Who's the Weakest at Their Peak? The Ultimate NBA Powerhouse Showdown: Howard, Embiid, Davis, Jokić

The Ultimate Peak Comparison

I’ve spent years parsing play-by-play data for Premier League clubs—now I’m applying that same rigour to NBA legends. Today’s mission: determine who among four titans—Dwight Howard, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Nikola Jokić—is truly the weakest when fully healthy and at their peak.

Let me be clear: this isn’t about popularity or highlight reels. This is about defensive efficiency, offensive load, possession value, and how much a player changes the game.

And yes—I’ll include some dry humour. Because nothing says ‘professional analysis’ like mocking your own bias while proving it.

The Case for Howard – King of the Rim (But Not Always King of Stats)

Dwight Howard in 2010–2013 was an architectural marvel. Five-time All-NBA Defensive First Team. Two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He guarded 4s and 5s like they were on fire—because they were.

But here’s where numbers bite back: his offensive contribution? Let’s just say he wasn’t scoring 25 points per game in isolation. His true shooting percentage dipped below 50% during his prime despite elite rebounding.

So while he dominated vertically—with blocks that looked like stop-motion physics—he lacked lateral impact on offense compared to others here.

In short: He anchored defense but didn’t elevate offense like Jokić or Embiid did.

Embiid vs Davis – The Twin Towers of Modern Dominance

Joel Embiid (2021–2023) posted career-best PERs above 30—and led in win shares per 48 minutes during those seasons.

Anthony Davis? In his prime with New Orleans (2016–2019), he averaged over 17 rebounds + 3 blocks per game while shooting better than league average from three—a rare combo in big men.

Both were elite defenders AND efficient scorers—especially when paired with ball-handlers (e.g., Jrue Holiday).

So if you’re choosing between them based purely on peak impact? You’d need deeper analytics—like defensive real plus-minus or net rating differential when they’re on court versus off. But broadly speaking—they both check every box except perhaps longevity.

Enter Jokić – The Statistical Alien Among Mortals

Nikola Jokić has redefined what it means to be an MVP-level center through pure skill architecture—not athleticism alone.

He leads in assists by a center since at least 1978 (per Basketball Reference). In fact, he ranks among top-5 all-time in single-season passing volume from post position—even though most centers don’t pass under pressure.

His usage rate? Around ~30%. But his true shooting percentage routinely exceeds 64%. That means he scores efficiently while creating opportunities for others—in ways no other big man has matched before—or likely ever will.

Even against teams running zone defenses or double-teaming him constantly? The dude still posts triple-doubles monthly like clockwork—as if it’s normal to have a career-high assist total at age 30+ without being a traditional point guard.

This isn’t dominance—it’s structural evolution of basketball itself.

So Who Is Actually Weakest?

Back to our original question: The weakest player… when all are at their peak?

If we measure by holistic influence across defense + offense + leadership + advanced metrics—the answer leans toward Dwight Howard—not because he was bad—but because his impact was more limited.

He was dominant defensively but rarely transformed teammates’ performance like Jokić did—or carried entire offenses like Embiid did during stretch runs.

Davis came close—but even he had lower offensive versatility than Embiid/Jokić due to injury-prone habits early on.

That said—the gap is razor-thin.

We’re comparing titans here—not mere mortals.

And honestly?

If you asked me which one would dominate in an elimination series?

I’d pick Jokić without hesitation.

Not because others are weak—but because one guy redefines what “strong” even means.

Now excuse me while I go update my Excel model again…

Don’t forget to comment below—who do YOU think is weakest at peak?

Spoiler alert: No one wins that debate unless you bring raw emotion into it.