Sixers center Joel Embiid underwent a second surgical procedure on his right foot this week, and he is more than likely going to miss his second straight campaign. The 21-year-old has yet to play a regular season NBA minute since being selected by Philly with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, no stranger to taking chances, knew Embiid’s medical issues made him a gamble, but he decided to roll the dice anyway on the big man from Cameroon, by way of Kansas University. It was a high-risk, high-reward proposition for the Sixers, and one that has in no way panned out for the franchise as of this writing.
This brings me to the topic of the day: Will Joel Embiid ever play for the Sixers, and if so, what kind of production should the team expect from him?
Will Embiid ever live up to being the No. 3 overall pick? While we’re not looking at a taking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan situation here, is there a player who the Sixers should be haunted by passing on to select the young Kansas center? What are the best/worst case scenarios that you envision for Embiid’s NBA career? Will he even have what can be considered a career, or do you see him never suiting up in the league? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. Sixers fans, feel free to vent and work out whatever issues you may have with the team if necessary. We look forward to what you have to say.
Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @EddieScarito to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.
I’ll say this: If he has a career that’s roughly equivalent to Sam Bowie’s at this point, it would be a pleasant surprise. Missing two years with a broken foot, for a guy who had a pretty sharp learning curve still in front of him anyway, raises serious question marks about his ability to have a serviceable NBA career, much less one befitting a No. 3 overall pick.
I could see him playing for the Sixers, but with major minute restrictions even after (if) he gets cleared. this is all assuming he doesn’t get traded right before next season.
I hope he has a good career. I just paid $330 for a ball signed by him, Andrew Wiggins, and Jabari Parker.
The Wiggins and Parker signatures will make that ball worth it. All I can say about Embiid’s signature is that most would probably pay for a ball with Sam Bowie’s signature on it if it also had Michael Jordan’s and Hakeem Olajuwon’s.
If he doesn’t they already have Okafor and Noel, two bugs that compliment each other well. No one taken after him has shown that they are going to be a can’t miss superstar. I thought that they maybe should’ve taken Exum but he has some problems of his own.
That’s part of Hinkie’s strategy: the more young talent he acquires, the better chances he has that somebody will become a star. Embiid isn’t the only top pick they have, so they can overcome this.