Maxey says Embiid’s preseason practice time is helping Sixers build their offense

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey said on Thursday that Joel Embiid’s participation in preseason practice is helping the team prepare its offense, giving players time to rehearse plays and learn how to move around their center before the season begins. ESPN reported Maxey’s comments, while Sixers Wire reported that Embiid had been a full participant in practice.

Maxey said the Sixers had spent roughly two to three weeks drilling plays with Embiid. That practice time lets Philadelphia add and rehearse more offensive packages, he said, instead of making adjustments during games when Embiid has been unavailable. His presence gives teammates a chance to practice the passes and movements that depend on where he receives the ball.

How Maxey says the Sixers are learning to play with Embiid

After six years playing alongside Embiid, Maxey said he has learned where the center prefers to receive the ball and when guards should cut. Sixers Wire reported Maxey’s description of how difficult that timing can be for players who have not played with a big man like Embiid. Practicing together gives those teammates time to learn their movements within the team’s plays before they have to execute them in games.

The practice work follows a season in which Embiid played 38 games, according to ESPN. The outlet reported that his absences involved right-hip complications, management of his left knee and appendicitis. Across his first 10 seasons, excluding the first two that he missed with injury, Embiid averaged 49 games per season, ESPN reported. Those absences explain why sustained practice time with him matters to Maxey’s account of Philadelphia’s preparations.

Embiid’s availability and the rest of the roster

ESPN reported that Embiid said at the end of last season he was confident about his health and was no longer thinking about his knee. Sixers Wire described Philadelphia’s stars as healthy during the current preseason, while reporting that the team was still awaiting the return of Anfernee Simons, Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow. Its account of Embiid as a full practice participant describes his preseason workload; it does not establish a medical prognosis.