YOU EXPECTED it to be like one of those gorgeous days down the shore with the sun shining bright, not an ounce of humidity and a nice breeze blowing off the ocean, but a feeling in the back of your mind made it slightly less than perfect.
The lingering cloud Wednesday night for the 76ers' opener was in the Wells Fargo Center, his right foot stabilized by a boot. The bright sunshine was Joel Embiid. The packed arena was throbbing with an excitement that has brewed for years, and when Embiid totaled two points, three rebounds and a block in his first run of 4 minutes, 13 seconds, the disappointment of not seeing this year's No.