The league never forgot Joel Embiid’s talent. But somewhere along the way, it forgot his dominance.

Injuries have a way of warping perception. Seasons missed blur together, and availability becomes the headline. Eventually, even generational players get reduced to qualifiers – when healthy, if healthy, on his best nights. For Embiid, those qualifiers followed him everywhere, overshadowing what he has always been at his peak.

Now that he’s healthy again, those reminders are getting louder.

Over his last seven games, Embiid has scored 30 or more points six times, delivering a stretch of play that is marking his resurgence and reintroduction. The footwork is sharp. The jumper is automatic. The physical dominance is unmistakable. This is Embiid at full force – and at full force, he is arguably a top-five player in the NBA.

A generational blend in a big man

There has never been another player quite like Embiid. At his best, he is a rare fusion of finesse, skill, and brute power – a seven-footer who can bully defenders on the block, glide into face-up jumpers, and stretch the floor with ease.

His mid-range jumper is pure, bordering on unblockable. With his high release point and impeccable balance, defenders can contest perfectly and still watch the ball splash through the net. It’s a weapon that is a constant pressure point which bends defenses before they even commit.

This is what makes Embiid so overwhelming when healthy. You can’t play him one-on-one, you can’t send soft help, and you certainly can’t leave him unattended anywhere inside 20 feet.

The cost of being injury prone – and the price of forgetting 

For years, critics pointed to Embiid’s injuries as a reason to diminish his place among the league’s elite. The logic was simple: if you’re not always on the floor, you can’t be among the very best.

But that thinking ignores a crucial truth – few players, if any, reach Embiid’s level when fully available.

This season’s stretch has been a reminder of how unfair that argument has always been. Embiid hasn’t just been scoring; he’s been dictating games. His presence changes defensive schemes before tip-off. His scoring runs don’t feel explosive, yet they feel inevitable. It seems like he scores every trip down the floor without a second thought.

The league didn’t move past Embiid. It simply forgot how devastating he could be.

Thriving alongside Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia’s evolution has brought a new reality: Tyrese Maxey is now the Sixers’ de facto engine, the pace-setter, the perimeter threat defenses fear most. But Embiid’s resurgence has shown that hierarchy doesn’t have to be exclusive.

When needed, Embiid can still flip the switch and become the No. 1 option without disrupting the offense. In fact, his presence amplifies Maxey’s effectiveness.

Embiid’s gravity in isolation is unmatched. Defenders can’t help off him, and double teams arrive late. That creates clean driving lanes for Maxey, open pull-up jumpers, and easier reads across the floor. The spacing is tangible and it has brought the Sixers to new heights this season.

Even without dominating the ball every possession, Embiid controls the geometry of the court.

– – –

Now, this is the version of Embiid Philadelphia has been waiting for – healthy, measured, dominant without forcing the issue. He doesn’t need to score 40 every night to assert control. His scoring bursts come naturally, within the flow of the offense, and often without spectacle.

And yet, when games tighten, there’s no confusion about who the Sixers trust. The ball finds Embiid and the defense collapses. And the shot – that smooth, impossible-to-contest jumper – delivers again.

People wrote him off because of what he couldn’t avoid. Now he’s reminding them of what he has always been capable of. Joel Embiid never stopped being elite – he just needed the chance to show it again.