For the first time in years, the Philadelphia 76ers have spent the preseason with their franchise center on the floor.
Joel Embiid has been healthy throughout training camp and the preseason, and the team’s star guard said Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, that it transforms what the Sixers can do.
Why does a healthy Joel Embiid matter so much?
It lets the team build its offense around him. The guard said the Sixers can install more plays when Embiid is available, instead of trying to learn on the fly during games.
In past seasons, injuries often kept Embiid out of camp and preseason games. That left teammates adjusting to him in the middle of the regular season.
This year, the team has spent two to three weeks drilling the same actions over and over with Embiid on the court, the guard said. He called that repetition a good thing for the group.
How has injury shaped Joel Embiid’s career?
Health has been the biggest obstacle of his career. In 10 seasons, Embiid has never played all 82 games and has topped 60 games only four times.
He has averaged just 49 games per season, a number that does not include the first two seasons he missed entirely because of injuries.
Last season, he played 38 games, twice as many as the year before, while dealing with problems in his right hip, management of his left knee and appendicitis. Appendicitis is a sudden inflammation of the appendix that typically requires surgery.
When healthy, Joel Embiid has been one of the most dominant players in the league. He won the MVP award in 2023 and has captured two scoring titles.
How will Joel Embiid fit with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown?
That is the big question. Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this offseason, and neither has played alongside Embiid before in the NBA. James did play alongside Embiid on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Paris in 2024.
The guard said he has an advantage after six years with Embiid. He knows where the center likes to catch the ball, where he wants guards to cut and other tendencies. The pair has formed the core of the Sixers since the guard was drafted in 2020.
He noted that there are not many big men like Embiid, which makes playing with him hard to learn. Having him healthy in camp gives the newcomers a chance to pick up those details before games count.
How does Embiid feel about his health?
Confident. At the end of last season, he said he felt as confident about his health as he ever had.
He said his knee had been his biggest concern but that he was no longer thinking about it. If he keeps up his routine, he said, he will not have to worry about it anymore.
What is at stake for Joel Embiid and the 76ers?
A lot. NBA general managers named Philadelphia the winner of the offseason in their annual survey, and the 76ers received votes to win the championship. Brown arrived after years as a cornerstone in Boston, where he won a title and Finals MVP honors in 2024.
The roster is built to contend now, but its ceiling depends heavily on Joel Embiid staying on the court. The Sixers also carry high expectations from a fan base that has waited years for a deep playoff run.
If his health holds, the extra time together this preseason could pay off when it matters most. For Joel Embiid, a full season would mean a chance to prove his body can finally keep up with his talent.
