Joel Embiid is Finding Peace in the Process

PHILADELPHIA — It's 11:05 on Friday night and Joel Embiid is in front of his locker in the bowels of Xfinity Mobile Arena.

He's the last Sixer in the locker room, having done some postgame recovery treatment and showered before talking to reporters. His hands are in the two-way pocket of his sweatshirt, stretching down the tan Sketchers apparel to expose a black undershirt. He's wearing gym shorts and his beloved UGG slippers.

If Embiid is at all fazed by his season-best 39 points against the tragic Indiana Pacers, he's not letting it on.

"It's whatever. We got the win. That's all that matters," he says. "You got to stay balanced. Just made shots today."

In some ways, that's a sign of wisdom in the big man. In the past, adversity would've brought out a "woe is me" attitude. His words suggest a level of detachment from the things he can't control.

Embiid had four days to let a 4-for-21 shooting night in Sunday's four-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers sit and marinate in his mind. The same shots that were off target against the Lakers accumulated 26 points for him against the Pacers.

"It's all about making shots. You make shots, it looks good; you don't make them, it looks bad. We won, so that's all that matters," Embiid said.

He prepared all week to look good on Friday. Sure, the guy who took the brunt of Embiid's beating was Jay Huff. But Huff is still a big body fighting for his NBA life. It has to validate the work Embiid did this week.

"Obviously it's easier to be consistent when everything is going well physically."

The four-day layoff between games gave Embiid plenty of time to be in the gym.

"Working every day. Being on the court, being consistent," Embiid said. "So just being able to do that and just trusting that."

Consistency is easier to achieve when your body is working with you instead of against you.

A younger Embiid would've been motivated by the legend of dominating in return from a three-month basketball hiatus. This Embiid finds value in rhythm, in stacking days.

"It's a little adjustment so far. But I'm getting there. I think confidence is a big thing mentally. That's where it starts. I'm in a good place. So I just got to build on it and keep getting better," Embiid said.

Some time between the final buzzer and now, Embiid called an ill Tyrese Maxey to check on him. Embiid will be the first one to acknowledge that Maxey has earned the time off.

"That's up for those people that don't think I can do it. I can't change their mind and opinion."

He knows he can step up to give Maxey a breather even if those outside of the team don't believe he can anymore.

"That's up for those people that don't think I can do it. I can't change their mind and opinion. Feels good. Obviously, playing like that, I feel like I can do it. I think the dynamic is different at times. I want to play more as a team, so making sure everybody's involved," Embiid said.

He's happy to sacrifice. Nights like Friday are unavoidable at Embiid's skill level. But he no longer views a near-40-point night as an obligation. He is at peace with not having to be the guy anymore. But he knows he can when he needs to, just like he did on a cold night in the middle of December.

Perhaps knowing that he physically can do that is as powerful as actually doing it.

And perhaps external positivity is as powerful as internal positivity is.

"It helps a lot. Obviously when the vibes around you are positive, that helps a lot. I won't lie, last year I wasn't happy all the time coming to work because of everything that was going on, whether it was on or off the court. This year, it's a little bit different. I got a great group of guys," Embiid said.

This team has helped Embiid rediscover the happiness he could never find last season. A long-time introvert, this older Embiid is investing in relationships with his teammates. It's an ongoing process, but it's one that is bringing him peace.

"That helps a lot. Having that stability off the court where you look at the guy next to you, you want to always joke around, talk to them and hang out and being on the road and just chill. That goes a long way. I love all these guys in this locker room and that helps me a lot."

"He's showing us — he's showing y'all, to be honest — that there's nothing wrong."

His teammates are reciprocating the belief he's showing in them.

"I'm happy for Joel. Really happy for him. He sold on 40 points, that I'm going to consistently remind him about. But, like I said, I'm really happy for him. He's showing us — he's showing y'all, to be honest — that there's nothing wrong," VJ Edgecombe said after Friday's 115-105 victory.

"You know what I'm saying? Only thing is health, which is unfortunate. But he's still a great player, he's still a great player regardless of the different obstacles he has to face. He's still an MVP-caliber player in this league."

It's anyone's best guess as to whether Embiid feels he can reach that level consistently. For now, he's finding comfort in the small victories.

"I felt great. Obviously, I said it last time, they got me on a schedule of having two days off between every game. So we're going to talk about it and I feel great. It's up to them. If I can, I'll fight for it. If I'm not allowed or I can't, then it is what it is," Embiid said of how he felt after logging a season-high 32 minutes.

"I feel pretty good but obviously we got to wait and see how everything goes. But based on what I've been doing the last four days, I haven't really taken any breaks. I've been consistently pushing it and felt pretty good."

The game-to-game preparation is a process for which a younger Embiid wouldn't have had much patience. But nothing can humble an athlete quite like injuries can.

This Embiid is learning to value incremental steps forward. This Embiid is finding peace in the process.