The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into training camp without answers to the same question that has haunted them for years: when will Joel Embiid actually play?
NBA insider Shams Charania laid it out bluntly on NBA Countdown:
“Even the 76ers don’t know exactly when Joel Embiid is going to play and when he’s not going to be playing. Remember last season there were moments where there was built-up frustration that was occurring in the locker room around that coaching staff about Joel Embiid’s availability. “
“When he was playing, no one literally knew, and it created confusion around that organization. The reality is his knee issues have been debilitating, and he’s essentially going to have to master learning how to play through issues, pain thresholds any given day.”
“And a lot of it, like he said, is the unknown, the reality that he will be feeling different ways after a day of workouts. One day of workout might be different than another day, and that might lead him to potentially miss time.”
“And they just don’t know quite yet. They have their first day of training camp practice tomorrow. Let’s see how much, if at all, Joel Embiid participates.”
At the heart of the issue are Embiid’s knee problems. The 31-year-old underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in April, and while the team has insisted his recovery is “on schedule,” no timetable for his return has been provided.
The situation has left the Sixers in limbo. Their first training camp practice begins tomorrow, but even that comes with questions about whether Embiid will participate.
Embiid himself has been upfront about the unpredictability of his health. “This is still kind of a feel period where we’re just taking it day by day,” he said, explaining that some workouts leave him feeling strong, while others create setbacks.
That unpredictability has defined Embiid’s entire career. Since being drafted in 2014, he has missed two full seasons and has only surpassed 60 games four times in 10 years. He has never played more than 66 games in a single season.
Over the past two campaigns, he’s logged just 58 games total. For all his accolades, a seven-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, and 2023 MVP, his health has remained the one obstacle he can’t overcome.
Last season, that reality came crashing down. After the Sixers traded James Harden, they paired Embiid with Paul George in hopes of staying competitive. Instead, Embiid appeared in only 19 games, George had his worst season in over a decade, and Philadelphia spiraled to a 24-58 record, finishing 13th in the East. It was a humiliating drop for a franchise that entered the season expecting to contend.
The Sixers have done what they can to help Embiid by managing his workload and reshaping the roster around him.
The star big man has also taken matters into his own hands, slimming down significantly this summer in hopes that a leaner frame will ease the pressure on his knees. But until he proves he can stay on the court, optimism will be met with skepticism.
The bigger question looms: how long can Philadelphia keep building around a player whose availability is always in doubt? For years, the organization has leaned on the belief that a healthy Embiid gives them a championship ceiling.
But with the clock ticking on his prime and a history of unpredictable absences, even the Sixers themselves don’t know when or if that version of Embiid will return.
For now, Philadelphia remains in a holding pattern, waiting for answers that may never come.
