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

You have to expect there to be hiccups and ... stuff like that,” Caleb Martin said. “You understand that’s what comes with putting a new team together and bringing pieces back.”

Embiid should be paired for the first time with nine-time All-Star Paul George, who missed the first five games with a bone bruise. Embiid, George and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey were the 76ers’ version of a Big Three that was expected to make them one of the big favorites out of the Eastern Conference.