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CAMDEN, N.J. — On Saturday afternoon, Joel Embiid took passes at the far end of the gym from Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Demetris Nichols and got up shots after the first official practice of the season.
Embiid began with midrange looks. Then, he and Nichols went through pick-and-pop actions, shots Embiid routinely gets in during games. Eventually, Embiid, Nichols and Sixers assistant Reggie Redding began shooting competitively from half court.
Embiid swished his second attempt. A bell rang. Then a celebration emerged.
Embiid, the superstar who played sparingly last season as he dealt with a left knee injury that wouldn’t heal, participated in the first official practice of the season. He did “quite a bit,” according to Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. That included scrimmaging full-court five-on-five with his teammates.
After practice, he didn’t run to the training table and wrap his left knee with ice. He went through a full workout. A blue practice jersey clung to his noticeably slimmed-down physique. He also didn’t wear a bulky knee brace.
“I feel pretty good,” Embiid said. “I’ve made a lot of progress over the last couple of months, and me and the team and the trainers have a plan in place. We’re taking it day by day. I just want to keep getting stronger and better. Everything is on schedule with what we have planned. There isn’t an expectation on when I will be back. We’re just making sure everything is right, and then go from there.”
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid taking jumpers in training camp pic.twitter.com/B5y3AxLbZL
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) September 27, 2025
It’s been almost a year and a half since Embiid tore the meniscus in his left knee against the Golden State Warriors. He’s played basketball in pockets since then, of course. He essentially played on one leg in the 2024 NBA playoffs. He played in the Olympics that summer. He played in 19 games last season, which ended in a second surgery in April. However, that night at Golden State started it all. Ever since then, he hasn’t been fully healthy, and his knee hasn’t been fully operational.
That’s why if you ask Embiid, team executive Daryl Morey or Nurse, they are going to leave Embiid’s return open-ended. The bulk of his rehabilitation will proceed at his pace. And he and the doctors will decide when he returns, whether that be sooner or later. What’s encouraging, however, is that Embiid’s been able to get on the floor and participate in basketball activities. It’s encouraging that after a full practice, he’s been able to work on his craft. It’s encouraging that he appears to be enjoying basketball again.
“What I want is to be as honest and transparent as possible,” Embiid said. “I think this is the time, going forward, that I’m going to listen to my body. There are so many times in the past that I’ve tried to push through injury. I don’t want to do that this time. So, it’s going to be unpredictable at times, and we are going to have to work with that. I know that I’m going to have to take it day by day and work from there.”
If Philadelphia, coming off what was a hideous 24-58 season, is going to rebound in what looks to be a wide-open Eastern Conference, Embiid has to be himself when he is on the floor. He can’t just be out there for vibes. He must be the player who has performed at an MVP level in recent years.
And for the 19 games he was on the floor last season, it was clear that he wasn’t himself. He averaged 23.8 points per game, his lowest output since the 2019-2020 season. He averaged 8.2 rebounds per game, his lowest output since the infancy of his career.
He possesses an incredible skill level for a 7-footer. By virtue of that alone, he’ll always be a dangerous offensive player. However, the pain in the knee sapped his explosiveness last season. It killed his ability to guard pick-and-rolls effectively. It hampered his ability to protect the rim, which is one of his lesser-known strengths.
“We all want him to be playing a lot more,” Nurse said. “But, his body simply didn’t allow him to be out there. What I hope is that there is a lot more management this year. And that we are talking about whether he is or isn’t playing. Because that will mean that he is a lot healthier.”
It can be understood that the Sixers are frothing to get him back. There is an opportunity in the East. There is an opportunity to erase the sour taste of last season’s disappointment. Perhaps most importantly, there won’t be a first-round pick next summer. It lies with the Oklahoma City Thunder and is top-four protected. So, among other reasons, there is pressure for Philadelphia to win games now.
However, the Boston Celtics aren’t expecting to have Jayson Tatum this season after he ruptured his right Achilles tendon. The Indiana Pacers aren’t anticipating having Tyrese Haliburton this season, also due to a torn Achilles tendon, and starting center Myles Turner is now with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Miami Heat won’t have Tyler Herro to start the season. It means there is room at the top of the conference to be taken.
If Philadelphia is whole, a case can be made that the Sixers are deep enough, talented enough and athletic enough to make a leap from last season. Embiid, if he is right, is arguably one of the best players in the league. His combination of perimeter skill and strength inside the paint makes him almost impossible to guard. It says a lot that Denver center Nikola Jokić has been arguably the best player for years, yet Embiid has been right there with him when healthy.
And that’s what’s been so frustrating for Embiid. Not being able to play. It’s challenging to work out without experiencing swelling in the knee. Unable to sustain a run of good health for the better part of two seasons. It’s one of the reasons a timeline for his return doesn’t exist. He wants to make sure he’s as close to the real Embiid as possible.
If nothing else, he’s seemed relaxed and at peace to start training camp. Right before he exited the floor for the last time on Saturday, he took a ball, bounced it off the floor, caught it and dunked it. To be clear, there wasn’t much energy exerted. However, it’s safe to say Embiid wasn’t doing much of that this time last year.
“Everyone knows that I want to play every single game,” Embiid said. “I have been pretty unlucky when it comes to that, compared to most players. It’s been mentally draining going through so many injuries. But what I know is that I can’t give up, no matter what comes.
“I have to get up and push through and hope for the best. I’m hoping for a different situation this year, and I’m excited to keep progressing. I feel good.”
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Tony Jones is a Staff Writer at The Athletic covering the Utah Jazz and the NBA. A native of the East Coast and a journalism brat as a child, he has an addiction to hip-hop music and pickup basketball, and his Twitter page has been used for occasional debates concerning Biggie and Tupac. Follow Tony on Twitter @Tjonesonthenba
