The Philadelphia 76ers are understandably taking a cautious approach with Joel Embiid ahead of the upcoming season.
Embiid’s career has been derailed by injuries since he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Since then, he’s only played in 31 games, all of which came last season prior to being shut down due to a knee injury. In March, Embiid underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
As Embiid works his way back, the Sixers have been careful not to rush him. They also are not having Embiid participate in 5-on-5 drills just yet. However, team president Jerry Colangelo did indicate Embiid would play in the team’s first game.
“It’s not about being ready for the first practice or the first game,” Colangelo said, via ESPN. “And he will be out there for the first practice and the first game. The question is how much, how little, if at all. Those things will be determined by certain criteria along the way.”
With a roster that includes the No. 1 overall pick in the last two drafts (Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons), Embiid, and the runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting last season (Dario Saric), expectations are high for the Sixers. There’s talk of Philadelphia potentially grabbing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, something that hasn’t happened since 2012.
For that to happen, Embiid would likely need to play in more games during an NBA season than he ever has. From all indications, the Sixers doing everything they can to ensure that happens.
