Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has yet to find his rhythm in the early part of the 2025-26 season.
The former league MVP is currently on a minutes restriction, averaging just 21 minutes per game, and has appeared in four games so far. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.3 points and 5.4 rebounds on 42% from the field, well below his usual dominance.
During a recent episode of KG Confidential, the Hall of Fame power forward Kevin Garnett didn't hold back on Embiid's lackluster play this season.
"We just had a summer. What did you do this summer, bro? What did you do this summer? Man, c'mon, bro. I don't want to hear this," Garnett said of the explanation that Embiid is recovering from another knee surgery and playing under a strict minutes limit. "I didn't think Joel looked as polished as we've seen him, man. He looked like he's still hurting. He didn't look smooth, P. What did he look like in real life?"
Former Celtic legend and Paul Pierce also chimed in on Embiid, noting that his game still seems to be a work in progress
"It looked like he wasn't as strong as he was a year ago. It looks like he's still trying to get his legs under him, because I noticed he settled a lot from 3-point [range] and settled for his jumper" rather than driving inside the paint, Pierce said. "You're coming off offseason surgery, that's tough. He's had numerous surgeries, so like I said, I'm not going to make a judgement who's been MVP in this league until about 25 games [into the season], because [at that point] you really see who you are and who you're gonna be for the rest of the season."
The superstar center is still working his way back to full strength. Embiid has dealt with several injuries throughout his career.Last season, he appeared in just 19 games due to nagging knee injuries.
Fortunately for him, the 76ers have found ways to remain competitive without Embiid at full strength. The team is off to a 5-3 start behind Tyrese Maxey and Rookie guard VJ Edgecomb, who have both stepped up as the team's primary scorers and playmakers.