Well, well, well. Last night was amazing for the Sixers. The much-anticipated trio of the league this season finally shared the court for more than just a few minutes. And that gave us a glimpse of what Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George can really do together. With one caveat, though—they have just got to be healthy. However, it seems not all is well with ‘The Process’.

The physical side of it, obviously. After all, injury management was the reason cited for his recent frustrating absences. But the 76ers’ big man finds himself close to depression. Yup! You read that right. He described the last few months as “depressing”.

Speaking to ESPN, the 7-footer admitted it has been difficult to try and get himself to a place where he can finally play without having to worry about his knee giving away. “I’ve been saying it for the last few months. It’s been extremely depressing. It’s something that hasn’t been figured out, and it’s been extremely annoying, because I would love to play every single game,” he said.

Well, the 2024-25 season has all the right ingredients for Embiid to get cooking. A championship cast was something Daryl Morey promised him. And he got it in Maxey and PG. But just when everything was perfectly in place, the injury bug hit the 2023 MVP.

Again. And again. And again.

Okay … full disclosure: there might have been a league suspension in between. But you get the idea.

However, in the midst of all this, the 30-year-old did have a piece of good news for us. “There’s no injury. Just between the swelling … we’ve got to get it figured out. That’s it,” Embiid told ESPN. Despite all the challenges, the former MVP reminded everyone why he was one of the league’s most dominant big men.

Joel Embiid posted a stellar 31 points and 12 rebounds in Philly’s 108-100 win vs. the Bulls. Although the 2x scoring champion had a rough start, missing his first seven shots, Embiid found his rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Chicago on his own—19-17—while helping the team explode for 39 points to grab a lead they would never surrender!

This, however, wouldn’t be complete without noting Maxey’s efforts. The young guard recorded his first career triple-double—25 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists. 10 of those assists? Straight to Joel, showcasing the chemistry that could define the Sixers’ season.

Can Joel Embiid overcome the mental and physical grind moving forward?

While Embiid’s first matchup after two and a half weeks’ absence was vintage ‘The Process,’ it’s clear that the mental toll of the ongoing knee concerns weighs heavily on him. His honesty about how “depressing” it has been sheds light on the unseen battles professional athletes often face. Of course, these issues have received much more attention of late, thanks to names like Kevin Love, DeMar DeRozan, and more.

But for Joel Embiid, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The 76ers have assembled a championship-caliber roster and the ‘Big 3’ has all the markings of something special. With the trio on the floor for 26 minutes, the Sixers outscored the Bulls by 14 points. However, the key here is staying healthy. An aspect Embiid himself acknowledged.

“It starts with health. … I believe if we’re healthy, and we’re on the floor, we have a chance against anybody, and I like what we have,” the Kansas alum noted.

There is definitely no denying that, when healthy, Embiid is an unstoppable force! And he has Maxey’s explosive scoring and PG’s two-way brilliance to help him along the way. But now, Philly’s title hopes hinge on not just Joel physically holding up, but mentally bouncing back. If he can weather this storm, perhaps Broad Street will be bustling with a parade come summer!