Joel Embiid 's Preseason Debut Lands Assessment From Sixers Coach

Joel Embiid was back on the basketball court for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

Heading into the team’s preseason finale, Embiid was cleared for action. He was set to play in his first game setting in eight months, well after a second knee surgery that ended his 2024-2025 season prematurely.

As the Sixers prepared for the outing, Nick Nurse revealed his expectations for the big man.

Joel EMbii — Oct 17, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joan Beringer (19) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“I think it's a couple things, both in the game, and then afterwards again,” the head coach 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.”

While Nurse didn’t have a number of planned minutes to reveal, he confirmed that Embiid’s shift could be “fairly short.” He also mentioned they would try to get the veteran center some action in the second half.

Embiid picked up the start alongside Adem Bona, Kelly Oubre, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey. He checked in for a little under 19 minutes.

“That was about exactly where we wanted to be with the minutes,” Nick Nurse said. “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.”

As far as playing expectations go, what did Nurse see from his perspective?

“Pretty good,” the head coach said, regarding Embiid’s performance. “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. I thought he was moving—the main thing is he was moving and making good basketball plays. Not that rusty, just in general.”

Embiid was happy just to get a chance to get a feel for the game once again. Although he admitted that his night got off to a rough start with an unsuccessful shot from deep, he started to show glimpses of his old self as he got settled into his role.

The star center attempted 10 shots from the field. He made five of his field goals and hit on two out of four shots from beyond the arc. Embiid finished the game with 14 points in the scoring department. He teased a triple-double with seven rebounds and eight assists. Although he didn’t register any blocks, Embiid picked up three steals.

A return to remember for Joel Embiid tonight 🔔

14 PTS | 7 REB | 8 AST | 3 STL | 18 MIN pic.twitter.com/AgnSIryKGn
— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2025

“I feel pretty good,” Embiid said after the game.

“Obviously, this is mostly a learning process, as you know, getting back. Seeing everything, obviously feeling good on the court, and then how the body reacts. We’re gonna learn as everything goes. As every game comes by. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow. It’s been mentioned so many times, we’re going to take the slow approach. I’m just going to do whatever they tell me to do.”

The Sixers will return to practice on Sunday, preparing for their Wednesday night matchup against the Boston Celtics. Embiid’s status isn’t confirmed, but his Friday night preseason outing could be a good sign that he may be available for the opener.

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