Matt Burns resolves a big debate about Nicola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been stuck in the process for the past decade or so, as they chose Joel Embiid as the face of the franchise.
Embiid is a sensational talent, but he has been injured throughout his career and has not met his full potential.
Nevertheless, Embiid has been consistently featured in discussions other than Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
For years, Jokic has had an edge over Embiid in terms of success in the NBA. However, many believe that Embiid closed the gap slightly when he won the 2023 NBA MVP.
However, it didn’t take long for the lead to be extended again as the Joker led the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA Championship.
Despite knowing this, former NBA player Matt Burns recently gave a surprising take on Jokic Envid’s competition.
“We keep saying, ‘If”. When he is healthy, I have no doubt at all. I even argue sometimes, people would think I’m crazy.
“I don’t know if Embiid is completely healthy or if he’s taking Joker, because Embiid moves around more in defense. He can turn on picks and rolls.”
He doubled his view. “It’s Embiid when health is a problem. When, if that’s the case, we just have a terrible luck.”
Now it’s a controversial take. Because Embiid is called because he cannot maintain his health, but Burns somehow shaped the argument in his favor.
Even if we ignore history and compare Jokic and Embiid’s 2024-25 NBA season, it’s clear that the Nuggets star is far better than the 76ers star.
Embiid played just 19 games in the regular season, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
Meanwhile, Joker played in 70 games, offering 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game.
As a result, Jokic finished second in the 2025 NBA MVP poll, leading the Nuggets to their second round before losing in a fierce battle with OKC Thunder in a 7-game series.
