Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening after using the No. 3 overall pick to select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey provided a positive update on star center Joel Embiid, writes Dan Gelston of The Associated Press.
According to Gelston, Morey indicated that Embiid – who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April – is on track to be recovered “right around” the time training camp opens in late September, suggesting the team is encouraged by the big man’s recovery progress so far.
“He’s very engaged, attacking rehab,” Morey said. “Doing everything he can to be out there. He had a meeting with (the surgeon) this week. All things, to use a NASA term, are nominal. Things are going well and expected and we expect that to continue.”
Embiid’s left knee has been an issue since midway through the 2023/24 season, when he underwent surgery to address a meniscus injury. He was able to return that spring and played in the Olympics during the summer, but he continued to deal with swelling in the knee in the fall. The injury delayed his season debut until November 12 and prevented him from ever getting fully comfortable during the ’24/25 campaign.
Here are a few more highlights from Morey’s media session:
- The Sixers already have rising star Tyrese Maxey, promising 2024 first-rounder Jared McCain, and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes in their backcourt, but didn’t hesitate to add another young guard to the mix on Wednesday when they drafted Edgecombe. “I think we now have one of the best backcourts in the league,” Morey said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “When you look at some of these teams that are successful, they all have multiple guards.”
- While Edgecombe’s athleticism and defense figure to get him on the court in his rookie year, he intends to do all he can to help out the Sixers’ stars on the offensive end of the court too, as Jones relays. “I’m really focused on trying to shoot the ball at a high level,” Edgecombe said on Wednesday. “My job is going to be trying to release pressure on Joel, Paul (George), and Tyrese.”
- Here’s more from Morey on Edgecombe, per Jones: “We’re super excited about V.J. and that we got the chance to draft him. He’s a dynamic athlete. We think he’s one of the best athletes in the draft. We think he has a chance to be a potential All-Star, and he’s going to be a two-way player coming into the league. He has a lot of winning qualities, and we think he is going to be a really good fit. We think he is going to be a great teammate.”
- Edgecombe appeared to become the favorite for the No. 3 pick after Ace Bailey cancelled a scheduled workout with the Sixers, but Morey said on Wednesday that Bailey’s refusal to work out for Philadelphia didn’t factor into the club’s draft decision, tweets Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.
Luke, you impress me every year with your hard work around draft time. According to my calculations, you got about three hours of sleep last night lol
Love your dedication to your job buddy.
oxymoron (noun) – a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
ex. jumbo shrimp, sweet sorrow, Embiid’s recovery
Don’t forget mild hot sauce or sugar free pop!
How to know nba off season started. Sixers tell everyone Embiid is healthy.
A$$hole=honcho Mike
I love Embiid’s game. The meniscus issues are tough and he may not be 100% ever again but if he can play pain free and get some level of normalcy he will be one of the best. Wish him good luck in his recovery.
They got lucky at the lottery, didn’t squander it and picked the right player. Curious to see what their lineups will look like next season, they have quite a few players who will want to start.
Just don’t pay Yabusele, let someone else do it and regret it later.
While I think the Sixers may have drafted Edgecombe anyway, no way Morey could ever admit it had an impact. Otherwise, other potential draftees may try and control who picks them. The thing I love about Edgecombe is his defense. Defense shows someone who is really willing to put in the work and do the dirty work. It indicates someone who will work to maximize his potential and with many saying he is the most athletic player in the draft….the maximum potential is off the charts and likely much higher than Bailey. So when considering both sides of the court, Edgecombe is likely better than Bailey now and when maximum potential is considered he will have a higher ceiling and will be the one most likely to reach their personal ceiling. Of course its all wait and see.