The last image of Joel Embiid playing with the 76ers was him gritting his way through Bell’s palsy and the aftereffects of a left knee injury. He played 40 minutes in Game 6 of the first-round matchup last season against the New York Knicks despite being clearly limited.

Joel Embiid's first game of the season ended with an 111-99 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup. The Philadelphia 76ers played a mostly

Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Knicks leading 89-77, Paul George had possession of the ball and appeared to be gearing up to score. Embiid tried to set a screen for his new teammate, but instead of stopping the Knicks defenders, it was George whom he prevented from doing anything after they crashed to each other.