As Philadelphia 76ers fans eagerly tuned in to see Paul George make his 2025-26 season debut against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, one name was notably absent from Nick Nurse's starting lineup: Joel Embiid.
Missing his fourth-straight game since November 8 with knee soreness, head coach Nick Nurse was asked about Embiid's recovery before the Clippers showdown and dropped a declaration that should leave fans less than enthused about “The Process's” future.
“He's okay, just not quite pain-free,” Nurse said via Kyle Neubeck. “Still day to day, I think it's getting better. I don't think he's far away from playing.”
Now, for how inconsistent Embiid has been on the court for the 76ers in 2025, with the 31-year-old looking dominant, then washed, then out of shape from drive to drive, let alone game to game, when he's been on the court, the former MVP has still been a dominant force for Philadelphia, even as he looks to find his place in a scheme supercharged for space and pace.
In the six games Embiid has played in so far in 2025, the 76ers have a 4-2 record, having lost to the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics by just three combined points. With Embiid out, the 76ers have lost two of their last three, allowing the Detroit Pistons to take them down twice with a win over the Celtics sandwiched in between.
Will Embiid ever recapture his vintage form? That remains to be seen, but even if he's no longer the dominant, two-way force in the painted area he used to be, he has still been able to contribute to winning basketball, so his return is highly anticipated all the same, even if lingering pain could keep him a fixture of the injury report all season long.
