Joel Embiid played basketball for the first time in 232 days.
The Philadelphia 76ers were playing their annual Blue/White Scrimmage at Chase Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon. The exhibit features two lineups, one typically consisting of Philadelphia starters and the other featuring reserves. While it was an insignificant battle, seeing Embiid back in action and making impact plays gave fans a therapeutic taste of what’s to come.
Key Embiid moments
– Tyrese Maxey got into a dribble handoff with Embiid, which led to Maxey pulling two defenders toward the basket. This created space for Embiid to roll and Maxey deliberately found the advantage. He fed Embiid, who eluded Johni Broome for an easy layup. This is a textbook example that the two all-stars have mastered over the years.
-Fans have become accustomed to Embiid feeding off the dribble. But with everything he and Philadelphia have been through over the past year, this face-up turned out differently. Embiid had Broome at the top of the key and used sharp footwork and penetration to nest from the nail in a pull-up jumper that the rookie couldn’t contest.
– The 76ers continued to make moves with Embiid and their variety of guards, which this time included Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe. Embiid swung the ball to Edgecombe on the wing and then set up an off-ball screen for Grimes. Edgecombe passed it off to Grimes, who used Embiid’s pick to dive to the rim. With two defenders drawn, Grimes fired back to Embiid, who made the connecting pass to Edgecombe for a spot-up three. Sets like these maximize the usage of Philadelphia’s guards while reducing Embiid’s offensive burden.
– Embiid operated against Andre Drummond on the baseline and effortlessly hit Drummond with a shot fake to get him airborne. From there, the 2023 Most Valuable Player skied for a powerful dunk, which was a relief to those who wondered how much athleticism he had left.
What this means
When evaluating Embiid’s performance, it is more important to observe the offense that Philadelphia executed than the results, given the non-competitive nature of the game. The 76ers used Embiid on many plays instead of post-ups, which could be part of Philadelphia’s plan to keep his workload in check throughout the season.
Nick Nurse also paired Embiid and Adem Bona during the exhibition, much to the intrigue of many. Philadelphia could benefit from the size of the front court and rim protection that tandem provides against bigger teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers or Houston Rockets. However, the 76ers’ backup center situation is unresolved, so they may not want to rely so heavily on Bona every game.
“That’s been my goal since I was drafted, to be able to share the floor with Joel at some point,” Bona told PHLY Sports Sunday. “I’ve been working on developing my game so I can complement his game while I’m on the floor with him.”
It remains to be seen if Embiid will play in the 76ers’ season opener against the Boston Celtics on October 22. However, if Embiid was further away from a return, he likely wouldn’t have participated in this scrimmage, which is the route Paul George took.
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