Even with Joel Embiid seeing limited action, the Philadelphia 76ers have opened the 2025-26 season with back-to-back wins.
The Sixers edged out a 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics to start their campaign, followed by a 125-121 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.
Through those two games, Embiid has totalled just 40 minutes on the court, with several teammates logging more time than him.
Early numbers hint that Philadelphia might actually be functioning better when he is off the floor than when he is playing, and he weighed in on this topic.
Joel Embiid gives honest answer on how Philadelphia 76ers perform with him off the court
Embiid has started the season with a negative plus/minus in both of the 76ers’ games. He finished -16 against Boston and -2 against Charlotte, while the team held positive margins during his time off the floor.
Overall, the 31-year-old sits at a minus-18 so far, compared to Philadelphia’s plus-23 when he is not on the court.
After the latest game, Embiid was asked about those numbers and whether he was concerned by how well the team had played without him in these first two outings.
“It’s been 12 years, so I’ll take it. Keep it going. Obviously, the most important games are the best games and the playoffs.
“If that’s the effort we’re going to have when I’m not on the floor, amen. It’s been a long time.”
The Philadelphia 76ers might be more competitive than expected
The Sixers have struggled in past seasons whenever Embiid has not been available, which is not surprising given how many games he has missed through injuries over his career.
At 31, it is likely Embiid will not feature in back-to-back fixtures this year, so their ability to pick up wins without him will be crucial if they want to stay near the top of their conference standings.
The Sixers also still need to get Paul George and Jared McCain healthy before they are fully settled into their regular rotation for head coach Nick Nurse.
With the return of those two players, the Sixers will boast one of the deepest rosters in the league, making them a potentially formidable playoff contender.
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