Joel Embiid will seemingly be ready at the start of the season, as the All-Star center is prepared to take the court with the new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
All signs point to a healthy Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers.
76ers coach Nick Nurse appeared on Take Off with John Clark and discussed the status of Embiid. During the interview, Nurse elaborated that Embiid has looked better than he has over the last few years.
"He looks fantastic by the way, he's having a great summer... He’s in shape, he’s active, and he’s feeling much better to get out on the floor and to get in the weight room," Nurse said.
Embiid has been riddled with injuries, and they have mounted over the last three years. If Joel Embiid is over the injury bug, that spells disaster for the rest of the NBA. All offseason there have been talks about how this team is so injury-prone and Embiid is never going to be as good as he once was.
Now is the time to prove everybody wrong. Embiid hasn’t been healthy since his MVP campaign in 2022-23. In that season Embiid appeared in 66 games, leading the league in scoring with 33.1 points per game.
Even if Embiid doesn’t return to his MVP form, his contributions will be massive if his health can sustain the long season. This will be different, as this is the first time Embiid has had this much help around him. While he did play with Paul George and James Harden, they were past their prime. Playing with young guys like Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown will be better for him in the long run.
Now we get to see a healthy Embiid team up with LeBron James. The world got to witness some of that connection when the two were teammates on the USA Basketball team as they won gold in 2024.
Now we can see it in full force in the NBA. A healthy Embiid could leave the comparisons of James and Anthony Davis on the Los Angeles Lakers. That combination created problems every night and if James and Embiid are out in the pick-and-roll it’s hard to know where the ball is going to go.
Let’s not forget, Embiid has the ability to step out and shoot the ball. He doesn’t have to linger in the paint to be effective. The defensive side will be Embiid’s calling card, as he’ll be able to move and be that rim protector that the team needs. His ability to crash the glass will decide games, and that all lingers on his health.
If Joel Embiid is truly back to his old self, the team can do more than ever before as their All-Star center returns with James to guide the way.
