Six months ago, if anyone told you that Joel Embiid would be playing at an All-Star level in January 2026, you likely wouldn't have believed them. Every injury update to Embiid at this point in his career feels like the death blow to the player we once knew... But somewhat miraculously, he keeps returning and dominating.
Embiid is not posting the nearly unprecedented numbers he did in his MVP campaign, but he provided an honest assessment of where he sees himself as we pass the halfway point of the season:
"For myself... I think I'm... Not necessarily where I want to be, but, you know, a work in progress... I'm back to, I would say... All-Star level, and getting back to that All-NBA level and MVP level... Just gotta keep it going."
I understand why a player as gifted as Embiid wants so badly to reach the level of player he once was. But right now, even the All-Star level play that Embiid (rightly) thinks he's playing at feels like a massive win after yet another troubling injury update last offseason.
Fans can't complain about Joel Embiid's production this year
We can argue about the Sixers playoff prospects or the longterm outlook of this team whenever we want; right now, it just feels good to watch Embiid, after injury after injury, look even remotely like the dominant force he was for a decade.
There was real concern (from the author of this article) that Embiid's days as a dominant force in the paint were over. This year, he's averaging just seven rebounds per game and barely one block per game. Is he the domineering, destructive game-wrecker he was in 2023? Not quite. But this version of Embiid is still so promising, considering what many of us thought we were going to see from him this year.
If Embiid can get back to the All-NBA level he mentioned, that would be pretty astounding. No Sixers fan would complain about that, obviously. But if this is the version of Embiid we get for the next few years (and he stays healthy while being this version) I think fans in Philly would be just fine with that, too.