Another season is dawning in Philadelphia, and with it comes a familiar, unsettling feeling for fans of the Philadelphia 76ers: a tense mix of hope and dread. It’s a feeling that hangs in the air like the humid Philly summer, thick and heavy with questions. The city is desperate for a parade down Broad Street, but the path there seems perpetually blocked by the one opponent they can’t seem to beat: the injury report.

The narrative feels like a scratched record, stuck on the same painful groove. The Sixers assemble a roster brimming with talent, visions of deep playoff runs dancing in everyone’s heads, only to watch it all crumble under the weight of nagging injuries and surgical setbacks. This year, the hopes of an entire franchise once again rest on the surgically-repaired knees of its two biggest stars, Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Embiid’s Vague Return to the Court for the Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid, the franchise’s MVP cornerstone, faced reporters for the first time in months, and his words did little to soothe the anxieties of a fanbase that has seen this movie before. After a 2024-25 season where a nagging knee injury limited him to just 19 hobbled appearances, culminating in April surgery, his update was anything but definitive.

“I feel pretty good,” Embiid stated, his tone measured. “We’ve made a lot of progress over the last couple of months. We’ve got a plan in place, trying to check all the boxes, just taking it day-by-day… Everything is on schedule.”

On schedule. For a player with Embiid’s extensive injury history, “on schedule” feels less like a promise and more like a prayer. He knows it, too. With a disarming honesty that has become his trademark, the superstar center admitted what every Sixers fan already fears.

“I want to be as honest as possible,” he continued. “Going forward, we’re just going to listen to the body. I’ll be honest and say that it’s going to be unpredictable at times. That’s OK. We got to work with that.”

Unpredictable. That single word echoes through the Wells Fargo Center, a haunting reminder of seasons past. For a team like the Philadelphia 76ers, whose championship aspirations are so intrinsically tied to his health, unpredictability is the enemy. While Embiid sounds optimistic, the sight of him moving with grace and power on the court is the only confirmation that will truly matter.

Paul George’s Frustrating Road to Recovery

The story isn’t much brighter for the Philadelphia 76ers blockbuster acquisition, Paul George. The vision was a dominant trio, an offensive force that could dismantle any defense in the league. But the reality was a disjointed first year, with George in and out of the lineup for 41 games due to a string of ailments. Just when it seemed he was on track for training camp, a major setback in July—a knee injury during offseason training that required its own surgery—sent a shockwave through the organization.

Like Embiid, George is back on the court, but his update feels painfully familiar. He’s not quite there yet.