Smallwood: Hard not to be skeptical about Joel Embiid's return
IF YOU'RE a 76ers fan, you'd like to take the optimistic view that this time the organization is correct about the timetable for Joel Embiid's return from surgery.
IF YOU'RE a 76ers fan, you'd like to take the optimistic view that this time the organization is correct about the timetable for Joel Embiid's return from surgery.
On Friday, the hard-luck center had surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.
The Sixers appear to have exhausted all resources in searching for the best solution to treat their prized big man who will have missed 215 of the possible 246 games he could have played since being drafted third overall in 2014.
The prognosis was positive. Neal S. ElAttrache, the surgeon who performed the procedure on Embiid at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, said he should transition into "full weight-bearing in approximately two weeks."
In relation to that, Sixers Director of Performance Research and Development Dr. David T. Martin said in a statement: "Based on the program that has been outlined, we will continually evaluate Joel's progress against predetermined benchmarks and anticipate he will resume basketball activities this summer."
You'll have to excuse the Sixers faithful if Martin's pronouncement elicits a collective groan rather than a sigh of relief.
Given the team's recent history with anticipating injured players' return to activity, the idea that Embiid will be back on the court a few months after undergoing what they deem minor surgery has to be taken with a pound of salt.
Tell me if this sounds familiar.
On March 22, 2016, rookie center Jahlil Okafor had what the Sixers termed "successful" surgery on a slightly torn meniscus.
Like Embiid, Okafor's injury was initially said to have been a minor contusion before the meniscus tear was diagnosed.
After surgery, the Sixers said Okafor would resume full basketball activities in about six weeks.
He did not.
In fact, six months later, Okafor still was not up to full basketball activities when the Sixers opened training camp for the 2016-17 campaign. He's been bothered by soreness in the same knee at various times during the season. It caused him to miss games as recently as Friday against Chicago.
On Oct. 4, the Sixers announced that Ben Simmons, their prize acquisition as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, underwent "successful" surgery to repair an acute Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
The Sixers did not give a timetable for Simmons' return, but they certainly sent signs that they expected him to play at some point this season.
On Feb. 24, general manager Bryan Colangelo announced that due to complications in his recovery, Simmons would not play this season after all.
As far as Embiid, even after he was discovered to have sustained a meniscus tear and not just a bone bruise in January, Colangelo said "this is not thought to be a severe injury," hinting that he expected Embiid to return to the court soon.
Obviously, Embiid never did.
So really, how can the Sixers possibly expect fans to simply believe that Embiid, who missed his first two seasons because of two surgeries to the same broken foot, is going to be back on the court in July or August simply because they say so?
There have been too many false starts to sell people on the belief that Embiid, and for that matter Simmons, is going to be healthy enough during the summer to prepare for a new season.
That list includes the first time with Embiid, when the Sixers said he would miss only his rookie season, and then he had to have a second surgery on the foot.
Next there was missed target date after Okafor's knee surgery; then guard Jerryd Bayless had what was called a sore wrist result in season-ending surgery after he played two games; then Simmons, and now Embiid again.
I don't believe the Sixers intentionally misled fans about the severity of the injuries to Simmons and Embiid in an effort to sell tickets, but a lot of fans do.
Based on the unusual coincidence of Simmons and Embiid being hurt at the same time and the way the Sixers bungled the public-relations aspects, it's hard to say they have a bad argument.
Right now, the worst job in Philadelphia sports has to be being a Sixers sales representative for the 2017-18 season.
Simmons has yet to play a game. Embiid has only played in an eighth of those possible for his first three seasons.
These two players are presently billed as the future of the franchise - the rewards for the suffering of the past few years.
On one hand, it's a positive that neither Embiid's meniscus or Simmons' Jones fracture are typically considered career-threatening injuries.
Still, the last time an injured Sixer hit a stated deadline for a return was when now-departed center Nerlens Noel actually participated in 2014 summer-league games after missing his rookie season with a knee injury.
Maybe this time it will be different with Embiid.
Maybe he'll be on schedule in six weeks and then stay on pace to be ready for the start of training camp.
Forgive me for being skeptical, but I'll believe it when I see it.
@SmallTerp