The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Should Pitch Embiid’s Injury to Free Agents

By Josh Wilson

Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) passes balls behind his back before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) passes balls behind his back before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Joel Embiid has had a rough career so far, but the Philadelphia 76ers should pitch his injury and recovery to free agents.

The Philadelphia 76ers drafting Joel Embiid in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft is a pick that can’t yet be called a failure or a success. But the way the Sixers have handled setback after setback with Embiid, yet still poured resource after resource into his rehabilitation, should be a selling point for free agents the next few off seasons.

When the Sixers picked Embiid, they knew he was injury prone. Although it is not assumed that they knew about a broken navicular bone in his foot, they did draft him knowing he was already bearing injuries. The once projected top overall pick fell to the Sixers, and if he could still perform at the level he was expected to when he was projected as number one, it could have been a great steal.

A broken foot sidelined him for all of his rookie year, and then setbacks that came up last summer required him to undergo another surgery on the navicular bone.

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In the meantime, the Sixers had hired David Martin, an athletic trainer that worked with world class athletes in the past. Cyclists, soccer players, and tennis players were his forte. Basketball was a bit foreign to Martin, but he was interviewed rigorously and the Sixers determined his immense sport medicine knowledge would pay off for the team and for Embiid.

Also going on in the background was the building of a new training facility. This new facility, currently being built in Camden, New Jersey, just minutes from Philadelphia and just seconds from the Aquarium will be open to players 24/7, has several full length NBA courts, a film room, a restaurant, and many more high-class facilities for players to take advantage of. It’s more like a resort than a practice facility, and it focuses a lot on sports medicine and injury suppression and rehabilitation for any injuries that do occur.

Although Embiid isn’t the reason for this being built, it’s tough to argue that his big injury didn’t play a role in making it something great. Due to circumstances that the Sixers would have rather not have had happen in the first place, they have felt like investments in the sports medicine world are good ones.

A lot of this was inspired by one player. One player who has never played in an NBA game.

On top of Martin’s hire is Kevin Johnson, who has been the head athletic trainer of the Sixers for the past 11 years. He comes with over two decades of NBA experience, and some experience in the NFL as an athletic trainer as well. He has been a trainer for one of the All-Star teams, which is a high honor.

So, how does all of this relate to free agents? They can pitch the handling of Emdbiid’s injury to players.

One of the scariest parts of being a professional athlete is injury. On any given night, you could have something happen to your body that sidelines you for weeks or even months. Being on the court is unpredictable, and that’s been proven by people like Kevin Ware and Paul George, who both had gruesome leg breaks (we could even call them snaps) that sidelined them from basketball for long periods of time.

The Sixers’ own Robert Covington was kicked in the head — probably a very low chance of that happening on any given play — and taken off on a stretcher earlier this year. His injury didn’t end up being bad, but it was still scary.

The care that the Sixers approach injuries with is optimal for any athlete. The Sixers were willing to send Embiid to Qatar for parts of his rehabilitation, and that showed some serious catering. The Sixers found a facility that was not only top-class, but one that spoke Embiid’s first language.

The Sixers have never strayed from Embiid, despite the narrative of his injury being incredibly disheartening at times. This season was one where he was supposed to be on the floor playing, but instead he only appeared on the floor hours before tip-off, practicing with no contact.

Of course, it should be acknowledged that Embiid’s injury is different. Since he’s not proven in the NBA, the Sixers can’t trade him, he has no value. Since they spent so much on him — a top 3 draft pick is worth a lot, especially in 2014 — it’s not worth it to give up on him.

But the attitude they had towards his injury, and other player’s injuries as well, can be looked at as a positive that the Sixers have to offer to any free agents. They don’t give up on players just because they keep piling up injury after injury. They get to the core of the problem and solve it. They look to minimize all injuries and make any injuries that do come along a learning experience.

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Injuries are tough, and you want to be on a team that really cares about your injuries, and ensures that you’re getting the best treatment possible. The Sixers can offer that to free agents, and they should make sure that they let those free agents know that that’s a goal of theirs.