CAMDEN, N.J. -- As the doors of the Sixers' practice facility opened to media members for the final moments of the team's practice on Tuesday, many of the team's key pieces were going through the intense one-on-one sessions that have become very competitive of late.
Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have dominated those outings, usually going up against Kelly Oubre Jr., Justin Edwards and VJ Edgecombe, among others.
On Tuesday, however, a much larger presence had been added to the mix: Joel Embiid, who steamrolled just about everybody. Embiid and George had some particularly competitive reps, and the group erupted when Maxey found a way to overcome a massive size disadvantage en route to a stop. But more often than not, Embiid had his way.
Oubre said those sessions build camaraderie as players are "sharpening each other's tools" and figuring out different methods of attack against much different players.
"Obviously," Oubre said, "the cheat code was out there today."
Embiid responded fine to the first live action he has participated in publicly since February, when he played in the Sixers' Blue X White Scrimmage on Sunday, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. Is it possible that Embiid makes an appearance in the team's final preseason game, a home contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night?
"I think there's some chance, yeah," Nurse said. "I don't think we're there yet. It's a little early in the week to decide. But I think it still could go either way. We've got some thresholds to get over yet, I think, before we get to that point."
The last time Embiid appeared in a preseason game was in 2023, when he played 33 minutes in the Sixers' preseason finale. It was the only time Embiid suited up for an exhibition that year, and one of three preseason games he has played in during the last five years.
Even before a nightmarish 2024-25 season created significant doubt surrounding Embiid's availability, the Sixers have been cautious about using Embiid in games that do not count for anything. After Embiid's renewed efforts to preach the importance of patience, it stands to reason that if he does play on Friday, it would not be a product of him rushing his recovery process.
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