Joel Embiid is back on the court after nearly eight months away, making his return in the 76ers’ preseason finale Friday night.
The superstar center hadn’t played since February 22 against Brooklyn before undergoing knee surgery in April. This was his second procedure on the same knee in just over a year.
His injury struggles limited him to just 39 games last season, with the team keeping him sidelined until the final month.
Embiid looked sharp in Philadelphia’s 126-110 win over Minnesota, putting up 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in just 18 minutes of action. He also added 3 steals while shooting a solid 50% from the field and from three-point range.
“I don’t want to really think about the past,” Embiid said after the game. “I’m just in a good space mentally, physically… I’m just happy to touch the basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love.”
The 31-year-old star seemed genuinely relieved to be back doing what he does best.
“When you don’t get to do that, it’s tough, but that’s what I’m most happy about. So today, tonight, that’s all I kept thinking about. I’m on the court playing basketball, doing some good things, helping us win.”
Last season was a struggle for the former MVP. He appeared in just 19 games, averaging 23.8 points – his lowest scoring output since 2019-20.
His rebounding also dipped to 8.2 boards per game, something he hadn’t done since his rookie year.
The knee issues clearly affected his play late last season when he scored under 15 points in consecutive games – something that hadn’t happened to him since 2021.
Taking It One Step at a Time
Friday’s performance showed promising signs for Sixers fans, but Embiid is staying realistic about his recovery.
“I mean, I won’t say I feel like I was 18 years old again,” he joked. “That’s never going to happen. But I’m just taking it day by day.”
He knows there will be challenges ahead in his recovery process.
“Like I said, just learning. Some days are going to be good, some days I’m going to be a little bit tight, so learn from it and adjust and keep doing the right things.”
His return clearly lifted team spirits. Teammate Tyrese Maxey, who led all scorers with 27 points, couldn’t contain his excitement.
“I think the biggest thing that I felt was just joy, and just how happy he was to be out there and how happy I was for him to be out there,” Maxey said.
If all goes well, Embiid should be ready for the Sixers’ season opener against the Boston Celtics on October 22.
