NBA: Playoffs-New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
May 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Joel Embiid made his preseason debut on Thursday night as the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Brooklyn Nets. Embiid had six points, three rebounds and eight assists in 24 minutes, but the Sixers won, 114-110. Obviously, its an exhibition. All that really matters is that he’s healthy when the postseason rolls around. Having said that, there were a couple troubling moments that aren’t really represented in the box score.
First you had Embiid falling down and nearly taking out Jaylen Brown. His new teammate wasn’t hurt, but it was a scary moment as Embiid went down and crashed into Brown’s legs. That kind of thing happens, but Embiid seemed to go down after what looked like very light contact. This should be an important reminder that not all flops are harmless and Brown himself has criticized Embiid for it before.
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Joel Embiid ALREADY flopping and injuring his teammate 💀 https://t.co/aeAWFKv8gu
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) October 8, 2026
Then there was this fast break where Embiid stole a pass and made a behind-the-back pass to rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr.. Philon returned the favor by throwing the ball up towards the rim for the big man. Embiid chose not to oop the alley and instead settled for a flat-footed layup attempt which he missed and the Nets got the ball back.
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JOEL EMBIID ALLEYOOP SLAM 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/FxRjm5cACu
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) October 9, 2026
In the official play-by-play it says Embiid missed a “running” layup, but as you can see in the video, there was no running involved. This was the least amount of effort you’ll ever see on a shot attempt. Really at any level of basketball.
Again, this is the preseason. None of this actually matters. And yet Embiid managed to fall short, both literally and figuratively, of even going through the motions. He’s got three-years and $187 million remaining on his contract and the LeBron James window is only one or maybe two seasons in Philadelphia. If the 76ers don’t get a serviceable Joel Embiid at some point, its going to get ugly. If not in the locker room, it certainly will look that way on the court.