Joel Embiid is heading into another season with the same familiar challenge hanging over him, and Draymond Green just handed him a fresh reminder.
Green, the former multi-time NBA champion and Golden State Warriors forward, has never sounded like an Embiid hater. He clearly respects the Philadelphia 76ers star.
But when Green talks about the league’s best big men, Embiid doesn’t make his top three. Green’s list goes Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
And Green’s point is the one Embiid keeps running into: “The best ability is availability”
That line lands hard because the criticism isn’t only about missed games in a vacuum. It also connects to what Towns has been able to do with the Knicks, including helping them reach the Eastern Conference Finals, then the NBA Finals, and eventually bring a title back to New York. Towns had help, maybe more than Embiid has ever had in the playoffs, but the accomplishments still count.
Embiid’s résumé still has a glaring blank spot. He is 10 years into his career and has not reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Over the last three seasons, he has not come close to 65 games played. In 2023-2024, knee issues began to pile up, and he appeared in only 39 games.
He pushed through that setback to play the Knicks in six games, but he was nowhere near fully healthy.
The next season was even more brutal. Embiid played just 19 games, had season-ending surgery on the same knee, and the Sixers missed the playoffs.
Last season brought more of the same on the availability front. Embiid finished the regular season with 38 games played.
He missed the first three games of the playoff run against the Boston Celtics, then sat out one of the four games in the second-round series against the New York Knicks. He was a game-changer against Boston.
Against New York, it didn’t matter. The Knicks handled the Sixers regardless of who was out there.
That’s the frustration Embiid keeps hearing about, and it’s the part he can’t fully escape. He may be tired of the constant reminders about consistency and availability, especially when so much of it is tied to injuries he can’t completely control. Still, a little extra fuel never hurts.
The Sixers have given him plenty of help. Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to pair with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Embiid doesn’t have to carry everything alone. What the team needs now is for him to stay on the floor and prove he belongs in that top-three conversation when he’s healthy.
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Jones arrives with a little more NBA seasoning than the typical camp invite, having spent time with the Knicks and Thunder and carrying a back-to-back champion label despite limited playing time. Philadelphia has used several Exhibit 10 deals to create a crowded workout environment, and Jones now gets a fresh chance to make enough noise to keep himself in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Dean Wade's Bet On The Sixers Already Looks Better Than Expected
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What makes the bet look better already is how quickly that vision has been reinforced around him. The Sixers talked to Wade about adding major star power after his signing, and the early read on his role is straightforward: a trusted bench piece on a deep, ambitious roster with championship expectations. For a player weighing opportunity, fit and familiarity, thats a pretty appealing landing spot. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Backup Center Search Just Got More Interesting For Embiid Insurance
Joel Embiid remains the center of everything the 76ers do, which is why the backup plan behind him has become such a meaningful part of the conversation. Brook Lopez has emerged as a possible name to watch, and the fit is easy to understand for a team that wants a veteran big man who can steady the minutes when Embiid sits. At 38, Lopez would not be brought in for long-term upside, but for insurance and structure, the kind of role Philadelphia has had to think harder about as it sorts through its frontcourt options.
The wrinkle is how a deal could come together. Lopez is still attached to a $9.2 million contract, and any move would likely require Philadelphia to send out Anfernee Simons plus a minimum-contract player to get the Clippers attention. Los Angeles has its own reasons to listen, too, since it has a need to replenish draft picks after the Kawhi Leonard situation left the franchise dealing with some lost ground. For the Sixers, the interest is obvious. The question is whether the cost and the roster math line up. [Read more 🡒]