Listing the top 5 players in terms of Player Efficiency Rating (PER) | NBA season 2021-22

#3 Joel Embiid - 31.3

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers during a game.

Joel Embiid has been the most dominant player in the 2021-22 NBA season in the eyes of many. His statistics certainly scream that the Cameroonian center has been tremendously dominant on the court.

His Philadelphia 76ers had to deal with the noise regarding Ben Simmons and his unwillingness to play for the team. However, Embiid kept his head down at the time and now has been joined by James Harden at Philly.

Embiid is currently third in terms of Player Efficiency Rating in the 2021-22 NBA season with a brilliant 31.3. That would've been the league-best in four of the last five seasons and is the 12th-best mark of all time.

Embiid is averaging 29.5 points (league-high and career-high), 11.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game with 49/35/82 shooting splits.

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#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo - 32

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks during practice.

Giannis Antetokounmpo won the MVP award in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns and is coming off winning the 2021 NBA Finals MVP. The 27-year-old Greek superstar is currently having another season that puts him in MVP and DPOY conversations, while looking to defend the Milwaukee Bucks' championship successfully.

Antetokounmpo already owns the greatest single-season Player Efficiency Rating in NBA history, with the 31.8 he put up in the 2019-20 campaign. Now, he is surpassing that mark with a PER of 32 that he currently has this year.

The two-time MVP is averaging 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and six assists per game, while making 54.4% of his field goals and 72.2% of his free throws (his best mark since the 2018-19 campaign.

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#1 Nikola Jokic - 32.3

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets during a game.

Nikola Jokic is looking like a back-to-back NBA MVP winner right now. The Serbian center is currently dragging the Denver Nuggets into a playoff berth with a 38-26 record (sixth in the West).

Jokic's performances have been essential for the team's run in the regular season and he's been battling for the PER lead with Embiid and Antetokounmpo recently.

The center is averaging 25.8 points, a career-high 13.8 rebounds, and eight assists per game so far (57 appearances). He's also made 57% of his field goals, 36% of his threes and 81% of his free throws.

Jokic is currently shattering the all-time single-season record for Player Efficiency Rating with a 32.3, and it could certainly boost his MVP case, while he's also leading the NBA in Box Plus/Minus.