In other words, a slow ramp-up was always expected for the superstar. Especially in light of comments he made around training camp, when Embiid bluntly told reporters he did not expect to play two back-to-back games for the rest of his career. However, it seems the seven-footer may have been hasty with that declaration.

Joel Embiid is far from concerned. The 76ers suffered a 111-99 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center in what was his season debut. The loss dropped them to a second-worst record of 2-8 in the Eastern Conference in a season with lofty expectations.

"He is the piece. He is The Process," Paul George said of his Philly co-star, who made his season debut Tuesday.