Joel Embiid spent the final three months of the 2025 calendar year struggling to silence critics who questioned if he could still play at an MVP-caliber level. Unfortunately, just when it seemed as though Embiid was proving the skeptics wrong, knee soreness became the primary topic of conversation again.
Thankfully, nestled in between those two developments was a stretch during which Embiid looked like the best player in the NBA—and thus provided a genuine source of optimism for the 76ers.
Between the 76ers' opener on Oct. 22 and Dec. 31, Embiid appeared in a grand total of 14 games. To make matters worse, he shot a shocking 43.7 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc, and pulled down just 6.7 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game.
To the surprise of no one who lives in a hot-take culture, the general public was overwhelmed with claims that Embiid had officially been overcome by injuries and was no longer the star he used to be.
How times have changed. Since Jan. 1, Embiid is averaging 29.9 points per game on .535/.397/.867 shooting. Furthermore, over the past 15 games, no NBA player has averaged more than Embiid's 33.1 points per contest. And he's shot with unfathomable efficiency at .529/.529/.869.
It's undeniably concerning that he's dealing with knee trouble again, but Embiid has firmly proven that he can still look the part of the best player on the planet when healthy.
76ers superstar Joel Embiid has proven he's still elite when healthy
Though the primary concern will always be health and availability, there was a general sense of uncertainty in regard to whether or not Embiid could get back to a star-caliber level. If the answer had been no, the 76ers would've been effectively stuck with a max-level contract and a player who can't play at the level they need him to.
As a result, it was fair to conclude that the 76ers would've been effectively ruled out of the championship equation before their rejuvenated team could begin to take shape.
Fast forward to the All-Star break and Embiid's resurgence is as noteworthy as the troubles he's experienced with his knee. He has two months to get back to 100 percent in time for the playoffs, and should he do so, he clearly still has the ability to impose himself on games.
That's proven by the fact that, since Jan. 1, the 76ers are 12-5 when Embiid plays and 1-5 when he doesn't.
The list of positive outcomes include wins over postseason-paced teams in the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors. If nothing else, that leaves the impression that Philadelphia can still compete at a high level when Embiid is healthy.
All eyes are on the 76ers' injury report until further notice, but Embiid has at least eliminated the concerns over whether or not he can still play like the MVP and two-time scoring champion he is.