After two years on the sidelines struggling through foot injuries, Embiid finally took the floor in 2016-17. The third pick in the 2014 draft was a revelation as a rookie, ranking as a top-40 per game Fantasy performer, despite averaging only 25.4 minutes per game. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and ranked third in the league in blocks per game with 2.4. Unfortunately, he saw action in only 31 games. From the start of October until January 20, Embiid rested for one game of each back-to-back set, plus four additional planned rests. He played under a soft 24 minutes per game cap to start the season, which was quickly increased to a soft 28 minutes per game cap. Then, on January 20th, Embiid suffered a “knee contusion”. He missed a week, then played well in a nationally televised game that would turn out to be his final game of the season – though Fantasy owners were strung along until March 1st, when official announcement of the end of his season finally came. It was later revealed that the initial injury was more than just a contusion, and he would eventually undergo surgery in March that removed a small portion of his meniscus as part of the treatment for a meniscus tear. As of August, reports indicate that he is progressing through his recovery well, though the 76ers front office injury reports should not be taken at face value when they involve their franchise prospects. In both the cases of Embiid and Ben Simmons (foot), throughout 2016-17 the 76ers front office routinely provided information that would later turnout to have understated the significance and recovery timetable of the stars’ injuries. Whenever he is healthy, Embiid is the unrivaled starting center, as he is already better than even the most optimistic projections for Jahlil Okafor or Richaun Holmes. Embiid is a dynamic star with top-10 Fantasy potential when healthy, but he is a major injury risk. He is likely to deal with planned rests and minute restrictions, though he can be an incredible contributor even in limited minutes. The 76ers have realistic playoff ambitions this season, which could help minimize the rests and lead to an increased workload, but the team is still likely to prioritize Embiid’s long term health over their immediate success.

It’s been more than two years in the making, but it appears Embiid is finally ready to make his NBA debut. Following a spectacular freshman season at Kansas in which he elicited Hakeem Olajuwon comparisons, Embiid was selected No. 3 overall by the 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 76ers drafted Embiid with the understanding that he had an existing stress fracture in his right foot, but the seven-footer’s immense upside still made him too tempting to pass up. That said, the organization likely wasn’t prepared for how problematic the center’s foot issues would ultimately prove to be. He was sidelined for the entire 2014-15 season after undergoing foot surgery and endured more complications in his recovery than expected, requiring a second procedure on the foot last August that sidelined him for the 2015-16 campaign. Fortunately, the rehab process has gone much more smoothly for Embiid this time around, as he was cleared to begin working out in December and has steadily increased his on-court activities throughout the summer. Embiid has claimed that his foot is now fully healed heading into training camp, and though the team brass has indicated he won’t be subjected to any medical-related limitations in his rookie season, the big man will likely face minute restrictions on some level while he works to regain conditioning following the lengthy layoff. Additionally, Embiid will have to contend with former first-round picks Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel for playing time at center, though one of those two players could eventually get shipped elsewhere to clear out the logjam in the frontcourt. Despite his lack of game action the last two years, the hype still remains high for the talented Embiid, but the 76ers aren’t counting on him to immediately emerge as a nightly double-double threat. Instead, the main goal seems to be simply getting Embiid through the season with his health fully intact, an achievement that would go a long way toward convincing the organization that he’s a worthy building block for the long haul.

Undergoing foot surgery a week prior to the 2014 NBA Draft, Joel Embiid was selected third overall by the 76ers and didn't play a single game last season. A second foot surgery for a navicular stress fracture this August will sideline him a second straight season. During his lone season at Kansas, Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.6 blocks in 23 minutes per game while shooting 63 percent from the field and 69 percent from the free-throw line. Embiid embarked on his journey to the NBA at the age of 17 when former teammate and current free agent Luc Mbah a Moute spotted him at a basketball camp. The healing in Embiid's foot has been stymied by his still growing and developing body. Also, Embiid reportedly skipped steps in the rehab process, and his weight became a concern during the middle of the season, drawing question marks about his commitment level. Navicular stress fractures have a long-standing history of drastically handicapping a player's career, from Bill Walton to Yao Ming, and Embiid must wait until the 2016-17 season before playing his first game in the NBA.

Joel Embiid is entering his rookie season in the NBA, having been drafted with the third-overall pick this June. In his only season at Kansas, he averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.6 blocks in 23 minutes per game through 28 games played. He shot 63 percent from the field on 6.1 attempts per game and 69 percent from the free-throw line on 5.1 attempts per game. Embiid shows strong instincts on both sides of the ball, but his game unpolished in some respects, in part because he has only played organized basketball for three seasons. Offensively, he has shown great talent as a finisher, scoring on 76 percent of his attempts at the rim. Defensively, he is a strong rim protector and won All-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. His biggest weakness is his relatively poor performance when he played against larger big men in college. Embiid is often compared to Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, but due to his struggles to remain healthy, he is also occasionally compared to Greg Oden. Embiid had surgery on his right foot in June, and the earliest projections for recovery would allow him to return to the court in March. In light of how the 76ers handled the recovery of Nerlens Noel last season, it's likely that Embiid will not play at all this season.