The Philadelphia 76ers selected Kansas center Joel Embiid with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft because he was the best player available. After a back fracture kept him out of the NCAA Tournament, he was on track to be the No. 1 overall in June, but a stress fracture in his foot saw him drop to Philly. He’s not expected to play this year while recuperating, but he could be a franchise centerpiece when he does get healthy. A recent report from Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey claims he’s been shirking recent training sessions and has ballooned to close to 300 pounds.
While struggling with being away from his native Cameroon compounded by an inability to play basketball, it seems Embiid has gained 50 pounds, and is missing conditioning drills. By way of Eye on Basketball, comes the report from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Embiid has a weight issue. Although the Sixers wouldn’t disclose his weight, a source said he’s close to 300 pounds after being 250 pounds at Kansas last season.
His work ethic is being questioned by some inside the organization.
And a blowup with assistant strength and conditioning coach James Davis is one of the reasons he was sent home during the team’s recent West Coast road trip.
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Because of the foot injury, his conditioning has been limited. Embiid can only do things such as use the antigravity treadmill and take long walks to generate a rapid heart rate. In the process, he has become noticeably heavier than the chiseled 250 pounds he carried in college.
The Sixers are trying to address the added weight. Embiid, however, hasn’t always been a willing workout participant, according to sources. He’s even blown off conditioning drills, one source added.
An altercation with Davis during the West Coast trip, coupled with Brown’s wanting him to be in “more of a structured, stable environment,” pushed the Sixers to send him home, the sources said.
This is just one report, and a Sixers policy says players can’t interact with the media until they’re able to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages. Embiid is a long way from that sort of practicing, so he can’t defend himself against the accusations, but the report isn’t a good sign.
Pompey makes reference to Embiid’s hijinks on Twitter, and while contentious paticipation in social media doesn’t directly translate to immaturity, fellow Cameroonian and mentor Luc Mbah a Moute says “He’s a young, 20-year-old kid who is trying to figure his way into being a professional basketball player and learning life.
“Obviously, you can see some of his immaturity [in] his tweets sometimes,” Mbah a Moute continued. “But you can also understand how mature he is in certain situations the way he handled himself. . . . He’s a good kid, man.”
The reports of blowing off training sessions should be taken more seriously than his infatuation with vapid American entertainers.
Embiid is supposed to be the cornerstone of Philadelphia’s rebuild, and while castigating him for missing a few training sessions might not be a big deal in the short term, it’s not a good sign he’s failing to attack his rehabilitation with vigor.
He needs to lose the weight, get into the best shape he possibly can within the limited amount of exercise he’s allowed to undertake, and come out prepared to go when he is healthy again. The Sixers are counting on him in the future, but he needs to show he cares during the interim, or it’ll be that much harder for him to adapt to the rigors of the Association next season.
This isn’t a good way to start, and for Sixers fans it’s an awful overlap with another former highly-touted big man who sat out an entire season.
Will Embiid get his act together before he takes the court?
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