(This article was published on October 25. The author is CBS reporter Sam Quinn. The content of the article does not represent the views of the translator.)

The Philadelphia 76ers experienced an extreme situation in the opening game. Embiid's performance was terrible. Not only did he only score 4 points from 9 shots in the game, but he also played when the opponent Celtics' inside line was almost completely wiped out due to injuries, free transfers or trades. However, the 76ers ended up winning the game as Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe combined for 74 points. This game seemed to witness the transfer of power in the team in real time, just like Voli Pip was replaced by Lou Gehrig. The 2023 MVP is a thing of the past, and the 24-year-old All-Star player and the team's No. 3 pick represent the future.

Philadelphia fans can breathe a sigh of relief, though, as Embiid seemed more like an anomaly on Thursday, and he was even better on Sunday. He scored 20 points in 20 minutes of playing time, which appears to be the current playing time limit set to protect his health. While he's not as dynamic as he was a few years ago, he moved more freely in the win against the Hornets and even had a few steals.

Is this the player who won the MVP three years ago? No, but he's a pretty efficient player. Although he may not be able to stay on the court at critical moments to change the situation, at least he can maintain the score gap for his teammates early in the game and let his teammates complete the task. That hasn't always happened in Embiid's career. He has barely played in the past two years, and if the Sixers are not careful, this situation may continue until the end of his career.

In short, Sunday's game gave us our first glimpse of the Sixers' new normal: a well-managed Embiid who can contribute rather than sit out entirely. His playing time limit will likely increase gradually, but will be reasonably controlled. He figures he'll never play in a back-to-back game again, but having Embiid is better than nothing.

The Sixers were never ready to handle a part-time Embiid. While they will still struggle in some areas, especially defensively, the team has never had such a strong shot-making creativity, which at least provides a way to build a viable offense without Embiid.

Maxey once again led Sunday's game with 28 points, while Grimes was no less impressive, contributing 24 points. He seemed overlooked by the Sixers, even signing a one-year qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, as the Sixers failed to offer him a long-term contract. However, the player averaged nearly 27 points per game last March. His performance was so good that he was shelved towards the end of the season because he helped the team win too many games. On a team with a healthy Embiid, Grimes might just be a 3-and-D player, but with this current team, he could produce close to the high-scoring performance he had after last season's trade deadline.

Jared McCain, who would have been a favorite for Rookie of the Year if he had stayed healthy last season, has yet to play, as has Paul George. Remember George? That nine-time All-Star podcast host? Like Embiid, he may not be able to return to the level he was in his prime. But after accumulating so much shooting creativity at the back, having him involved as a shooter is a luxury.

This type of team may have a ceiling without significant defensive additions or surprising growth from its young players. But they're in the Eastern Conference and can score. That's enough to keep them competitive as they find their next steps. As a short-term solution, this is a good option. As for the long-term scenario, it’s unclear if the “process” they believe is over, so let’s focus on the short-term. In the short term, the Sixers remain undefeated even with Embiid on a minutes restriction. If they can only have this limited version of Embiid, at least we can see how the Sixers can win games under this restriction rather than just giving up the entire season.

Original text: Sam Quinn

Compiler: JayChan