Heading into the 2025-26 season, no team will be more difficult to predict than the Philadelphia 76ers. After the absolute stinker they put out in the previous campaign, fans and pundits alike have soured when it comes to the collective ceiling of their core group, raising serious doubts about this squad's ability to return to contention which was the expectation just a year ago.
Part and parcel of the more modulated expectations for the 76ers moving forward is the discouraging signs of decline that Joel Embiid displayed last season. He appeared in just 19 total games during the 2024-25 campaign, turning in relatively meager numbers as his production across the board took a significant dip.
Early this summer, fans were ambushed with another grim news when the team revealed that Embiid underwent another surgical procedure on his chronically injured knee. From thereon, the 76ers remained dead silent about his status, merely offering subliminal updates on rare occasions which definitely did not do anything to quell the concerns of the fanbase.
But recently, the team offered a sneak peek of the whole squad in action on the practice floor, and people could not help but notice that Embiid seemed like he was actively participating therein. He seemed to be in really good shape, but of course, there were still many who had reservations about whether the superstar was actually taking part in team activities instead of solo workouts.
76ers quell concerns with new Joel Embiid sneak peak
As can be gleaned from the latest batch of practice photos and clips released by the 76ers' social media page, Embiid can be seen partaking in the team's actual scrimmages, which is most certainly a good sign for his availability this season.
Previously, Embiid seemed like a virtual lock to miss all of training camp and some games to start the season, but now, he appears to be in playing shape –– enough for him to participate even during the preseason. Of course, that will bode well for the team, especially since team chemistry on the hardwood was something they completely failed to develop amidst last season's revolving door of injuries.
Now, given that the 76ers have the most back-to-back sets in the league under the regular season schedule, Embiid will probably miss 16 games at the very least. That will be enough to take him out of all the awards races, though at this point, that will be far from his and the team's range of concerns.
The status of Embiid will singlehandedly determine the very ceiling of this 76ers team next season and moving forward. If last season proved anything, it is that he is still the best player on this squad, and without him, they are simply going nowhere.