Does Joel Embiid Have a Shot at Playing in 76ers-Celtics Opener?

What's Joel Embiid's injury report status against the Celtics?

Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid is getting ready to officially make his return for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Last week, Sixers fans got a chance to see Embiid in action for the first time since February. After undergoing a second corrective procedure on his knee, Embiid had another long recovery time, which ended his 2024-2026 season after he played in just 19 games.

Barring any unexpected changes, Embiid has been left off the injury report against the Celtics, signaling he is set to make his return for the regular season.

When the Sixers battled against the Minnesota Timberwolves for their preseason finale, Embiid put together a positive showing for his coaching staff. Nick Nurse had the star center in a limited role, but felt optimistic about how the performance turned out.

“I thought he moved good. Played good. Shot it good. Passed it good. I didn’t see too many negatives out there. So, that’s good,” Nurse said after the game.

“I thought he was moving—the main thing is he was moving and making good basketball plays. Not that rusty, just in general. That was about exactly where we wanted to be with the minutes. Right in the ballpark with it. I know it was kind of some quick stints and stuff, and obviously, we’re gonna have to see where it goes from here, but that was the plan right there, and it worked out good.”

Embiid checked in for a little over 18 minutes on Friday. He shot 5-10 from the field, knocking down two out of his four shots from beyond the arc. He produced 14 points in the scoring department. The veteran center nearly notched a triple-double by coming down with seven rebounds and passing out eight assists.

Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots over Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

After the game, Embiid suggested that he felt good, and enjoyed getting to play for the first time eight months. However, he wouldn’t get ahead of himself. As he dealt with knee swelling plenty of times over the past two seasons, the superstar big man wants to see how his body responds to playing before making any calls on his future playing status.

Before Embiid underwent his first surgery during the 2023-2024 season, he was averaging 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in 39 matchups. During his 19-game stint last year, the one-time MVP produced 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

Following a disappointing season across the board, Embiid and the Sixers have a lot of work to do to get back on track. It all starts on Wednesday night in Boston.