When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Joel Embiid with the third overall pick in 2014, they were very aware of his injury issues. A week before the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid suffered a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot and his stock fell.
He was projected to go number one overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they passed up on the injured big man to take Andrew Wiggins instead.
Of course when Philadelphia was on the clock, Sam Hinkie did not hesitate and took his chances on Embiid, even though the seven-footer was not expected to play during the regular season after undergoing surgery on his foot. This was a familiar theme for the Sixers who had Nerlens Noel sit out for a season before finally seeing the court last year.
Approximately a month ago, reports surfaced that Embiid had suffered a setback in the healing of his surgically repaired right foot. Now Embiid will reportedly undergo a second surgery on the same foot which could likely sideline him for the entire 2015-2016 NBA season.
This is very unfortunate for the 76ers and Embiid, who has yet to play in an NBA game, not even preseason or training camp. Philadelphia had high hopes for him once he was healthy enough to play, but the 21-year old is set to lose another year of his young career.
In fact, there is concern within the organization that this injury could be career-threatening. It is the same exact injury Houston Rockets 7-foot-6 big man Yao Ming suffered during his career which encouraged his retirement.
“Our priority remains providing Joel with every opportunity to ensure he has a long and successful NBA career, and as such, these findings cause us to pause and reassess his activities,” Philadelphia wrote in a statement a month ago when Embiid suffered the setback.
In his only collegiate year, Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, but a stress fracture in his back forced him to miss the Big 12 tournament. Injuries have been a part of his career since college, but the potential this young man possesses is undeniable.
Fortunately enough for the Sixers, they drafted Jahlil Okafor with the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Philadelphia had its heart set out on Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell since they desperately needed a point guard after trading Michael Carter-Williams, but the Los Angeles Lakers took Russell with the second overall pick, leaving the 76ers with yet another center.
Many were wondering how the Sixers were going to fit three young centers in their rotation, but with just Okafor and Noel, coach Brett Brown may start both of them in the frontcourt together.
While Embiid nurses yet another surgery to his foot, the Sixers rebuilding project must go on. They will continue to develop Noel and hope that Okafor could become a franchise player. As for Embiid, let’s just hope this major setback does not affect his career.