What happened: Joel Embiid said via ESPN that he feels as though he forgot how to play basketball after coming back from an injury absence. The veteran center returned to game action for the Oct. 20 regular-season opener, tallying three blocks in that contest.

Why it matters: Shaking off early-season timing issues is critical with frontcourt depth stretched thin at the five spot through December. Embiid has carried the primary interior workload since opening night as the roster's lone healthy center.

What to watch: How quickly Embiid regains his offensive rhythm over the opening weeks of the 2026-27 regular season will dictate his minutes load and interior production.