Sixers pre-camp questions: Will this be the year Embiid breaks through in playoffs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers‘ new era is on deck.
With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on board and training camp set to begin Tuesday, we’ve taken a look at key questions for the 2026-27 Sixers.
We’ve asked:
Last up: Will this be the season Joel Embiid breaks through in the playoffs?
Embiid is accustomed to being at the center of the Sixers’ universe.
That won’t be the case at media day Monday. The Sixers’ other projected starters are now three All-Stars (James, Brown and Tyrese Maxey) along with last year’s Rising Stars MVP (Edgecombe).
The team’s vision of playoff success still features Embiid. The 32-year-old big man was mostly excellent when available last regular season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks. He was also vital to the Sixers’ seven-game first-round series win over the Celtics, delivering gritty, skillful performances after returning from a late-season emergency appendectomy.
Physical problems continued to plague Embiid in Round 2 and the Sixers were swept by the Knicks. Embiid has 66 playoff games, six second-round eliminations and two first-round exits in his career. The Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001. There’s a vast list of reasons for that, many of which are strange and unfortunate. The bottom line is Embiid wants better and the 2026-27 Sixers will plan to push for a championship.
What will the Sixers need from Embiid?
Improved health is first and foremost. Embiid has played just 96 regular-season games over the last three years. However, he ended last season believing that he was trending up.
“I came into this year not knowing where I was going to be, how long I was going to play, if I was even going to play based on how the knee was the last two years,” Embiid said at his exit interview in May. “I came in just hoping for the best and I feel like we’re in a position where we’ve figured out the knee. It hasn’t been an issue. If it weren’t for the oblique or some of the other stuff I had, it could’ve been different as far as how many games I would’ve played.
“We came into this season thinking there was not much left based on the last two years. Now I’m sitting here not even worried about my knee even after all the stuff that’s happened, people falling on me. You’re obviously going to have setbacks as you go along, but those setbacks have been so much different than in the past.
“So I hate losing, but … I thought I was done. That’s the best way to put it. And then we found something as a group … to figure out how we’re quite frankly in a better position next year to play a lot of games.”
We’ll see whether Embiid’s body cooperates with those intentions. If he hits some speed bumps throughout the season, the Sixers’ hope would be that none are too serious, he’s able to build chemistry with his new star teammates, and all is relatively well for the playoffs.
By all accounts, Embiid’s had a positive offseason. Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey raved about the 2022-23 MVP in August after Brown’s introductory press conference.
“I remember when I got the job, I went over there and he was like, ‘I want to have a great year. I want to play a lot of games. I want to be All-NBA Joel.’ He’s talked the talk and now he’s walking the walk,” Gansey said. “He’s lost some weight; you saw the pictures. He’s been in the gym. He’s doing all the right things and he’s super motivated.”
Though the Sixers are now brimming with offensive talent, it’s hard to imagine Embiid becoming peripheral. He should often be valuable as a post-up force, mid-range shooter, and intelligent partner in a variety of two-man actions with his fellow stars.
A return to his peak beyond the arc also wouldn’t hurt, especially since Embiid may turn to his three-point shot a bit more as he ages and his game becomes less about physical dominance. He shot a career-high 4.2 threes per game last season and hit 33.3 percent. Embiid’s best mark was 38.8 percent back in the 2023-24 season.
Both logic and most of the popular numbers would suggest that Embiid’s best days are behind him as a defender and rebounder. (His estimated defensive plus-minus last year was plus-0.6 and Victor Wembanyama topped the NBA at plus-4.4, as one example.)
The Sixers shouldn’t require Embiid to play brilliant, nimble defense every game, but it would be a massive help if he could do solid work in the pick-and-roll, deter drives all the way to the rim, and grab a good chunk of rebounds in his area.
Across the board, head coach Nick Nurse will ask his stars to commit to all the ways they can contribute outside of scoring.
Embiid will surely be happy with any brand of basketball that leads to the Sixers playing deep in the postseason. Perhaps this will be the year.
Read the full article here