Bleacher Report’s ranking of Joel Embiid as the NBA’s best 32-year-old has opened the door to a real debate, and Pascal Siakam belongs right in the middle of it.
Embiid’s résumé is obviously loaded. The former MVP has already hit levels that most players never touch.
But the last few seasons have made the conversation a lot messier. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted his run, and when the playoffs arrive, he has not consistently maintained that same level for a full postseason.
He still has not gotten past the second round, either, which is hard to ignore when he has been the centerpiece.
That is where Siakam enters the picture.
Bleacher Report placed the Pacers’ two-time All-Star and former NBA champion alongside Derrick White of the Boston Celtics as a contender for the top 32-year-old honor, but Embiid got the nod because of his numbers, even with only 57 games played over the last two seasons. The case for Siakam is different. It is built on availability, efficiency, and what has happened since Indiana brought him in during January of 2024.
The Pacers did not add Siakam expecting a deep playoff run right away. They wanted a competitive team with a little more experience as the rebuild moved forward.
Instead, Indiana ripped through the Milwaukee Bucks in a tough six-game series, then knocked off the New York Knicks in Game 7 on the road. That run pushed the Pacers into the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.
They were swept, but the series was competitive and showed what was possible.
The following postseason took the story even further. Indiana beat Milwaukee in five games, upset the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in five, then stunned the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in six to reach the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history. The Pacers then pushed the No. 1 team in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder, all the way to Game 7 before losing in heartbreaking fashion.
Siakam has been at the center of all of it. In Indiana, he has often been the steady go-to option and, at times, the team’s No. 1 choice. His championship background has clearly mattered, and in just three seasons he has helped carry the Pacers farther than Embiid has taken the 76ers since Philadelphia drafted him in 2014.
The playoff numbers back up the argument. Siakam has played 40 postseason games for the Pacers and averaged 21.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks. He has also shot 52.6% from the field, 38.0% from three, and 68.1% from the line.
Embiid’s most recent playoff line came in seven games last season, when he averaged 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.3 steals while shooting 46.0% from the field, 17.9% from three, and 83.1% at the stripe.
Embiid’s scoring, rebounding, and playmaking edge is real, but the sample sizes are not remotely the same. Forty games versus seven changes the shape of the argument, especially when Siakam has been the more efficient scorer from the floor and from deep.
Health is the other major divider. Over the last three regular seasons, Siakam has played 181 games.
Embiid has played 96. Siakam is also set to make roughly $49 million next season, while Embiid is around $58 million.
Embiid is expected to have more help around him than ever this season, and a lighter usage load could help preserve him for the playoffs. Still, the grind of repeated deep runs is a real concern given what his body has already absorbed.
If the choice is who you want moving forward, Siakam makes a strong case. He has not fallen far behind Embiid statistically, he has already proven he can lead a team deep into the postseason, and he has brought steady leadership on and off the court.
Embiid may have the higher ceiling. But Siakam is the safer bet to carry a team farther in the playoffs, and that is why he has a legitimate argument as the NBA’s best 32-year-old.
In Other News...
76ers Get Huge Clarity On Valuable Clippers Draft Asset
The NBAs investigation into the Clippers role in Kawhi Leonards 2019 contract brought one major ripple effect into focus for the 76ers: the future draft equity they control in Los Angeles is still intact. Philadelphia owns the Clippers 2028 first-round pick and also has top-three protected swap rights on the 2029 selection, two assets that had suddenly looked more complicated as the league weighed punishment in the case.
Instead, the leagues penalty lands elsewhere, with the Clippers stripped of first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and the Pacers pick they had previously acquired in a trade set to be the one that disappears. For the 76ers, the news at least clears up one important part of the picture, because those Clippers-related assets remain in play for a franchise that has made long-term draft value a key part of its roster-building plans. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Faces The Criticism That Could Define Phillys Title Push
Joel Embiid has spent much of his 76ers career carrying two conversations at once: the one about his talent, which has never been in doubt, and the one about his availability, which has too often shaped the franchises ceiling. The latest round of public criticism has gone beyond injuries and into questions about his work ethic, especially in the shadow of stars such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with the debate only growing louder as Philadelphia continues trying to build a roster that can truly support him.
For the 76ers, this is more than a reputation issue. Embiid has reportedly been healthy through the offseason, and the front office has added pieces aimed at strengthening the team for the seasons ahead, which only raises the stakes on how he is viewed entering the next push. If Philadelphia is going to turn all that talent into something lasting, the pressure on Embiid is not just to stay on the floor, but to answer the criticism that has followed him for years. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Faces Another Brutal Question About Sixers Title Hopes
Joel Embiids health and commitment have been a recurring talking point around the Sixers for years, and the latest round of criticism adds another familiar wrinkle to the conversation. Former NBA guard Jeff Teague recently weighed in with a harsh assessment, tying Embiids injury history to questions about his work ethic while holding up Kevin Durant as the model for how a superstar can recover and keep producing at an elite level.
For Philadelphia, the issue is bigger than another former player taking a shot on a podcast or television segment. It speaks to the same nagging uncertainty that has followed Embiid through much of his prime, with Max Kellerman also among those who have raised similar concerns about his approach and durability. As long as the Sixers are built around Embiid, every comment like this lands with extra force because it cuts straight to the one question that never seems to go away. [Read more 🡒]