Philadelphia 76ers Dealt Another Blow With Loss of Joel Embiid For 2015-16 NBA Season

Embiid Sixers NBA
Getty Images

Since making their last appearance in the NBA Finals in 2000, the Philadelphia 76ers have not been a relevant basketball team for over 15 years. While many fans and analysts have preached patience during these last few seasons, fully understanding GM Sam Hinkie‘s plan to stockpile young talent, that tide could soon turn his team does not start winning games this season.

That will be more difficult now more than ever, as it has now been reported that Joel Embiid, the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, will miss the entire 2015-16 NBA season and undergo a second surgery on his problematic right foot.

This news is certainly devastating the franchise and their fans, but let’s face it – the Sixers were not going to win the NBA championship this year anyway. Sure, it stinks that Embiid will miss another year of development, but he is only 21 years old and has plenty of time to still have a great career in basketball. For those who believe this is “Andrew Bynum, Part 2”, I disagree, being that Embiid has given every indication that he is loyal to the Sixers and serious about his recovery, something Bynum never demonstrated.

However, it is definitely understandable for some to believe Hinkie’s plan has simply not worked, being that the Sixers have been a laughingstock for the last few years. Some fans are still upset that Hinkie traded away players like Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner, who all played a huge role in getting the team past the first round against the No. 1 (mostly Derrick Rose-less) Chicago Bulls in 2012.

That said, a team with those players was just not going to go anywhere higher than that, and it led to a flurry of deals that netted the Sixers multiple draft picks and prospects they hoped to build around. Embiid is thought to be one of them, given his size and strength on defense, as well as his ability to knock down a mid-range jump shot occasionally, which will hopefully space the floor out for the rest of his teammates.

With Embiid done for the year, the Sixers’ decision to draft Jahlil Okafor makes perfect sense. The offensive firepower of Okafor’s post game perfectly complements the defensive nature of Nerlens Noel’s, which should make them one of the more intriguing big man duos in the NBA this season. They are both young players and will certainly struggle at times, but it will not make them any less exciting to watch.

It is just simply bad luck that the Sixers will not have Embiid this season. Then again, they had to draft him at the time, especially since he was projected to go No. 1 in the draft before his first injury. Embiid could be injury-prone for the rest of his career as some now legitimately fear, but there is also a good chance that he will recover just fine from these setbacks and have a stellar career.

Remember, Zydrunas Ilgauskas missed a lot of games from 1998-2001 due to recurring foot issues, but went on to have a very successful career after he finally got healthy.

The Sixers can still have a good season this year given how weak the Eastern Conference is, but the hangover of not having a healthy Embiid, as well as having to wait another year for Dario Saric, will definitely be distasteful to many fans. I still believe the Sixers will be better than expected this year, but losing Embiid for another year is definitely an unlucky blow.

For all the misfortune they have experienced recently, I still think Hinkie’s plan is a good one, and that it will ultimately pay off in the long run.

Dan Schultz is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon