The Philadelphia 76ers are once again looking poised to get a top draft pick this season after another dismal year. To make matters worse, injuries to their young stars continue to plague the team from progressing and developing. This year, the 76ers drafted Jahlil Okafor to pair with Nerlens Noel and potentially Joel Embiid. That has not resulted in much and now Okafor could be done for the season.
Okafor has been dealing with knee soreness since he collided with Isaiah Canaan during a game against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 28. He has also been dealing with a shin injury on top of his knee issue. MRIs have revealed that structurally his knee is fine, but the soreness of the injury could be ending his season. Head coach Brett Brown told the media that the 76ers need to make a decision soon on the rookie's outlook for the remaining games.
"I think everything will be reviewed after we get that information," Brown said. "It's a fair question, but I think it's reckless right now to say what the plan is when we don't know what the information truly is. I think that we might know after the game more. I would imagine we'll know almost everything [Thursday]. But that decision hasn't been discussed."
The injury to Okafor is just another setback the 76ers continue to face with their young core. The team has been trying to develop top draft picks, but it selected Noel, who sat out his rookie year, and then Embiid, who has not played in two seasons now. Brown is clearly thinking long-term with Okafor, which could be why he is comfortable sitting him for the rest of the season.
The 76ers did get good news with Embiid though, as the center made his return to the court and has been starting to work out since undergoing multiple foot surgeries. Philadelphia is hopeful that Embiid stays on track and can make his debut next season. Brown stressed that Embiid is working on taking his game to the next level while rehabbing. The three-point shot is getting the most work while Embiid heals his foot.
"We hope he's going to be a low-post threat to start with. But I can't dismiss the excitement that you have when you see a man of his size have the ability to do that," Brown said.
The biggest issue the 76ers could be facing when Embiid and Okafor are both healthy is how they will co-exist on the court. The 76ers will have a log-jam of big men in rotation. Okafor and Noel have struggled together on the court this season. Adding Embiid to the puzzle will only make things more complicated. Trade rumors are circling the 76ers as a result, but Brown stresses he is not concerned.
"I think Jerry Colangelo said it best - that's a high-class problem," Brown said. "Joel coming back will be a challenge in that he hasn't played basketball for two years. For us to expect immediate results would be naïve. I say that because inevitably there will be minute restrictions with what we expect."
