Joel Embiid Has Done More Bad Than Good For the 76ers This Season
Feb 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Joel Embiid causing issues in the big 2025 (and soon to be 2026). Who would’ve thought?
It’s no secret that Embiid has not had the most normal NBA career for a player. From two knee surgeries before he even played a minute as a pro, to the front office bosses having burner accounts, or his fellow top draft pick teammates either forgetting how to shoot or refusing to do it, Embiid has seen it all since being drafted to the City of Brotherly Love back in 2014.
Despite all that, Embiid has turned that into an illustrious Hall of Fame career that includes an NBA Most Valuable Player award, seven NBA All-Star appearances, one All-NBA First Team selection, and four All-NBA Second Team appearances, as well as three NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors and two scoring titles.
While the individual accomplishments have been incredible, Embiid was unable to turn any of that into a single championship; better yet, he has still not been able to reach a conference finals in his 12 years in the league. It’s come to a point that people on the internet joke about how something happens before Embiid reached a conference finals.
But through the tough times and the highs and lows, Embiid has poured his heart into the city of Philadelphia, and the city has embraced him back. Now at 31 years old (32 in March), Embiid’s career is heading on the downslope from his prime version, as the days of every night 33 points per game player are no longer here.
More lower-body and knee issues have caused him to miss over 120 games over his past three seasons combined. His body is just not capable of playing a regular 82-game NBA regular season. With back-to-backs and multiple games in a week, Embiid misses almost every other game on the 76ers’ schedule, and that’s not including when he misses long periods of play due to actual injuries he suffers.
Now I don’t want to kill Embiid too much, as he’s done a lot for this city and team, and even his current version of himself isn’t that bad of a player. In 12 contests this season, Embiid is averaging 21 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists a game, while shooting 43.5 from the field. He’s finally putting successful games together, as just the other night he dropped an efficient 27 points against the Nets, and earlier this month scored a season-high 39 points.
But while his stats look great, the team isn’t. This year, the 76ers are 6-6 with Embiid on the floor, and 10-6 when he’s not. It doesn’t take an expert to see that when Embiid is out there playing, he’s not the same player he once was, but still gets nearly the same amount of shots he used to take. His rebounding has also been a problem, as he is constantly being beaten on missed shots due to not being able to jump as well as he used to.
His efficiency rating is also a new low since Embiid became the first option scoring-wise for the 76ers, as this year it’s dipped to 21.18, putting him 36th in the league. When Embiid is out on the floor, he’ll still seem like the Joel of old, but in reality, he just can’t be the same player.
The 76ers have a blossoming nucleus of young talent, as Tyrese Maxey and young potential superstars in VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain are ready to make this 76ers team their own. However, with Embiid still here, the ball has to go to him, and because of that, Nick Nurse and co. can’t do much unique playmaking and game planning, and the team is suffering because of it.
So where does that leave the 76ers with their former MVP big man? Back in 2024, Embiid signed a three-year extension with the 76ers, keeping him in Philadelphia until the 2028-29 season, where he’ll be 35 when the contract is done. Embiid currently has the second-largest cap hit in the entire league, trailing only Steph Curry. In Embiid’s last contracted year with the 76ers, he’s projected to move up to first in the league.
The 76ers are dying a slow death with Embiid on the roster, as they’re essentially stuck with the big man for the next four years. Even if they want to move him, you’d have to find a team that not only wants him but has an equal amount of assets for Embiid’s contract. It’s almost impossible to find in today’s NBA, as it would require the 76ers to give up valuable assets as well for someone to take him.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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