The 76ers are aiming to rebound from an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign in which they finished with their worst record since 2015-16. With rookie V.J. Edgecombe in the mix, alongside Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Jared McCain, Philadelphia is trending upward.

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid will make his preseason debut Friday night against the Timberwolves, the team announced Friday. Embiid's been ramping up his work in practice and has gotten to a point where he can finally see some live game action before the regular season starts.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/76ers as Joel Embiid Dominates Post-Practice Battles vs Sixers Teammates. Joel Embiid has yet to play in any preseason action for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he continues to give positive samples to the press and the fans.

With expectations reset, Philadelphia hopes to bounce back and reclaim its spot among the league’s elite. But much of that optimism still rests on the health of Embiid and George, whose arrival last summer was seen as the spark needed to strengthen the franchise’s championship contender status.

Dwight Howard thinks a healthy Joel Embiid is the only center who can take on prime Shaq “I felt like if he had stayed healthy, he would probably be the only player at that time who I could see giving Shaq problems, if he was playing Shaq one-on-one.” (h/t @HoopAnalysisNet ) pic.twitter.com/gKNdtOOsAu