Injuries have taken a toll on Joel Embiid for years, and that was no different this season. The Philadelphia 76ers big man has only played in 38 games, and he missed roughly a month due to an oblique strain between February and March. And given that he visibly doesn't look like the same player who won the MVP award in 2023, there were concerns about what his future had in store.
However, the 32-year-old has been incredible since his return, and he's showing everybody that he still has a lot left in the tank.
In five games since returning, Embiid has averaged 28.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 45.4% from the field and 40.7% from deep. It's a small sample size, but Embiid has looked as good as (and probably even better than) everybody expected.
He might not be the same player he was a few years ago, but he is proving that he can still play at a high level. And the 76ers are being reminded of that at the perfect time as the postseason approaches.
Joel Embiid is still a big part of the 76ers' success
For the 76ers to have any chance at winning a title this season, they will need the Cameroon native to be as healthy as possible. He still remains impactful in just about every area of the game, and Philadelphia needs him to be on his A-game to be successful in the postseason (to be clear, this isn't ideal since the team might be relying on Embiid a little bit too much).
When he's on, Embiid is still a legitimate paint presence on both sides of the ball. Additionally, he has grown as a playmaker, and he is still borderline unstoppable on offense because of his size, physicality, and versatility.
At this point, the reins have mostly been handed over to Tyrese Maxey, who was selected to his second career All-Star team this season, and that's how it should be. But Embiid is somebody who can raise the 76ers' ceiling, especially if he is healthy. And as the team looks to make some noise in the postseason this year, he is someone the 76ers need to be as close to top form as possible.
They don't need him to be MVP Embiid (though that would obviously be nice), but they need him to bring value. And if his latest stretch is any indication, that shouldn't be much of a problem.