Joel Embiid knows the level he needs to get to in order to be back to where he was when he won the NBA MVP award in 2023. But injuries, specifically his knee, have kept him out of the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup regularly and from returning to the player who averaged 30 points per game for three straight seasons.

While things seem to be shaping up for the Philadelphia 76ers at the guard position, the Sixers’ frontcourt picture is much more muddled. Any discussion there has to start with Joel Embiid. It used to be the case that the Sixers had a perennial MVP candidate at the center position and the biggest problem was how to fill the 10 minutes per game when he needed to rest on the bench.