It’s been a while, but Joel Embiid is starting to look like his old, MVP-level self.
After two straight seasons derailed by injury issues and a slow start to the current campaign after offseason knee surgery, Embiid has rounded into form since the calendar flipped from 2025 to 2026.
Joel Embiid thinks he’ll be ‘fully back’ to himself next season
Since then, Embiid’s availability and production have both been trending in the right direction. He played in 14 of Philadelphia’s 17 games in the month of January, and he’s scored 30-plus points in eight of his last 10 games.
But, for as good as he’s looked lately, Embiid still thinks he has more levels to unlock to his game and he’s hoping to get back to full form next season.
“I’ll keep building on this year and keep on getting better,” Embiid said, via the New York Post. “But probably starting next year, I think I’m going to be fully back to myself.”
Before his recent return to form, Embiid was on the receiving end of plenty of doubt and skepticism regarding his ability to regain his status as a top-tier player in the league, including from yours truly.
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While hearing such skepticism was difficult for Embiid, it didn’t knock him off of his path or deter him. If anything, it probably just served as further motivation.
“It’s hard,” Embiid said. “It’s like when people say, he’s lazy, this and that. First of all, you can’t be lazy if you start playing basketball at 16 and then make it to the league in three years.
“And injuries and injuries, keep getting back up and being an Olympian and all the other stuff that I have accomplished. It’s been tough. But I’m always going to fight.”
Embiid’s ability to continuously get back up off the mat after getting knocked down is impressive and deserves to be lauded. He’s suffered tough break after tough break in his career, but he’s responded each time. His play of late is just the latest example of this.
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