The Philadephia 76ers are still in the rebuilding process but when Joel Embiid played last season they showed how good they can be. This upcoming NBA season we will see the debut of Ben Simmons and the 2017 NBA 1st overall pick in Markelle Fultz. The talent and potential are there for the Sixers but the big problem is the health of their draft picks. Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid all had injuries and health issues when they were drafted in the NBA. Here are a couple of updates in the NBA offseason:
Sixers confident that they can hold on to Embiid
Joel Embiid showed great promise when he played last season in the NBA and despite playing limited minutes he still showed just how good he can be if healthy.
Last season he played 31 games and averaging 20.2 points, 2.5 blocks, 0.9 steals, and 2.1 assists. He had 7.8 rebounds while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from the three-point line, and 78.3 percent from the free throw line by just playing 25.5 minutes per game. ESPN has reported that the Sixers are very confident that they can reach a deal with Joel Embiid before the deadline. Despite Embiid having multiple health issues and not yet cleared to play 5vs5 this offseason, they are still very interested in keeping Embiid in Philadelphia.
Embiid entered the NBA in the offseason of 2014 where he was drafted by the Sixers with the third overall pick. He was expected to make a big impact right away in the NBA but a broken navicular bone in his right foot would make him miss the entire 2014-2015 NBA season.
The next year he had another round of surgery that made him once again miss the entire 2015-2016 season. With Embiid and Simmons expected to be fairly healthy next season the Sixers may have a slim chance of making a playoff run with the eastern conference being significantly weaker next season.
Okafor being shopped by the Sixers
The Sixers was stacked with big men the past couple of years with Embiid, Noel, Okafor, and Holmes in their lineup. Nerlens Noel was traded away last NBA season to the Dallas Mavericks and now it seems like the Sixers are looking to trade away Jahlil Okafor this offseason. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Daily News has reported that the Sixers are once again exploring in trading away Jahlil Okafor. This move will likely give more minutes to Joel Embiid next season and even Ben Simmons can play point forward if he can get some minutes in the four position.
