I think I speak for everyone when I say: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Philadelphia big man Joel Embiid sat out all of last season following surgery to left foot, but was on target to return to the court for Summer League (he looked good in warm ups). No longer. He has had a setback, something first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports and later confirmed by the team. From Wojnarowski:
After weeks of rigorous workouts, Embiid had not felt pain in the foot, but a recent CT scan revealed an issue in the healing process, sources said. Philadelphia is consulting with doctors on how to best proceed, and it’s still premature to speculate on the possibility of another surgical procedure that could sideline Embiid, sources said.
Embiid had been expected to participate with Sixers’ summer league teams in July, but that could jeopardized now, sources said. For now, it is too soon to tell how long Embiid will be kept out.
Here is what Sixers GM Sam Hinkie said in the official release from the team:
“Recently, Joel and Sixers personnel traveled to Los Angeles for a series of routine exams with a number of physicians involved throughout this process. During his visit with Dr. Richard Ferkel, a standard CT scan on Joel’s right foot revealed less healing than anticipated at this point.
“Our priority remains providing Joel with every opportunity to ensure he has a long and successful NBA career, and as such, they findings cause us to pause and reassess current activities. Together with Joel and his representatives, we will continue to consoled with the experienced team of doctors who had been an integral part of his evaluations, while also engaging in dialogue with a broader set of experts and specialists.
“Discussions regarding the appropriate next steps are currently ongoing and we will share an update once it becomes available.”
Embiid had been considered a potential No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, but had surgery on his foot to repair a stress fracture just three days before the draft. He fell to No. 3, where the Sixers — with their tanking plan in place from management — were more than willing to wait a year to see what they had.
Now they may have to wait even longer.
If you’re wondering “could this injury impact what GM Sam Hinkie does in the draft?” well, that would involve predicting Hinkie was going to do in the first place. Good luck with that. Embiid had been sitting in on player interviews as the Sixers decide who to take with the No. 3 pick.
