Joel Embiid isn’t buying the idea that the 76ers need anyone to “sacrifice” to make this thing work.
Ahead of Opening Night, the seven-time All-Star laid out his view bluntly as Philadelphia prepares for a season with even bigger expectations. Four-time champion LeBron James is set to make his 76ers debut against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, a move that only intensified the pressure after the Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown in exchange for Paul George and draft capital during free agency.
With a roster packed with star power that also includes Tyrese Maxey, there’s already plenty of outside noise about fit and balance. Embiid, though, wants no part of the “sacrifice” conversation, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
“I'm against the concept of sacrificing,” Embiid said. “I think the way I explained it was you do what you do best, and we're going to support you. … I don't think anybody has to take a backseat.”
Embiid also offered a positive update on where he stands physically after putting together a strong preseason finale. In the 76ers’ 125-120 overtime loss to the Celtics, he finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 29 minutes. Afterward, he said his body is feeling good and sounded almost stunned by what he’s doing again around the rim.
“It's good to dunk. I thought I would never dunk again,” Embiid said.
“I guess I don't know what happened. I kind of got possessed.”
Brown, meanwhile, isn’t pretending Philadelphia has everything figured out yet. Even with the roster talent, he said the group still has work to do.
“We're not where we want to be yet,” Brown said. “So that's just part of it. It's a part of coming together, a new group with a bunch of guys, different style, but we just got to keep getting better every day.”
Still, the pieces are obvious. Veterans with championship experience like James and Brown are now helping steer younger talent such as VJ Edgecombe and Maxey. The 76ers have the kind of group that can absolutely contend for a title - but whether they put the right steps together to get there is another question entirely.
In Other News...
76ers Already Have A Joel Embiid Problem They Couldnt Hide
The season opener offered a reminder that the 76ers biggest question may not be about their stars, but about what happens when Joel Embiid has to take a breather. Against the Knicks, Philadelphia looked exposed behind him as Adem Bona and Jabari Walker had a tough time dealing with Andre Drummond, a matchup that quickly turned into a problem the Sixers could not paper over for long. Injuries already have thinned the center group, and the team had to get creative just to survive stretches without its anchor in the paint.
Philadelphias depth chart at the position now feels like something worth watching closely, especially if the early-season rotation has to lean on stopgap answers more than expected. The Sixers can live with a lot when Embiid is on the floor, but the opener showed how quickly the matchup can tilt once he is not, and it left an obvious question hanging over the roster: whether this team will need to find more reliable help at center before those minutes decide a game again. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Nurse Still Has A Knicks Grudge The 76ers Havent Settled
The 76ers have already made their presence felt against New York once this season, walking out of Madison Square Garden with a 106-100 win that spoiled the Knicks ring and banner ceremony. For Philadelphia, it was more than just an early-season road victory. It was the kind of result that still carries some extra edge for a team that has spent time looking back at what happened against the Knicks in the playoffs.
Nick Nurse has not completely let go of that loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the frustration around it still lingers as the two teams measure themselves again. Philadelphia has also reworked its roster with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the mix, giving the club more ways to navigate the season if Joel Embiid misses time. Even so, the Knicks remain a familiar source of unfinished business for a coach who clearly has not moved on from the last postseason meeting. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Just Reopened An Uncomfortable 76ers Debate
Paul Georges first night in Boston looked a lot like the kind of performance the 76ers spent a season hoping to see more often. In the Celtics season opener, George poured in 38 points and added five rebounds, three assists and five steals, immediately looking like a player with more room to operate than he ever consistently found in Philadelphia. The fit was different from the start, with Boston putting him in a larger role and giving him the freedom to play like a primary option alongside Jayson Tatum.
For the 76ers, it reopened an uncomfortable question about what exactly went wrong during Georges time in Philadelphia. Injuries were part of the answer, but so were the team dynamics around him, which never seemed to let his game breathe in the way it did against his new backdrop. If this is the beginning of a resurgence, it only sharpens the sense that the Sixers may have watched a different version of George emerge just as he moved on. [Read more 🡒]