When he first got on the court this season, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid did not look like himself.
Embiid, who played in only 19 games last season due to a knee injury, struggled to move around and did not appear to have much lift. However, as the season has went on, things have started to improve for the former MVP.
In the month of January, the seven-time All-Star averaged 29.7 points on 54% shooting and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Last weekend, 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, who was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, talked about his relationship with Embiid.
Over the years, the two have grown closer; Maxey says he has learned a lot from Embiid, and according to Maxey, Embiid is happy again.
“Joel(Embiid) has done wonders for me in my career,” Maxey said on Saturday. “Not just on the court, but off the court as well. He’s taught me a lot. Like I said, he’s someone that I can call all the time, and he may not answer right then and there, but he definitely will call back. I can talk to him about anything. For me, I’m just happy to see him happy again and playing and having fun. It was tough for him last year, man. When he did get on the court, I don’t think he was having joy. He wasn’t having fun. Injuries do that to you. He has a good group of guys around him now that we make him laugh every single day when he gets on the plane, even when he doesn’t want to be there at shootarounds early in the morning. We crack jokes for him, make him laugh, and do all those different things. I’m just happy to see him happy, you know what I mean, as a friend, as a brother. That’s what you want. Joel had confidence in me from day one. So I’m always going to have Joel’s back in any given moment.”
Obviously, the 76ers need Embiid to stay healthy if they have any shot of making noise in the playoffs. If Embiid is healthy, with Maxey and Paul George(when he returns), the 76ers will be a tough out for any team in the Eastern Conference.
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