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Embiid shows plenty of rust in 76ers scrimmage

GALLOWAY, N.J. - The last time Joel Embiid played in a game was as a Kansas freshman on March 1, 2014, at Oklahoma State University.

GALLOWAY, N.J. - The last time Joel Embiid played in a game was as a Kansas freshman on March 1, 2014, at Oklahoma State University.

That quickly became obvious Wednesday during the 76ers' end-of-practice scrimmage at Stockton University.

At times, Embiid had a tough time with his footwork, finding his balance, and figuring out things in real-time speed on defense. And that wasn't all.

"Everything is kind of off right now as far as catching the ball and shooting," said Embiid, the third overall draft pick in 2014 who missed the previous two seasons after surgeries on his right foot. "So I've still got to get in the flow of the game."

The 7-foot-2, 276-pounder acknowledged that he has to adjust to the speed of the game and playing with his teammates. They need to recognize when and where to give him the ball.

"So it's going to take time," he said. "Yeah, it's kind of hard now, but I think it's going to come."

There are high outside expectations for the 22-year-old Cameroonian center.

Folks rave about his ability to make three-pointers at ease for someone his size. Before Wednesday, the team gave the media glimpses of his game during workouts with undersize staff members and his personal trainer. On those occasions, Embiid's athleticism and power were on full display.

With that came lofty expectations from Sixers fans, who waited two seasons for a chance to see him play. Embiid also expects a lot from himself. However, he knows that he's a bit out of sync because of his two-year absence.

"It's really frustrating," Embiid said, "But like I said, you've got to trust the process, which I've been doing. I have to keep working on my game and make sure I do the same thing over and over.

"I think I'm the type of guy that's going to learn fast. It's just going to come when it comes."

Sixers coach Brett Brown isn't concerned about Embiid's rust and problems with the speed of the game. He believes the center's love for the game and desire to get better have him on the right path.

"He's a big man and he's got a mind-set to back up his physical gifts," Brown said.

That's because Embiid really wants the ball. He wants to get deep catches. And he wants to dunk.

"That is a mentality more than anything," Brown said. "Just as time goes on, you see it. [Right now], you see all the times when you realize he hasn't played basketball for a long time."

The Sixers aren't concerned about his averaging X amount of points or X amount of rebounds. They are more interested in Embiid's health. That's why his playing time will be restricted and he won't play on back-to-back nights.

The Sixers also want Embiid to develop into the centerpiece of the defense.

"We are going to grow him over time on how to post him and give him the ball offensively," Brown said. "But it's the mind-set of defense."

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

www.philly.com/deepsixer