Udonis Haslem makes his best center pick between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, 'two things can be true...'

Udonis Haslem has chosen Joel Embiid over Nikola Jokic as the best center in the NBA, despite both players consistently competing for MVP honors, with Embiid winning the award in 2023. Haslem acknowledged Embiid's significant injury problems last season, which limited him to only 19 games and impacted his performance, and noted the Philadelphia 76ers are awaiting his return to dominant form.

While recognizing that both Embiid and Jokic have "reignited the importance of the big man position" by putting up "monstrous numbers," Haslem explained his preference on the OG's podcast. He praised Jokic ("the Joker") as "unstoppable" and "amazing," but stated he is "inclined to feel like" a fully committed Embiid is the best. Haslem believes if Embiid was "100% locked in," "conditioned," "focused," and "willing to sacrifice," he would be the league's top center, emphasizing this view "takes nothing away from what the Joker does."

Haslem directly stated, "Joker could be great and he is great, but I’m inclined to believe that a healthy, locked in, in shape, committed Joel Embiid is the best center in the league." However, he criticized Embiid's current level of commitment, saying Embiid is "cheating" because he only sees "visions" and "flares" of that dominant potential, asserting "it ain’t enough." This choice comes despite Haslem acknowledging Embiid's well-documented history of injury problems throughout his career.