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Maxey says healthy Embiid changes Philadelphia’s outlook

With Joel Embiid participating in camp and preseason games, Tyrese Maxey says Philadelphia can teach its offense before the regular season.

By TSP Staff
Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe pose in blue Sixers uniforms at media day.
From left: Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe at media day in Camden, New Jersey, September 28, 2026. File photograph. · Credit: Chris Szagola / Associated Press

Tyrese Maxey says a healthy Joel Embiid gives the Philadelphia 76ers a different starting point this season: time to learn their offense together before the games count.

Embiid’s availability “changes everything,” Maxey told reporters Thursday, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim. The guard said Philadelphia can install more offensive packages rather than trying to teach them during games when its center returns.

Embiid entered camp healthy and has appeared in the preseason. That follows a season in which he played 38 games while dealing with right-hip problems, appendicitis and management of his left knee, theScore reported.

Maxey said the practice time particularly helps newcomers understand how to play alongside Embiid. Philadelphia’s new arrivals include LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, giving those repetitions significance beyond the established Maxey–Embiid partnership.

The point was preparation rather than a guarantee of future availability. With Embiid on the court during camp, Philadelphia has been able to rehearse actions repeatedly instead of introducing them as the season unfolds.

Sources and notes

  1. Maxey’s comments were reported by ESPN and theScore on October 15, 2026.