The career of Joel Embiid is off to a nightmare start and is starting to remind us of the kind of disappointment experienced by players like Greg Oden.
Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 draft, missed all of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. He seemed to be coming along well in his rehab, but the team announced last month that he experienced a setback. Now it looks like he will need a second surgery.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reports that Embiid needs another surgery and that he will likely be held out for the entire season. The team is just deciding about where the surgery will take place.
A source told the Inquirer that the latest injury could be career-threatening.
Though the news is certainly disappointing, it should not be surprising. First off, seeing the Sixers draft Jahlil Okafor was a strong indication that they knew something serious was wrong with Embiid. Secondly, we told you last year about reports saying he had the same foot problems experienced by Bill Walton and Yao Ming. That was all you needed to know to tell you he was a risky pick.
We said we wouldn’t have drafted Embiid because of his injuries. The Sixers appear to have wasted a top pick on him.
