Philadelphia 76ers: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 Media Day

1. The Process is ready

Naturally with Embiid, the first line of questioning from the media centred around the health of his surgically repaired knee:

"“I feel great…there’s a lot stuff I had to correct so the focus this summer was on my body. We’ve been working a lot on landing…I fell a lot last year. We’ve been doing a lot of strength in the gym and I feel good about the season.”"

Landing was certainly an issue last season, with Embiid’s season-ending knee injuring occurring on a driving dunk in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. And with just 31 games under his belt over three seasons, it’s only natural that the Sizers’ strength and conditioning staff are going to take an extra-cautious approach to Embiid’s health.

But despite his frustrations of recent seasons, Embiid’s outlook is nonetheless extremely optimistic:

"“I love to win, I’ll put my body on the line to win….I think as long as I stay healthy I’ve got a lot to improve on, and a lot of potential.”"

To say Embiid has potential is an enormous statement. After averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just 25.4 minutes per game last season, Embiid’s impact on the Sixers’ fortunes was simply remarkable given his limited time in the league.

Next: Top 10 candidates for the 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year Award

While both Embiid and the Sixers don’t expect him to come close to playing the full 82 games, if he is able to stay healthy, and his new collection of teammates can jell as a team, the Sixers’ outlook is simply scary for opposing teams.