the top players at his position.

Early in the 2024 season, Embiid looked to be putting together one of the best offensive seasons from a center in recent memory. He joined an elite group of stars with his 30-point, 10-rebound streak, and was on pace to average more points than minutes. However, things went off the rails when he suffered a knee injury in a matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

Embiid managed to return that season, but it was clear he wasn't 100%. He then went on to compete for Team USA in the Olympics, albeit with a lot of pushback from fans and analysts.

Upon returning to the Sixers, the knee ailment was still an issue for Embiid. He was in and out of the lineup constantly from opening night, and only appeared in 19 games before being shut down.

The former MVP finished the 2025 season averaging 23.8 PPG, his lowest mark since 2020.

Sixers Joel Embii — Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) runs down the court during the first half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Ahead of the new season, the people at HoopsHype compiled a ranking of the top big men in the NBA right now. Embiid still managed to crack the top five, slotting in at No. 5. Ahead of him were Alperen Sengun, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic.

If Embiid can get back to relatively good health, he’ll easily outplay his spot on this list, as even as recently as 2023-24, he was putting up 34, 11 and six per night, historically good numbers.

We’re just not confident he’ll find that level of health anytime soon.

Similar to his entire career, health remains the biggest question for Embiid. When healthy, he's proven to be an unstoppable force offensively. However, he's struggled to be readily available throughout the course of an entire season.

Based on the latest photos of him, Embiid looks to have improved his physique in hopes of having a bounce-back year.

preseason prep. 💪@PennMedicine pic.twitter.com/5CHG6LID8h
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) September 16, 2025

If Embiid is able to be more available for the Sixers, they have a good chance to quickly climb back up the Eastern Conference standings.