Udonis Haslem chose the best centre between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
Both of these big players have competed for the MVP trophy several times, with Joel Embiid finally beating Nicola Jokic to win the award in 2023.
The seven-time All-Star played just 19 games last season, miles past his best due to injury issues.
Although there is no date set for him to return yet, the Philadelphia 76ers hopes to return to his dominant vest every time Embiid returns.
Embiid and Jokic rekindled the importance of a big man’s position, both of whom consistently cited monsters for their teams.
However, Haslem chose between the two and gave the valid explanation behind it.
The former Miami Heatstar was past his prime when he played against Embiid.
His ability to dominate the paint and make sturdy shots while also contributing to the defensive side is unique because of his greatness.
Speaking about Embiid on OG’s podcast, Haslem said: “I love how Joker can do, he can’t stop him.
“But I’d like to see if Joel Embiid wants to come 100% locked up, conditioned, focused, willing to sacrifice and do all he needs to do.
“And that doesn’t rule out anything from what the Joker is doing. Two things are true.”
The injury issue has been with Embiid throughout his NBA career. Zach Lowe recently revealed what he felt about Embiid’s future in the league due to his injuries.
But Haslem thinks Embiid is even better when it shows more commitment.
“The Joker is amazing and he may be great, but I want to believe that in a healthy, trapped way, dedicated Joel Embiid is the best center in the league.
“That’s exactly what I believe, and I want to see it. He’s cheating. I see the vision of it, I see the flare of it, but that’s not enough,” adds the Heat legend.
2023 MVP recently conducted an interview talking about his career with ESPN and the 76ers.
He opened a recovery plan and also mentioned the locker room leak that occurred last season.
| season | The game has been played | point | rebound | block |
| 2024-25 | 19 | 23.8 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 34.7 | 11 | 1.7 |
| 2022-23 | 66 | 33.1 | 10.1 | 1.7 |
| 2021-22 | 68 | 30.6 | 11.7 | 1.5 |
Embiid plays with multiple injuries, especially in his lower body. He went to the Olympics last year with some minor injuries, and when he returned, his condition worsened.
However, the 76ers cannot afford to move into their future with star players constantly injured. He is 31 years old and may not be able to recover from his injury immediately.
While he completes the surgery, Embiid needs to go through proper rehabilitation to return to full fitness. Philadelphia will need him next season, but they cannot risk retrieving Emvid without completing their recovery.
He is extremely important to the team alongside Paul George, who was injured in the offseason, and if both don’t recover properly, the 76ers can have another disastrous campaign.
Embiid is power if available, but it’s been a while since he’s fully fitted. If he could keep his fit and play like his usual self, the 76ers would have ec as they would give them a massive boost next season.