Joel Embiid bounces back in strong second game as 76ers show glimpse of potential new normal for former MVP

Opening night was full of extremes for the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid was terrible. Not only did he finish the night with four points on nine shots, but he did so against a Celtics team that lost essentially its entire front court to injuries, free agency or trades over the summer. Philadelphia won the game because Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe went nuclear in a 74-point explosion. It was as if we were watching a franchise change hands in real time, 48 minutes of Wally Pipp getting benched for Lou Gehrig. The 2023 MVP was the past. The 24-year-old All-Star and the No. 3 overall pick were the future.

That’s still probably true, but Philadelphia fans can breathe easy knowing that Wednesday’s Embiid is starting to feel a bit more like the aberration after a far stronger Saturday follow-up. He scored 20 points in 20 minutes, seemingly his current on-court limit right now to preserve his health. Though he’s not nearly as bouncy as he was a few years ago, he moved somewhat more comfortably than he did against the Celtics in Saturday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, even notching a couple of steals. 

Was this the player who won MVP three years ago? No, but it was a reasonably effective player, one who may not have been able to stay out there long enough to swing the game in crunch time, but who could at least do his part earlier on to keep it close enough for his teammates to finish the job. That hasn’t always been the case for essentially any of Embiid’s career. He’s barely played over the last two years. If Philadelphia isn’t careful, that will be the case for the rest of his career.

In essence, Saturday was our first glimpse at what could be the new normal in Philadelphia, one in which a carefully managed Embiid is preserved enough to have some impact rather than sitting games out entirely. His minutes limit will likely increase over time, but within reason. He’s guessed that he’ll never play in another back-to-back. Some Embiid is better than none at all.

The 76ers were never equipped for a part-time Embiid before. There are still areas in which it will be a struggle — most notably defense. But the 76ers have never come close to this sort of shot-creation depth, and that at least offers a pathway to building a viable offense without Embiid on the floor.

Maxey again led the way with 28 points on Saturday, but Quentin Grimes wasn’t far behind with 24. He’s become a bit of an afterthought in Philadelphia, even signing a one-year qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason after the 76ers failed to make a competitive offer for his services long-term, but this is someone who averaged almost 27 points per game last March. He was so good that he earned the ultimate individual distinction a bad team can bestow: he was benched in games down the stretch because he helped them win too many games. Grimes is probably a 3-and-D player on a 76ers team with a healthier Embiid gobbling up his standard possession share. On this team? He can get far closer to his post-deadline volume from last season.

Jared McCain, who would’ve run away with Rookie of the Year had he remained healthy last season, hasn’t played yet. Neither has Paul George. Remember Paul George? The podcaster who played in nine All-Star Games? Like Embiid, he probably can’t approach his peak volume. But with all the shot-creation Philadelphia has accumulated in its backcourt, having him around as an ensemble shooter feels like a luxury.

There’s probably a ceiling on this sort of team without some significant defensive addition or outrageous growth from the young players, but they’re in the Eastern Conference and they’re going to be able to score. That’s enough to remain reasonably competitive as they attempt to figure out what comes next. As short-term formulas go, you could do a lot worse. As long-term formulas go, well, it’s still not clear if The Process has technically ended yet, so let’s try to stick to the short term. In that short term, the 76ers are undefeated with a compromised Embiid. If all they’ll ever have is this compromised version of him, we’re at least starting to see how they can win games around those limitations rather than punting entire seasons away because of them.