When it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers, Danny Green isn’t just watching from a distance - he’s watching like someone who’s been in the trenches. And from his vantage point, there’s reason for optimism in Philly. But it all comes with one major caveat: the health of Joel Embiid.
“Right now, I'm very optimistic, but they have to play this right,” Green recently said. “I think Philly could be a sleeper in the East if he's playing like this, and [Embiid] stays well.”
That “if” is doing a lot of heavy lifting - and Green knows it. He’s seen firsthand how quickly things can turn for the Sixers, especially when Embiid’s body doesn’t hold up at the most critical moments.
Green reflected on his own time with the Sixers, recalling postseason runs that started with high hopes and ended with what-ifs, often tied to Embiid’s physical setbacks. In 2021, it was a knee injury in the first round.
Embiid played through it, but the Sixers fell short in a seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks. That one still stings for a lot of people in Philly.
Then came the next postseason. Embiid took a shot to the face, suffering a fractured orbital bone - yet another obstacle in the second round.
As Green put it: “If you look at the history - broken nose, face. I was playing with him.
He broke his nose in Toronto, we went to Miami the first two games, we had to play without him, or it’s a finger, or something like that.”
That series ended in a 4-2 loss to the Miami Heat. And while Embiid’s toughness has never been in question, his availability has always been the X-factor.
So what’s the answer? According to Green, it’s all about timing. He wants to see Embiid logging meaningful minutes in March - enough to stay sharp and in rhythm - but not so much that he’s worn down by April.
“I want to see him play like some good, heavy minutes in March,” Green said. “But toward the end of March, April, I feel like you got to kind of just like keep him fresh.”
That balance is tricky, but the Sixers seem to be walking the line right now. Since the start of 2026, Embiid has played over 30 minutes in every appearance.
He even logged 45 minutes in that overtime battle against the Houston Rockets on January 22, and followed it up with 36 minutes in the next game. That’s a clear sign: Embiid’s body is holding up - for now.
And that’s the key. Because when Embiid is right, the Sixers aren’t just a good team - they’re a dangerous one.
He’s the engine, the anchor, and the matchup nightmare that opposing coaches lose sleep over. But the postseason has a way of exposing even the smallest cracks, and for Philly, history has shown those cracks often come in the form of Embiid’s health.
Still, if he’s upright and playing like the MVP-caliber force we’ve seen, Green believes the Sixers are in the mix. Not just for a deep run - but for something bigger.
“If he stays well,” Green said, “Philly could be a sleeper in the East.”
And that’s not just talk. That’s coming from someone who’s been there, seen it up close, and knows exactly what this team is capable of - as long as their biggest star stays on the floor.