Joel Embiid’s 'skinny' new look handed a harsh reality check as former NBA star doesn’t hold back in brutal verdict

Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas is not impressed with Joel Embiid’s new look. On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers released pictures of Embiid shooting around in practice. Fans were quick to notice his slender figure, pointing out that the former No. 3 pick has shed much weight during the offseason.

Embiid has had a difficult time over the last two seasons, making just 58 appearances for Philadelphia. Naturally, after a rough stretch, fans were happy to see Embiid’s transformation, and some are even getting their hopes up for next season.

But Gilbert Arenas hasn’t bought into the hype. Arenas believes that Embiid’s knees are beyond the point of saving and that he can’t be available long enough to carry a team to the NBA Finals. He expressed the same on Threads.

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“Y’all hype about skinny Embiid and I'm tryna figure out what that gotta do with his knee not working no more 🤔,” Arenas wrote. “He gonna start off like usual… MVP type start but you’re not gonna win a chip because your best player can’t play that long.

While 76ers fans are not happy with Arenas’ comments, there is some truth to them. Embiid often starts the season strong, but injury complications hold him back from seeing campaigns all the way to the end. Over his nine seasons in the league, he has only played more than 60 games in four seasons.

Joel Embiid has yet to carry the Philadelphia 76ers past the conference semifinals

Since being drafted in 2014, Joel Embiid has led the 76ers to seven playoff appearances. But he is yet to find any significant success in the postseason, failing to make it past the conference semifinals.

Embiid has reached the semifinals five times, even seeing three Game 7s at that stage. He has lost all three, losing to the Toronto Raptors in 2019, the Atlanta Hawks in 2021, and the Boston Celtics in 2023.

With the emergence of Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid’s visibly slimmer frame, the 76ers’ chances for the 2025-26 season look positive. Again, the team’s success largely depends on Embiid staying fit; judging by past seasons, that may be unlikely.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan