NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2019-20

While an actual ranking of the league’s best players would have Paul George and perhaps Klay Thompson or Draymond Green mixed into this stretch, the fact is that the league’s four best centers are all closely grouped together. Gobert, the elite defender, is at the bottom; then Towns, the elite scorer comes next.

Joel Embiid is excellent at both offense and defense, gaining the next spot.

Embiid is a throwback to an earlier age of basketball, when the best players in the league were 7-foot titans swatting shots and backing their way towards the hoop. Embiid is not simply a dinosaur — he can shoot 3-pointers, put the ball on the court and play the part of a modern big — but he brings all of the size and power of something straight from Jurassic Park.

He is a behemoth on the court, stronger and more determined than any of his opponents.

The excellence of Embiid’s play is tempered on one side by his injury history; his size has worked against him in putting strain on his knees and bringing force to his tumbles. On the other hand his charismatic personality makes him a fan favorite (an important part of an entertainment product) and genuinely seems to buoy his team.

If Embiid can introduce a touch of efficiency and a season of healthy play, he will be able to push for the MVP award.

Looking ahead: The Philadelphia 76ers are stocked with talented players in their starting lineup, with Ben Simmons the most likely candidate to take some sort of leap. That leap probably requires a jumper to develop, but Simmons has been uniquely impactful even without it.