PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid spent a bit of time with his family on Friday afternoon. Then, he took a nap, his custom on game days. He pulled up to Xfinity Mobile Arena and received a standing ovation when he was introduced in the starting lineup with his fellow Philadelphia 76ers teammates.
Then, on the first possession of his first NBA game in eight months, he took one of the worst shots you will ever see. It barely grazed the side of the rim.
“It all hit me when I took that terrible shot,” Embiid said with a laugh. “I don’t even know what I was doing. But I just felt like, well, I have the ball. I don’t even know if anyone was in front of me. I just felt like shooting. I thought I made it, and it wasn’t even close.”
The Sixers ultimately won their preseason finale, a 126-110 victory over a Minnesota Timberwolves team that left its entire starting lineup and several key reserves in Minneapolis. None of that mattered. What was meaningful was Embiid stepping on a basketball floor for the first time since last February.
Finally healed enough from his most recent left knee surgery in April, Embiid played 19 eventful minutes. He scored 14 points while handing out eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds. He sprinted back on defense when necessary. He made jumpers after his first miss and generally looked like himself. Most importantly, he looked happy, like a man genuinely appreciative of getting to do what he loved.
“I think the biggest thing I felt was his joy,” longtime teammate Tyrese Maxey said. “It was clear that he was happy to be out there, and how happy that I was for him to be out there.”
A return to remember for Joel Embiid tonight 🔔
14 PTS | 7 REB | 8 AST | 3 STL | 18 MIN pic.twitter.com/AgnSIryKGn
— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2025
Does this mean Embiid will be ready for Philadelphia’s regular-season opener Wednesday against the Boston Celtics? While one can never assume the answer is yes, given his long history of injuries, Embiid came out of Friday night’s game relatively unscathed. Yes, he had a thick bag of ice wrapped around his left knee, but that was to be expected.
“I think we’re going to learn as we go about how my body reacts,” Embiid said. “As every game goes by, we’re going to see what to do and what not to do in terms of recovery. This is going to be a learning process. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow. I’m going to take it slow and do whatever my body tells me to do.”
The basketball element of Friday night was more reliable. Last season, it was painful watching Embiid limp through 19 games and average a touch over 23 points per game on one leg. He didn’t look like himself or move like he was sure of himself. On Friday night, Embiid looked more like, well, Embiid, and certainly much better than he did at any point last season.
He almost flawlessly ran pick-and-pop actions with his guards, particularly Tyrese Maxey and rookie V.J. Edgecombe. Embiid’s playmaking for others was terrific, and he was able to create shots for himself whenever he wanted. For the Sixers to be a team that challenges for Eastern Conference supremacy, they will need that version of Embiid for as many games as possible.
After last season’s injury-riddled 24-58 campaign, Philadelphia enters the 2025-26 season as an enigma. Nobody knows how healthy the 76ers will be or how long they will be blessed with good health. Even if Embiid is in the lineup next Wednesday night in Boston, the Sixers will be without second-year scoring guard Jared McCain, and likely will miss 2024 signing Paul George and power forward Trendon Watford. With or without Embiid, Philadelphia must start the season without a lot of points, rebounds and assists.
At least Embiid’s Friday night performance checked one box, showing he can still be an elite player when healthy. Almost effortlessly throwing up a triple-double in 19 minutes on the floor is the mark of someone who still possesses his basketball powers. Will Embiid miss games this season? Of course. But if he plays enough, it makes sense that the Sixers could be a team that surprises after last season’s misery.
There was a moment in the second half where Embiid saw a runway to the basket and took it. At that moment, the crowd, seemingly in unison, screamed, “No.” Embiid went down in a heap, and everyone in the building held their collective breaths. He was helped to his feet, and his knee briefly buckled. Then, Embiid sprinted up the floor, showing he was not seriously hurt, and subbed out on the next possession. That was the end of his night.
Not much was made of that sequence in the moments after the game. It will probably go down as data for Embiid and the Sixers to help evaluate how his body will respond to some adversity. As the season wears on, Embiid will garner the normal wear and tear of a long campaign. He will get fouled and knocked around. He will have some falls where you wonder if he will get up. How his rest and recovery go will tell the real story on how available he will ultimately be.
Yet this preseason has also shown that Philadelphia clearly has some talent on its roster. The backcourt of Maxey, Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes is athletic, fast on the floor and dynamic in multiple ways. Each member of that trio scored at least 20 points Friday night, and all three thrived off the gravity Embiid provided in half-court situations, then running out in transition. If teams have to spend 55-60 games trying to stop Embiid, that backcourt will be even more effective, especially once McCain gets healthy.
If Embiid is around more often than not to tie it all together, perhaps the 76ers can be better than analysts think.
