It's been a long two year wait, but Philadelphia 76ers 2014 first round draft pick Joel Embiid may finally be suiting up for the team once the preseason begins in October.
Sixers head coach Brett Brown spoke with ESPN's Zach Lowe on his podcast on Friday and the main topic discussed was Embiid and how he's progressed since his second foot surgery that cause the center to miss a second consecutive season.
"I just left my third consecutive day working out with Joel," Brown said. "He just is so on track, he's on track in his head, he's on track physically.
"I will tell you that, behind closed doors, physically, mentally, recent scans medically, everything is pointing in the right direction." [CSNPhilly.com]
In the past few weeks, Embiid has posted videos of him working with NBA Strategic Skills Coach Drew Hanlen, showing his improved footwork and post moves during practice.
Rookie year……. @DrewHanlen pic.twitter.com/8gVTu9XkUN
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) August 3, 2016
When asked if Embiid would be ready for the Sixers preseason, which begins on October 4 against the Celtics on the Campus of the University of Massachusetts, Brown responded to Lowe with three words.
"Yes, he is."
Obviously, this is no 100 percent guarantee that Embiid will play, but if he does, his minutes will more than likely be limited. If he were to suffer any sort of setback in his continuing rehab, Brown said he will not play in the preseason.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Joel Embiid with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Kansas, where he averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Jayhawks.
