Joel Embiid Explains Mentality After Returning for Sixers

On Friday night, Embiid went through different ranges of feelings after he had what he described as the “same thing” kind of day, which included hanging out with his family, taking a pre-game nap, and coming to the arena business as usual.

“I’ve been doing this for a while now, so I think it just hit me when I took that first terrible shot,” Embiid said with a smile. “I just felt like, well, I have the ball and I don’t even know if anybody was in front of me, I just felt like shooting it. I actually thought I made it, and it wasn’t even close.”

One shot wouldn’t define Embiid’s night. He checked in for 18 minutes and put up 10 attempts from the floor. Half of them went down successfully, including two shots from beyond the arc.

Embiid finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.

“It’s preseason, but just the fact that I was on the court, somewhat comfortable, that was enough for me,” the big added.

Joel Embiid’s Mentality Moving Forward

How Embiid’s body responds to the 18-minute shift on Friday will be key to his status moving forward. But it’s much more than the physical aspect. With all of the injuries racking up for Embiid throughout his career, the one-time MVP has also battled the mental side of the game as frustration weighed heavily over the past two seasons.

"I don’t wanna think about the past," Embiid said on Friday. "I’m just in a good space mentally, physically.”

Getting out on the floor and getting back into the flow of the game was enough for Embiid on Friday night. The fact that many would consider his performance a successful one was just the icing on the cake.

“I’m just happy to touch a basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love,” Embiid explained. “When you don’t get that, it’s tough, but that’s what I’m most happy about. Tonight, that’s all I kept thinking about. I’m on the court playing basketball, doing some good things, helping us win, and that’s really what I was focusing on.”

The Sixers wrapped up the preseason with a 126-110 victory over the Timberwolves. Now, the record resets to 0-0, as the Sixers prepare for their opening game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.