NBA: 15 players looking to shed injury-prone label in 2017-18
1. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid has a higher ceiling than any player on this list. Not only is he a future ambassador for the league, but he’s also the centerpiece of a franchise’s entire rebuild, with the validity of “Trusting the Process” sitting squarely on his shoulders.
From the moment the pre-draft comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon began, there was always going to be pressure on Embiid, but now that it’s finally starting to come together for the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s somehow even more intense now.
The reason? The unbelievably tantalizing display we saw in his long-awaited debut. Though he only suited up for 31 games, had he been able to stay healthy and sustain it, Embiid would’ve submitted the greatest rookie season in NBA history, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists in just 25.4 minutes per game — all on .466/.367/.783 shooting splits.
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Now that Sixers fans have gotten their first taste of hope in half a decade, Embiid is firmly established as their best chance of returning to prominence. Even with Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons entering the fold, there’s more pressure on Embiid to stay healthy so that everything finally starts to come together.
Even from a pure personnel standpoint, the expectations are sky high. Gone is a potential defensive anchor and perennial DPOY candidate in Nerlens Noel. All the Sixers have now is an underwhelming Jahlil Okafor (who the team’s been trying to move) and Richaun Holmes. If Embiid can’t stay on the court, this team not only loses its unicorn, but its only viable starting 5.
Throw in the fact that Embiid is a restricted free agent and suddenly the upcoming season is monumental for both the 76ers and The Process himself. He’s played a grand total of 31 games through three years in the NBA, and foot/knee injuries for a seven-footer are enough cause for concern without everything else that’s at stake.
This isn’t just about helping the Sixers win games; it’s also about proving that he’s not about to be the next Greg Oden. Entering what should’ve been his fourth NBA season, an injury-riddled 2017-18 campaign could be the difference between people giving up on his future as superstar and fully buying into it.
Next: 10 NBA players in need of a trade in 2017-18
From validating the martyr Sam Hinkie to providing hope for a zealot fanbase to leading the Sixers back to the playoffs by reassuring everyone he’ll stay healthy long enough to reach his bright future, no one has more riding on shedding the injury-prone label in 2017-18 than Joel Embiid.