The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly have several concerns regarding injured rookie Joel Embiid. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia is worried about the 7-footer's weight and his maturity.
Embiid has yet to touch the court as he continues rehabbing from foot surgery, but the 76ers reportedly have seen some things from him that have them concerned.
"Embiid has a weight issue," Pompey wrote Sunday. "Although the Sixers wouldn't disclose his weight, a source said he's close to 300 pounds after being 250 pounds at Kansas last season. ... The Sixers are trying to address the added weight. Embiid, however, hasn't always been a willing workout participant, according to sources. He's even blown off conditioning drills, one source added."
Philadelphia is also reportedly concerned about his maturity.
"His work ethic is being questioned by some inside the organization," Pompey continued. "And a blowup with assistant strength and conditioning coach James Davis is one of the reasons he was sent home during the team's recent West Coast road trip."
Pompey suggested Embiid could still be reeling from the death of his 13-year-old brother, who died in a car accident in October in Africa.
Teammate and fellow Cameroonian Luc Mbah a Moute, though, doesn't sound worried about the 20-year-old rookie.
"Obviously, you can see some of his immature [in] his tweets sometimes," said Mbah a Moute. "But you can also understand how mature he is in certain situations the way he is certain situations the way he handled himself. ... He's a good kid, man. At the end of the day, it's tough for him being in a situation where people can't really see who he is as a person."
Embiid is unlikely to make his NBA debut before April or May, if at all. His foot injury has kept him restricted to antigravity treadmills and long walks, which Pompey suggests is a big reason for Embiid's drastic weight gain.
