PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers were able to see a healthy Joel Embiid in Friday's preseason finale loss to the Boston Celtics. The big fella finished with 27 points on 7-for-13 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists while also shooting 11-for-13 from the free-throw line.
Just the preseason, sure, and the Celtics sat all of their regulars, but Embiid was dominant. He looked like himself again. He was getting to the line. He was knocking down smooth jumpers in the mid-range. He was terrific in all facets. The Sixers getting a healthy Embiid, which is something LeBron James was unable to experience with Team USA in the 2024 Olympics, is a big factor for this group.
"It's kind of hard because he wasn't healthy," James said of Embiid
with Team USA. "We all knew that, he talked about it. He wanted to be a part of that team. He was a part of that team, and he gave us everything that he had physically. He was one of the 12 guys that we all enjoyed one another throughout that whole summer, but there was times he felt great. Times he didn't feel great. That was just about him being healthy. But this summer he's been the most healthy he's been in a long time."
If James and Embiid can run that two-man action, then the Sixers are in a much better position. The big fella is one of the many reasons he decided to join Philadelphia. He knows exactly what Embiid can do. It's just a matter of him being healthy.
"I know what Joel’s capable of," James said succinctly. "He's one of the best players in the world. So the sky's the limit for him. I just think you know, for him, obviously he's been in all the practices, he's been in everything. So I think the health is showing, and he's just starting to get his rhythm even more and more, just like the rest of us."
Jaylen Brown, who has had plenty of battles with Embiid in the past from his days with the Celtics, is another star who knows what the 2023 MVP winner is capable of. He just wants to see him healthy and he's going to push him to do so.
"The big fella is making strides getting better each and every day," Brown said of Embiid. "We’ve been pushing him on offense and defense, and I think he’s been meeting the challenge. He’s continuing to just get better and better – pace, quick decisions, all that type of stuff, defensive mentality. I think it’s great to see him out there, because he can dominate the game."
Sure, the Sixers have James, Brown, and Tyrese Maxey, but the health of Embiid is still going to be a deciding factor for Philadelphia. If this is going to be the beginning of his comeback season, then the Sixers are going to be in a much better position to contend for a title.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 76ers' LeBron James, Jaylen Brown give thoughts on healthy Joel Embiid
