Zhaire Smith may be the latest Philadelphia 76ers rookie to redshirt his first season due to injury.
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice reported on Friday that Smith, who suffered a fractured foot in August, is not expected to play during the 2018 calendar year. The 19-year-old has yet to return to basketball activity, as his progress was also slowed by an allergic reaction that he experienced in September.
Zhaire Smith is not expected to return during the 2018 calendar year, per a team source. He has not yet returned to basketball activity as a result of the procedure + complications stemming from his allergic reaction in September. Story to come.
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 10, 2018
Smith, the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft, continues on a worrisome trend of Sixers rookies getting late starts to their NBA careers. Last year, Markelle Fultz missed all but 12 games of his rookie season with a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, foot issues cost Ben Simmons his entire first year and fellow frontcourt star Joel Embiid his first two years.
The team has already joked about how ridiculous the trend has gotten, and with how deep and competitive they are collectively, there seems to be little reason to rush Smith back before he is ready.
