Trust the Process? 76ers coach gives notable update on Joel Embiid's health

The news on Joel Embiid’s health appears to be a mixed bag right now.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse spoke this week in an interview with talkSPORT. During the interview, Nurse provided an update on the status of the 76ers star center Embiid.

Nurse said that the news on Embiid was all “positive” right now. However, Nurse added that the 76ers are not sure at the moment if the former MVP will be able to participate in training camp.

“All the news is positive,” Nurse was quoted as saying of Embiid. “I know he’s working very, very hard, and I think things look good. 

“Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, I think there’s maybe a lot more decisions than that to make before we get there,” Nurse added. “But our main thing is that he’s healthy to play and play to his nearest capabilities, because he’s awesome, no doubt about that.”

It appears that Nurse is attempting to downplay the concerns about Embiid’s health. But with Nurse unable to say for certain whether the 7-footer will be ready when training camp starts around late September, those concerns may just be legitimate.

Earlier this month, we heard a troubling report claiming that Embiid’s left knee (which has been plaguing him ever since he tore his meniscus during a game in February 2024) was doing poorly. Embiid only played in 19 games for the 76ers last season in large part due to that knee, and the report cast a cloud over Embiid’s potential availability for the 2025-26 season as well.

It is probably too early to tell at this point whether Embiid, now 31, will be on the floor for the 76ers on Opening Night 2025. But if he is unable to do so, many of the reported tensions between Embiid and the Philly organization may begin to flare up once again.