NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid Out For Season

When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted big man Joel Embiid with the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft, they did so with a long-haul mindset. Now that long haul may be a bit longer than originally expected as there’s no timetable for Embiid’s return, and it’s possible the former Kansas University star can spend the entire upcoming season on the sideline in a suit.

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Embiid injured his back after a tough landing on the floor late last season playing for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Embiid met with a spinal specialist while at Kansas where there the prognosis given was a stress fracture in his back that would subsequently keep him out of the NCAA tournament.

A major disappointment for Philadelphia fans who were looking forward to a pairing of Embiid and Nerlens Noel in the low post, but in accordance with general manager Sam Hinkie’s plan there’s a future to protect, the present can wait.

Nothing is official with regards to Embiid’s medical status, other than he’s not ready to go right now. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hinkie said Embiid still has no timetable for return, and he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of shutting him down for the season.

"“I don’t know at this point. Right now, he’s in Philly and visiting with a variety of our medical professionals and going through tests,” Hinkie said. “He’ll get a good baseline and then we’ll put together a rehab plan. He’s still in a boot. He was shooting threes on one leg in our gym [Monday]. I don’t know how it will play out. We’ll take an approach without knowing where the finish line is. We want to know how we can be sure to put him in a position to have a long NBA career. However long [rehab] takes will be however long it takes.”"

Slow motion is still progress for a team that will try to snatch a few more wins this season to eclipse their awful 19-63 record from the previous year. With reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams pushing the ball and probable ROY Noel down low they’ll win more than 20 of 82 games.

The 76ers will likely play closer to .500 if NBA commissioner Adam Silver does tamper with the draft lottery system. At the end of the day, they’re still in the Eastern Conference.

This rumor has legs, and the 76ers have already shown the ability to forego a season in the interest of protecting their future. There’s no advantage to rushing Embiid back on the court early. Allowing time for injuries to properly heal is of most importance with a young player. Rushing Embiid back and risking possible future injuries is not ideal for the 76ers, and it’s not the stuff rebuilding teams need.

One thing is for sure, we’ll have more time to enjoy Embiid’s colorful sense of humor on Twitter. Somehow that eases a bit of the pain caused by his rumored absence.

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