Sixers' Nick Nurse Reveals Plan for Joel Embiid vs Timberwolves

Joel Embiid will make his preseason debut against the Timberwolves.

Dec 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dribbles up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid will be back on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

As they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Sixers will do what they can to prepare for next week’s regular-season opener against the Boston Celtics on the road.

“I think it's a couple things, both in the game, and then afterwards again,” Nick Nurse said, regarding what he’s looking for out of Embiid. “I think both of those are important to see how he reacts in game, see how he reacts out of game, but just getting him out there is the main thing. Then just see what he looks like.

Joel EMbii — Dec 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives for a shot against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Since the start of training camp, Embiid was a part of the action. Although he was limited at first, which led to a two-game absence over in Abu Dhabi, the Sixers were clearly working on a potential preseason debut for Embiid at some point.

Last week, the Sixers returned home to host the Orlando Magic for their third preseason outing. Although Embiid was deemed healthy, the team wasn’t ready to clear him for action.

At last, Embiid will take the court for the first time since the winter on Friday. As expected, the Sixers aren’t going to have the big man out on the court for too long.

“We certainly have a number of what we’re going to watch tonight,” Nurse added. “We do have a rough sense, yeah, but I think it’ll be fairly short. I think we’re going to try to get him into the second half, hopefully, but we’ll see.”

Last preseason, Embiid was coming off an Olympic run in Paris, so his absence throughout the exhibition schedule wasn’t shocking. However, the star center’s knee caused growing concerns throughout the year. Embiid didn’t make his 2024-2025 regular-season debut until the 10th game.

By the time the schedule reached January, Embiid’s season was wrapping up early. After a January 4 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid was ruled out for the rest of the season. Eventually, he underwent surgery for the second time within a year.

This year, the Sixers are going to be patient with Embiid’s recovery time, as getting the veteran center through the season and into the playoffs is their priority. Friday night’s game is a major step in the right direction.

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