With the highly anticipated 2026-27 season approaching rather quickly, there are many who are beginning to rank players based on what has been done up to this moment.
The Philadelphia 76ers have some of the best players in the league with the star-studded quartet of Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey. They will look to those four to lead the way for a team that has not seen a lot of playoff success in recent decades as they have not been past Round 2 since 2001.
The Sixers will have to overcome a lot of challenges in front of them in the coming season as the Miami Heat swung a huge deal to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo to join Bam Adebayo. However, former NBA player Theo Pinson isn't hearing all of that as he would take a healthy Embiid over Antetokounmpo.
Please be advised that the clip below contains language that some might consideroffensive!
Theo Pinson says a healthy Joel Embiid is better than Giannis Antetokounmpo, and it’s not close.
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 12, 2026
“What can Giannis do that Joel Embiid can’t?”
(Via @ToTheBaha / h/t @TheHeatCentral ) pic.twitter.com/MEfF5xNMe6
Embiid has not played 40 games in three seasons, but when he has played, he has been able to throw the team on his back. He averaged 26.4 points in the 38 games he played in the 2025-26 season and he has been working extremely hard in the summer to be ready for what's to come. Both coach Nick Nurse and President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey gave encouraging updates on the big fella as they believe he will be ready to go.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Former NBA player ranks Sixers' Joel Embiid over Giannis Antetokounmpo