Many are out of the Philadelphia 76ers before the 2025-26 season begins due to one shortcoming: the health, specifically that of Joel Embiid. However, in a rather surprising turn of events, Embiid gave skeptics reason to question himself.
The 76ers released Embiid to play their final preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at 7:00 PM EST, Chris Haynes reported. Fans and media alike doubted Embiid’s short- and long-term reliability, but he is slowly shutting down the story one step at a time.
The 76ers will go as far as Embiid can take them
While the Eastern Conference is ripe for the taking, the 76ers can’t seize the opportunity without Embiid at his best.
Philadelphia saw its roster decimated by injuries last season and Embiid led the way. His left knee limited him to 19 games and forced the 76ers to cut him on February 28. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his sore knee on April 11 as Philadelphia finished the year 24-58 – its worst finish since 2016-17.
Injuries aside, Embiid is one of the best in the NBA when healthy. His versatile scoring and rim protection have elevated the 76ers’ contending status for nearly a decade. While Philadelphia may survive the regular season with Tyrese Maxey leading the way, it will need Embiid’s services to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2000-01.
What’s next?
Embiid may be ready for the regular season – a feat that fans thought was far-fetched just weeks ago.
Embiid and Daryl Morey shared a common sentiment at Media Day that he would listen to his body and not return prematurely, leading fans to believe Embiid would remain sidelined for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, it appears that the 2022-2023 Most Valuable Player’s patient approach is paying off.
It remains unlikely that Embiid will play in back-to-back games, but still only 82. Still, Philadelphia and Embiid’s offensive plan will get them results in the long run. The 76ers kept him under strict control this past season, which was a wise decision. Embiid simply wasn’t healthy enough for the plan to be effective. Now that Philadelphia is healthier, he can monitor Embiid’s workload with the goal of keeping him fresh for the postseason but also not letting him get too rusty.
Many have speculated that Embiid will inherit less of the 76ers’ offensive burden, which could play an equally important role in keeping him healthy. Embiid will take the floor at Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time since February 22, and perhaps fans will see that theory become a reality.
#Joel #Embiid #refuted #skeptics #ahead #76ers #preseason #finale