Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is playing halfcourt five-on-five, and the results seem positive early on.
Joel Embiid’s health has been a constant point of concern, from draft night in 2014 until this very moment. He spent his first two seasons on the bench with a foot injury, while last year introduced a season-ending meniscus tear into an already-worrying equation.
The talent, however, is certainly there. Embiid alone had the Philadelphia 76ers playing at a near-competitive level during his time on the floor last season, putting up historic numbers despite a strict minutes restriction. He was among the best in the league on the defensive end, yet his offense still matched up with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns in both productivity and versatility.
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There’s a clear path to stardom for Embiid, and his health is only significant roadblock left. This season will give a clear sense of how well he can hold up against the rigors of NBA basketball, and his progression towards full health is heating up with opening night just a couple weeks away.
Per reports, Friday and Monday marked the first days in which Embiid participated in halfcourt five-on-five practices.
"“Joel looked good. When you put somebody that competitive and that big on a court, it’s different, and he changed practice.” — Brett Brown, Philadelphia Daily News"
As somebody who’s so important to the Sixers’ long term success, Embiid’s health has been the story of the offseason thus far. Him getting back onto the court — and positively impacting practices — is in turn one of the bigger stories to break this summer.
There’s still some serious ground to cover, with Embiid’s return date feeling increasingly murky. The team is taking the cautious approach, but given how restrictive their limitations have been, any sort of significant practice time likely signals a massive step in the right direction.
Getting him onto the floor and in practices is also important to the team’s success entering next season. He’s unequivocally the best player on the team, which means a lot of plays will either be run through him or feature him. It’s a young group with a lot of new faces, and familiarity is going to be a key part of getting them to gel quick enough to make a playoff push in the East.
Next: An update on the Sixers' injuries
This is supposed to be the year that The Process enters it’s next stage. Embiid is a major part of that, and news that he’s participating in — and impacting — team practices is something that should bring about a collective sigh of relief among Sixers fans.