Joel Embiid Goes Off for 22 Points, 7 Rebounds vs. Nets in Preseason Debut

Preseason or no preseason, it's hard not to be impressed with Joel Embiid's showing during the Philadelphia 76ers' contest against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA draft exploded for 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block in 14 minutes and 45 seconds of action. He also had little trouble getting to the line and playing through contact, connecting on 14 of his 18 free-throw attempts.

His one block sent a message to the Nets and anyone else in the league looking to bring it down low against Philadelphia:

Safe to say he was also feeling plenty confident on the offensive side, as he left the Brooklyn defenders feeling helpless:

Embiid playing like this is exactly what 76ers fans have been waiting for during The Process as the team accumulated talent in an effort to make the postseason for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.

If he anchors the middle and commands additional attention from opponents while the versatile Ben Simmons and Dario Saric make plays on the wing and Markelle Fultz dictates the tempo from the point guard spot, Philadelphia will be a difficult out for Eastern Conference contenders.

Injuries have held Embiid back throughout his career, seeing as how he missed his first two seasons with foot setbacks and played just 31 games in 2016-17 because of a knee injury. However, playing well when he is on the floor is nothing new, considering he posted 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a night in his limited action last season.

Wednesday's healthy showing isn't the only good news for Embiid and his fans this week. The 76ers announced Tuesday they reached a five-year contract extension with the big man after Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the agreement was worth $148 million.

He will be worth every penny if he plays like he did Wednesday when the games count in the standings.