Healthy and, in his mind, ready to play in actual game situations, Sixers star Joel Embiid is itching to suit up for a preseason contest, Sarah Todd and Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer write. That may not necessarily happen soon, however.
“I would like to play preseason because last year it helped me get in a groove,” Embiid said.
The 23-year-old big man has been held out of the Sixers’ first two preseason games despite the fact that he’s been cleared for full-court, 5-on-5 action. The team has expressed a desire to work slowly with the center who played just 31 games last season and isn’t ready to pinpoint an exact return date yet.
In scrimmages through training camp, the 2016/17 Rookie of the Year candidate has shown what he’s capable of as a fearsome interior defender and sharp-shooting big man.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- With the Carmelo Anthony trade now in the rearview mirror, the Knicks are embarking on their own version of The Process, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “You try to not sacrifice what you’re trying to do to build just to win some games. Obviously you want to win, but you have to find that balance,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “You can’t get frustrated. You got to keep the team going, and when teams are going through that process, it’s hard, but you got to stay positive.”
- There are several big name additions to the Celtics but one of the team’s wildcards this year could be backup point guard Terry Rozier, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. The reserve will see an opportunity to shine in light of the trade that sent Avery Bradley to the Pistons.
- A solid preseason has helped Alfonzo McKinnie make a case for staying with the Raptors through the regular season, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes. The forward has looked far more advanced than perennial project Bruno Caboclo and will be able to be locked up at an affordable rate.