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Sixers Project Cautious Optimism on Embiid as Reports Detail Last Season’s Dysfunction

Former staff accounts of secrecy around Embiid’s availability define a 'prove-it' camp for Philadelphia.

Image
Apr 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) warms up before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
76ers head coach Nick Nurse looks on during the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center
76ers center Joel Embiid looks on after the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Wells Fargo Center

Overview

  • Head coach Nick Nurse said he is encouraged by Joel Embiid’s preseason health and noted the star feels better than at this time last year.
  • Embiid has returned to practice without a stated return timetable after April knee surgery, following a 19-game 2024–25 season.
  • Former staffers told The Ringer that Embiid isolated himself and kept his status private, leaving coaches and teammates uncertain until pregame warmups.
  • Team president Daryl Morey described the offseason as a thorough evaluation that led to personnel changes and a declared 'prove-it' phase.
  • Paul George is rehabbing from July arthroscopic knee surgery with no timeline to ramp up, Tyrese Maxey emphasized mental health and leadership this summer, and Jared McCain is out four to six weeks with a thumb ligament tear.