To say that Joel Embiid's NBA career has gotten off to a tumultuous start would be a massive understatement as he has undergone surgery twice since being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and is expected to miss two straight full seasons. Embiid is currently rehabbing his foot after having a second surgery on it and the Sixers are optimistic about his recovery as they believe he is ahead of schedule, according to CSN Philly.
Embiid has been a huge tease for 76ers fans as he was drafted third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft and has still not played a single minute in the NBA. The second surgery to his foot was reportedly because it did not recover right after the first surgery and while that's extremely frustrating 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil is optimistic about his recovery.
"Our doctors are saying it's going ahead of schedule, but at the end of the day we know we have to show you and not just tell you. I will tell you that he is an elite talent, and I think he will be an elite player in this league."
The 76ers are still saying that they have high hopes for the 21 year old but they have made plans that suggest they aren't as confident as they are saying. The 76ers drafted Jahlil Okafor with the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and he currently leads the team in scoring through two games. Okafor and Nerlens Noel are a young starting frontcourt that could work well together and be a force in the future which makes Embiid's future a major question mark.
On top of the two foot surgeries there was also a report that Embiid has been insubordinate with the 76ers training staff in his rehab and that he has not been listening to the front office and coaches about what they want him to do in terms of dieting and resting. Brett Brown has come out and vehemently denied the report while O'Neil also says it's untrue.
It is unknown how much of that report is true but the 76ers finally are getting some good news on Embiid for the first time in a while. The fact that he is ahead of schedule doesn't mean he will return to the court this season but it does make it seem likely that he will debut fully healthy next season unless, of course, there is another setback.
