In his first official season, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid quickly proved to be a promising frontcourt player in the league in his limited action on the floor.
However, the injury bug became an issue once again as he tore the meniscus in his left knee, which required arthroscopic surgery. Heading into this upcoming season, 76ers head coach Brett Brown believes that Embiid must show some significant improvement in one particular area, according to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com.
“I think it has nothing to do really with his game. It’s not his jump hook. It’s not his defense. It’s his health,” Brown said last week while previewing his Coach’s Clinic. “Helping him better understand how to consistently play NBA basketball is most on my mind.”
Injuries have been a key issue for Embiid through his first few seasons in the league, as he was sidelined due to a pair of surgeries on his right foot. The 76ers had capped his minute workload this past year along with sitting him out the second night of back-to-backs, but he still suffered a knee injury that limited him to just 31 games on the court.
Much of the weight of the franchise rests on Embiid's shoulders, one which likely has the team taking the recovery process slowly.
He has yet to be fully cleared for all basketball activities. This would require him to take part in 5-on-5 activities in order to get back on the court. Embiid is expected to be ready in time for the start of the season.
In the 2016-17 campaign, Embiid averaged 20.2 points on 46.6 percent shooting from the field along with 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game.
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