When Joel Embiid made his triumphant return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers' final preseason game of 2025, excitement was at an all-time high in South Philadelphia.
Suddenly, everything was coming together, with the stalwart of “The Process” sharing the court with young stars like VJ Edgecombe, and when Paul George ultimately returned to the court after his summer knee procedure, Nick Nurse might just have the firepower needed to take a serious run at the playoffs once more.
And yet, while PG is back, Edgecombe has established himself as an NBA starter before hitting drinking age, and Tyrese Maxey has lived up to his “The Franchise” moniker with an MVP-caliber season, Embiid hasn't played a huge role in his team's success, appearing in just six games so far in 2025.
Discussing Embiid's eventual return from injury and how his knee is progressing, Nurse broke down his recovery timeline ahead of the 76ers' next game against the Miami Heat, which “The Process” likely won't play in.
“I think we're trying to take the best care we can of him and get him out there. He wants to play. He's being very diligent. … He's doing a lot to try to get back on the floor. And I think it will be soon,” Nurse explained via Keith Pompey.
“I know this has been a long [process]. I think it will be soon, but just keep doing the right things, keep listening to what the doctors tell us.”
To Embiid's credit, the 76ers have been a very good team when he's been on the court, as he can still score from all three levels, space the floor for drivers like Maxey or Edgecombe, and even hold things down in the painted area, even if he can't be a full-time drop coverage anchor for 34 minutes a night any longer. The 76ers will unquestionably be a better team when Embiid returns in the not-too-distant future, but when that actually happens remains to be seen, as his knee still has some healing to do before he can be counted on as a regular part of Nurse's rotation moving forward.
