We were treated to some positive Joel Embiid news on Thursday: Though the big man hadn’t been cleared for full-court 5-on-5 drills, he was doing more than head coach Brett Brown expected by this point. He was also spotted playing tennis and jogging around Philadelphia.
Well, now, we’re being gifted some even better news: Joel Embiid is basically back.
From the Associated Press (via ESPN.com):
Joel Embiid was cleared for 5-on-5 drills and participated in a full practice with the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time Thursday since having knee surgery in March.
Embiid sat out Philadelphia’s preseason opener on Wednesday and won’t play against Boston on Friday. The Sixers are hopeful Embiid will be in the lineup on opening night.
Oh, by the way, it gets better.
From Philly.com’s Keith Pompey:
Coach Brett Brown said he wants to work slowly with Embiid so that he is ready to go for opening night Oct. 18 in Washington, but he isn’t ready to pinpoint an exact date.
ut is Embiid OK with waiting until opening night?
“No,” he said. “I would like to play preseason because last year it helped me get in a groove … and to get back to the dominant player that I want to be.”
So, to recap, not only does it look like we’ll see Embiid on opening night, but he could be ready to rock before then, in time to soak up some preseason action.
Pinch yourselves, Philadelphia 76ers. This might be a dream.
Truth told, getting our hopes up to see one of the NBA’s most entertaining players anytime soon is probably a bad idea. The Sixers are weird with injury updates and protocol for everyone; they’re bound to continue treating Embiid, their prized cornerstone, with kiddie gloves.
And should he actually be suiting up with his teammates to start the regular season, it’s not yet clear how long of a leash he’ll get. Embiid hasn’t played since Jan. 27 after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee, and through three seasons, he’s yet to log 30 minutes in a single game. The Sixers won’t just hurl him into the fire now—not after the hoops they’ve needed to jump through to get him on the court at all.
Still, now is not the time to wallow in pity. Embiid, at the bare minimum, appears to be on the fast track to getting back in the action. That’s all that matters. Once he gets there, and a minutes cap or something along those lines has been established, we can start worrying about his performance, the Sixers’ playoff chances and his ability to make it through an entire season without suffering some kind of soul-crushing setback.
