Joel Embiid’s words cut straight to the heart of what the 76ers have been chasing around him.
After Philadelphia’s convincing win over the defending-champion New York Knicks, Embiid had the kind of night he wanted and the kind of message that made the larger picture even clearer. He has already piled up the individual hardware, including an MVP award, but the endgame has never changed: the NBA Championship. And in Embiid’s view, getting there takes more than talent.
In a feature for The Athletic written by David Aldridge, Embiid opened up about a difficult stretch marked by injuries and the mental grind that came with it.
“I went through a period the last few years, obviously, I’ve come down with injuries,” Embiid told Aldridge. “I just hated coming into the gym.
Like, injuries, I can’t play, this and that. I was miserable, and depressed.
I just thought that’s the biggest thing we need - that, not necessarily joyful personality, but something else. And I’m a grown man.
A lot of it is on me to fight through it. But then again, it’s also nice when you have other people around you that felt that way and can boost you up a little bit.”
Embiid also pointed to Jaylen Brown as the kind of voice that can help shape a locker room, right alongside LeBron James.
“It’s just another guy that can hold guys accountable, because they see that the guy has gotten to the finish line - and beyond the finish line; went through the rope.”
On the floor, Embiid backed up the message with production. He put together a strong start to the season, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. He also delivered the big shot, knocking down a 3-pointer with 3:31 left in the fourth quarter that all but put the game away for Philadelphia.
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 🡒]