Young Joel Embiid could make a poster on any given night. Hell, he’d show up to a Philly neighborhood court and dunk on Joe Schmo.
But multiple knee surgeries later, dunks haven’t been a part of Embiid’s game in recent years. Over the first seven years of his career, Embiid averaged 63.9 dunks in 56.3 games. In the past two seasons combined, he had 24 total dunks in 58 games.
Through 15 games in 2025-26, Embiid had yet to throw one down. He finally got one — one even he admitted was a little cheap
— to put the cherry on top of an impressive win over the New York Knicks. The very next game against the Denver Nuggets, Embiid recorded another slam — though that one barely even got over the rim.
Then it really happened in Wednesday’s 131-110 win over the Washington Wizards. Less than two minutes into the game, Embiid muscled away from second-year big man Alex Sarr, received an on-the-money pass from Paul George, and flushed it down emphatically with two hands.
Nothing cheap about that one, and the bench responded in kind.
“Honestly, I don’t really want to do it,” Embiid said, “but I know that if I do it … it makes a lot of people happy. It’s good for the vibes. And we needed that tonight, especially after the other [night‘s loss].”
Even by Joel Embiid standards, the previous three years had been chaotic:
- He won an MVP
- Was playing at an even more insane level to start the following season
- Broke the franchise single-game scoring record
- Tore his meniscus again, got surgery and returned for the end of the regular season
- Averaged 33.0 points in a tough playoff series
- Won an Olympic gold medal
- Signed an extension
- Only played 19 games last season
- Underwent another knee procedure
There’s been a peace to Embiid this season. It seems he’s listening to his body and the medical staff more, and the outside nonsense less. He’d be the first person to tell you the beginning of the season was difficult. He was on the court, but his body simply couldn’t do what he wanted it to.
With more consistent playing time and no minutes restriction holding him back, we’re getting glimpses of peak Embiid. He’s averaged 29.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 blocks in 32.9 minutes a game while shooting 52.3% from the field (a figure that could continue to tick up once he finds his three-ball again). Those numbers are nice, but the eye test feels even more important. He’s contesting more shots at the rim, he’s actively jumping for rebounds, he’s getting downhill on drives — all his movements look much more fluid in general.
The thing is though, this might just be the start. Embiid might have even more to give as he’s further removed from surgery.
“I have all those moments like I think all the fans do that you say, ‘alright, there’s some stuff we remember,‘” Nick Nurse said, “and I don’t know … I think there’s still a long way to go yet. I think it’s looking a lot better, he’s come a long way, but I think there’s still a ways to go yet, which I think is encouraging for not only him but our team.”
If Embiid remains healthy, he could take his game up another level, but the remaining healthy part has always been the trickiest.
Embiid played just two games in the month of November, missing nine with soreness in his right knee, not the left one he’s had his two most recent procedures on. He’s also popped up on the injury report with an ankle sprain recently.
We can’t be certain any player will remain healthy, but the fear of injury is much more prevalent for Embiid than just about any player in the league. But what’s the use in dwelling on that if you’re Embiid or the Sixers? All the team can do is continue to stack days and build chemistry, while hoping the former MVP not only remains healthy, but continues his upward trajectory.
“Just gotta keep going,” Embiid said. “I’m still building myself back up. We just have to be smart.“
Paul George is in a similar boat, having basically a lost first season in Philadelphia. His numbers have ticked up and he’s looked better on the court. He scored 23 points Wednesday, marking the first time all of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and George have scored 20-plus points in the same game.
And like Embiid, George has rocked the rim a couple times recently, most recently in Dallas in a win over the Mavericks, eliciting quite the reaction from the bench. Those are fun moments for a team looking to become a cohesive unit.
They mean a lot to those players, who’ve been through so much over the last year and change.
“They’ve been a part of the long days, the grueling days of us being sidelined and us rehabbing,” George said. “Those small things keep us going. Now, I’m looking forward to the next time I can attack and go to the rim and dunk and share that moment with those guys on the sideline. It just means so much more than two points. … It’s a morale boost and a confidence booster. … And I think it’s us showing how big of a bond this team has.”
As usual, Embiid brought levity to the proceedings when asked what it meant for his teammates to be so excited for his dunks.
“It means to me I might be washed,” Embiid joked.
Don’t expect Embiid to put a guy on a poster anytime soon, but his upward trajectory is arguably the most encouraging thing for the Sixers’ chances to stay relevant this season.
