Joel Embiid showed up to Sixers media day looking like a different version of himself, and it did not take long for the conversation in Philadelphia to shift to the same old question with a new wrinkle: can this body hold up?
That’s been the annual tension around Embiid. Nobody doubts the talent.
The doubt has always been about availability, and the 32-year-old center has played only 96 games over the last three seasons. He also has never gotten through a full playoff run healthy, which is why every appearance, every photo, every glimpse of him in the offseason gets picked apart.
This week, the first look drew plenty of attention. On ESPN’s Hoop Collective media day reaction show, Tim MacMahon said Embiid appeared noticeably leaner in person.
"Joel Embiid looks pretty sleek… as sleek as he's been since very early in his career at least… his weight in reality is like he's dropped significant pounds," MacMahon said.
That fit with what had already been circulating all summer. Recent visuals of Embiid working out at the team’s practice facility suggested he had trimmed down. Last season, he was listed at 7-foot and 280 pounds.
If the lighter frame is real, the benefits are obvious. Less weight should mean less stress on the knees and feet that have repeatedly been a problem. It could also translate into more minutes, sharper rim protection and fewer nights spent on the injury report.
And Philadelphia needs that version of Embiid. The roster around him now includes LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Maxey averaged 28.3 points last season, and Edgecombe started every game he played as a rookie. On paper, that starting five has a different kind of edge.
The Sixers won’t have to wait long to find out how it looks in real life. They open the season Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden against the defending champion New York Knicks, on the night the Knicks receive their rings.
That game won’t settle anything by itself. But it will give an early read on whether Embiid’s new frame can help carry Philadelphia where it wants to go.
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Even with that overhaul, the biggest issue may be how all of those pieces fit once the games start and the rotation has to settle. Embiid and LeBron James are both in the mix for load management plans, which only adds another layer to the equation, while Maxey has been framed as someone focused on team success over individual recognition. The talent is there, but the Sixers still have some sorting out to do before the new look feels complete. [Read more 🡒]