5 biggest All-NBA questions remaining this season

No. 4: Who’s the First-Team Center?

On the surface, this shouldn’t be close.

With the exception of assists (we’ll get there in a second), Joel Embiid is head and shoulders above his Denver counterpart. The Philly big man is putting up 27 and 13 to Nikola Jokic’s 20 and 10. Embiid anchors a defense that falls apart when he sits, whereas the Nuggets merely survive on that end when Jokic is in the game. Jokic is slightly more efficient, but that’s offset by Embiid’s comically high usage rate, second among rotation players to James Harden.

Overall, with The Process on the floor, the Sixers outscore opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions. When he’s off, the number flips to a negative 4.3. That 12.5 difference in net rating is more than double the 5.6 difference for Nikola, whose Nuggets teammates are still outscoring opponents when he sits. Both teams are on pace for win totals in the mid-50’s.

So why is this even a question? Simple: The Joker is currently averaging 7.7 assists, good for eighth in the NBA, and on pace to be the highest per game figure for a center since Wilt Chamberlain led the league in total assists over 50 years ago. When the Nuggets offense is rolling, he is the reason, dictating everything they do from his perch at the top of the key.

Realistically, if the Sixers struggled down the stretch and Denver finished 21-4 to get to 60 wins and maybe the top seed, this could get closer. As it stands though, it’s Embiid’s spot to lose, with Jokcic a lock for the second team.

As for the third team…