Over the last decade, there has been a major power shift in the NBA. Once a game dominated by the big men of the league, the NBA saw guard and wing play hit elite levels to the point that centers even adopted their playstyle and began playing from the perimeter. In 2023-24, it has never been more evident that the big man is back in the NBA with some of the most dominant players at the position also being considered the best players in the world.
After we have already discussed the best point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and power forward in the NBA right now, we turn our attention over to the center spot where there are three solid candidates for the title of the best in the world. While one player may seem to be running away with that title, the debate isn’t as one-sided as it seems between Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Bam Adebayo.
This is the best center in the NBA right now broken down using our most accurate formula.
Scoring
1. Joel Embiid – 3 Points
2. Nikola Jokic – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
When it comes to scoring among centers in 2023-24, it is hard to pass up the two-time defending scoring champion in the NBA, Joel Embiid. Heading into this season, Embiid has averaged 31.8 points per game on 52.4% shooting. Things have been no different this season for the 2023 MVP as he is once again leading the NBA in scoring with 32.0 points per game on 49.8% shooting through 16 games.
While Nikola Jokic can stuff a stat sheet like no other center in the NBA right now, his scoring falls just shy of Embiid to win this category. During his MVP seasons in 2021 and 2022, Jokic averaged over 26 points per game each time while shooting over 56.5%. In 2023-24, he is currently averaging a career-high 29.0 points per game on 56.8% shooting while also nearly averaging a triple-double.
Bam Adebayo has improved drastically as a scorer over the years but falls just shy of being on the same level as Embiid and Jokic. In 2023-24, Bam is averaging a career-high 22.3 points per game on 52.2% shooting which has been a joy to watch but unfortunately, does not compare to the rate at which his two opponents here today are doing it.
Shooting
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
Historically, big men with a jump shot didn’t really matter in the NBA but in 2023-24, it holds a lot more weight. For this category, we decided on Nikola Jokic for his overall efficiency in shooting the ball despite his 30.1% shooting from three so far this season. Jokic has dominated the rest of the areas on the court, shooting 64.3% from 3-10 feet, 57.8% from 10-16 feet, and 40.9% from 16 feet to the three-point line. After leading the NBA in true shooting last season, his current percentage is among the best once again at 63.4%.
Joel Embiid has shown the ability to knock down jump shots for extended periods on multiple occasions. Embiid is currently leading these three candidates with 31.5% shooting from three on 3.4 attempts but his work from the mid-range and the foul line has him among the leaders in true shooting as well. Embiid’s true shooting is currently 61.9%, just behind Jokic for the best on this list.
When it comes to Bam Adebayo, his strength does not lie within shooting the ball further than 10 feet from the rim. Adebayo is crafty and athletic but sports the lowest true shooting percentage among these three at 58.9%. Adebayo also attempts far fewer threes per game than Jokic and Embiid, shooting 33.3% on 0.2 attempts per game.
Athleticism
1. Bam Adebayo – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Nikola Jokic – 1 Point
Bam Adebayo has been wrongfully criticized for being an undersized center in today’s NBA. While that may be partially true, the reason he has been able to hang with the big boys in the paint comes down to one thing, his athleticism. Bam is a strong and agile big man whose speed, power, and leaping ability all far exceed that of Jokic and Embiid on the court. I would go as far as to say that without his athletic abilities, Adebayo may not even be a part of this conversation.
I nearly went with Joel Embiid for this category but one thing held me back. How could I possibly choose a player as the most athletic when he has such an issue staying on his feet during games? I am not talking about leaving his feet as a defender on shot fakes or anything. I mean that Embiid is on the floor more often than any other big man in the NBA. Whether flopping or legitimate, this takes him out of the conversation for me.
The running joke about Nikola Jokic in today’s era is that he is the most unathletic MVP since Larry Bird. Despite being in fine NBA shape, he is still amongst the most awkward-looking on the court, moving slower and more calculated while still destroying your favorite player.
Defense
1. Bam Adebayo – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid- 2 Points
3. Nikola Jokic – 1 Point
On the defensive side of the conversation, Bam Adebayo is also the winner by a pretty decent margin. Adebayo has been among the NBA’s most elite defenders for a few seasons now, and the only one on this list with a legitimate chance at Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-24. Adebayo’s versatility and instincts make him the far and away best choice out of these three centers.
While Adebayo may be the clear choice for defense, Joel Embiid has made the conversation somewhat interesting. Embiid is coming off an All-Defensive First Team selection in 2022-23 and has averaged 1.0 steals and over 1.0 blocks per game every season since 2021. On the other hand, Nikola Jokic’s biggest weakness in his game is his play on the defensive side of the ball. While he is the best offensive center in the game, he struggles with superior offensive play on the defensive side of the ball and routinely gives up far too many easy shots at the rim because of it.
Handles
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
Being an elite ball-handler is not something you will see from the centers of yesterday or today. From the selection of these three, the choice has to be Nikola Jokic though, and what he can do with the ball in his hands. I am a firm believer that handles are not only about who looks the best dribbling the ball but what is done with those handles that makes that player special. With Jokic, his ability to get free and be a top-notch playmaker as well as a scorer is second to none to any center in the NBA.
Joel Embiid has displayed some great handles for a man his size as well. Often, he finds himself dribbling into complicated situations though which he then tries to draw a foul or put up a wild shit in hopes of getting a call. For me, that shows a much smaller range of handles than Jokic. Bam is crafty and shifty for a center with the ball in his hands as well. However, he relies much more on gaining position in the paint or moving without the ball than he does on creating his own shot which puts him at the bottom of this category fairly easily.
Clutch
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
The question isn’t who is the most clutch out of these three centers. The question is more about who is the second-most clutch center of these three after Nikola Jokic. Call me crazy, but the player who just led his team to their first NBA title in franchise history while dominating every fourth quarter is easily going to get the selection over the player he defeated in those Finals and the player who has yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs.
With that being said, Embiid and Bam have both been clutch in their own ways. Embiid has been known to take over late in games during the regular season on many occasions. I know that 76ers fans just wish that could occur even one time in a closeout game in the NBA playoffs. As for Adebayo, he has always come up clutch as Miami’s best defender. However, there have been far too many times that Miami has needed someone other than Jimmy Butler to step up late in games, turn to Adebayo, and he has disappeared.
Leadership
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
In today’s NBA, leadership is essential to team success. Being a superstar or having multiple stars on a team doesn’t automatically translate to a championship. With that being said, Nikola Jokic takes yet another category for the clear leadership he has shown with the Nuggets over the last few seasons. In the absence of one or multiple star teammates, Jokic continuously makes the Nuggets better as long as he is the one who remains on the court which is what ultimately led to their 2023 title run.
While Joel Embiid’s ability to lead a team may come into question due to his lack of playoff success, something needs to be said about his ability to get them that far in the first place. On numerous occasions, amid ridiculous drama, Embiid has been the glue that holds the 76ers together and still puts them in a position to compete on a big stage.
Bam Adebayo has rarely had the opportunity to lead his own team thanks to the presence of Jimmy Butler. While there have been times that he has stepped up and taken the lead, Adebayo is more of a secondary leader than at the forefront pushing himself and his teammates.
Basketball IQ
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
Measuring a player’s basketball IQ is always a slippery slope to go down without questioning one’s intelligence. I wish to make it clear that all three of these players are intelligent basketball players but there are levels to it. That is why Nikola Jokic is easily the winner of this category. Nobody in the NBA today sees the court or the flow of the game like Jokic does. Whether as a passer, playmaker, or scorer, Jokic knows precisely when to do what needs to be done to win and where to be at all times. The offense runs through him based on his ability to read every situation on the court.
As I mentioned, Adebayo and Embiid have tremendous awareness and knowledge on the basketball court. It is unfair to compare them to arguably the most intelligent players in the game today as it is setting them up for failure in this case. Both are adept at manipulating defenses and maintaining their positions on the defensive end to be considered highly intelligent players. However, Jokic is on a completely different level than they are.
Impact
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joe Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
When it comes to ranking players, impact on success is one of the most important measures that I look at. No player has had a bigger impact on their team in recent memory than Nikola Jokic. No Jamal Murray? No problem, we’re going to the playoffs. No Michael Porter Jr. either? No problem, we’re going to the playoffs. Is everyone back healthy for the first time in three years? Get on everybody, we are going to win a championship. Jokic has had that sort of impact for the last several seasons and continues to do so in 2023-24.
Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo are both extremely impactful and essential to their team’s success. However, they are also a detriment to their team when not playing well or need to step outside their comfort zones. Jokic continuously positively impacts the game even when his game isn’t working to perfection as it often does. That is the true measure of an impactful and superstar-level player in today’s NBA.
Efficiency
1. Nikola Jokic – 3 Points
2. Joel Embiid – 2 Points
3. Bam Adebayo – 1 Point
Nikola Jokic takes home yet another category for his historic efficiency over the last few seasons which he has taken with him in 2023-24. Jokic has led the NBA in PER in each of the last three seasons and is once again doing the same in 2023-24. Add that on top of holding the best true shooting percentage among today’s candidates and the decision is a clear one for this category.
If Nikola Jokic did not exist, then it would be Joel Embiid who we are talking about as the most efficient center in basketball over the last few seasons. Embiid has had a PER of over 30.0 in each of the last four seasons including so far in 2023-24 with a 32.1 PER. His true shooting has also been above 60.0% for the last four seasons, making him a close second to Jokic in this category.
While I wouldn’t call Bam Adebayo an inefficient player, his production has not and currently is not on the same level as Jokic and Embiid which is how most of this comparison has gone so far.
Who Is The Best Power Forward In The NBA Right Now?
1. Nikola Jokic – 25 Points (7 Categories Won)
2. Joel Embiid – 20 Points (1 Category Won)
3. Bam Adebayo – 15 Points (2 Categories Won)
As expected, Nikola Jokic comes away from this comparison as the best center in the NBA right now. Jokic is currently viewed by most, as he should be, as the best player in the world who continuously is shattering records and what it looks like to be a great center in the NBA. With every passing night, we see Jokic make a difficult game look easier than ever which is a big part of the reason he is on top of the ladder at center.
While fans somehow continue to debate the better center between Jokic and Embiid, the conversation doesn’t need to be had anymore. Embiid is tremendous and is the reigning MVP and scoring champion. However, he has not reached nearly the levels that Jokic has at this stage in their careers and the difference between them is only widening day-by-day.
Bam Adebayo has done a ton of work to his game to even be considered in this conversation. He has improved his offensive and playmaking abilities as a whole while also remaining one of the best all-around defenders in the game. When it comes to the topic of best center in the NBA though, he fails to truly be in the conversation despite winning two categories here today.
