There is no doubt that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is one of the most talented centers in the league when he’s healthy.
In fact, Hall of Famer Dwight Howard is so blown away by Embiid’s abilities that he said he could take on arguably the greatest center to ever suit up.
“I felt like if he had stayed healthy, he would probably be the only player at that time who I could see giving Shaq problems, if he was playing Shaq one-on-one,” Howard said of Embiid.
Dwight Howard thinks a healthy Joel Embiid is the only center who can take on prime Shaq
“I felt like if he had stayed healthy, he would probably be the only player at that time who I could see giving Shaq problems, if he was playing Shaq one-on-one.”
(h/t @HoopAnalysisNet ) pic.twitter.com/gKNdtOOsAu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 14, 2025
That’s some high praise, especially coming from Howard, who has a complicated past with Shaquille O’Neal.
This is a testament to the amount of respect Embiid has gained from fellow NBA players over his nine years in the league.
During that time, he has averaged 27.7 points and 11.0 rebounds, shooting 50.1 percent from the field.
When he’s in good shape, no one can slow Embiid down.
However, the big problem is that his periods of health have become few and far between.
For example, he only appeared in 19 games last season, and just 39 in the season before that.
And more reports have said he’s not fully healed from his knee injury yet, so this upcoming season is in doubt too.
Just a few seasons ago, Embiid was MVP and a dominant force who could shut down any offensive plans, but now he is a big question mark.
But when he’s at 100 percent and his body is agreeing with him, Embiid has a case for one of the most remarkable big men the league has ever seen.
NEXT: Nick Nurse Hints At Major Plans For Sixers Lineup