PHILADELPHIA For the second year in a row the Sixers are taking a wait and see approach to their top selection in the NBA Draft.
The Sixers chose Kansas center Joel Embiid with the third overall pick in Thursday night's draft despite a stress fracture in his right foot. The selection came one year after the Sixers took Kentucky center Nerlens Noel who had suffered a torn ACL and was forced to sit out his entire rookie season.
Friday Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie outlined a similar plan for Embiid to the one that allowed Noel to miss an entire season in order to fully rehab before making his anticipated debut this summer in the Orlando Summer league.
I've seen reported some four to six months for Embiid Hinkie said. That's not the number I heard. The number I heard from the surgeon himself was five to eight months.
We will focus on the long term health of the player. That's all that matters. Will we be smart about that Of course. Will we be patient Yes. If he can remain healthy he can have a fantastic NBA career.
Hinkie's timetable is slightly less optimistic than other speculation and predicts Embiid's likely return between November and February 2015. Buy it is possible that Embiid will miss the 2014 15 season to ensure he is fully healthy when he finally steps onto an NBA court.
Hinkie has intimate knowledge of foot injuries given his experience with the injury that cut short the career of former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming. And even so the Sixers GM sees Embiid's injury as a blessing in disguise.
I sniffed opportunity the moment it happened Hinkie said. The moment he got hurt we thought we might be the organization with just the set of owners and we might do it.
Hinkie could barely contain his excitement over the thought of a front court that included Noel a healthyEmbiid and fellow first round pick Dario Saric.
I think Nerlens will play more center than power forward in the summer league that starts next week Hinkie said. If you talk to Nerlens and you talk to Joel they believe they can play with each other. Dario I think is really versatile. I think his more natural position is a forward. Often he ends up bringing the ball up. He's a great rebounder a great passer and he's got great instincts.
If in fact they do play together which is what we anticipate we will be a menace at the rim. And if you're going to bring balance to the other team that's the way to do it.
Follow Matt Lombardo on Twitter MattLombardo975
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