Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is reportedly "100 percent ready" to play for the team in their upcoming preseason games after missing two seasons of NBA action due to foot surgeries.
The 22-year-old Cameroonian was the third overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft selected by the Sixers. He failed to suit up in what would have been his rookie year in 2014-2015 as he was diagnosed with a broken navicular bone in his right foot during the summer before that season's opener. Embiid then underwent surgery to repair the foot that ruled him out for the entire season.
Last summer, the team disclosed that his recovery from the said foot operation had suffered a setback as it did not heal properly. Hence, he was sidelined again for another season, basically ending up missing the first two seasons of his NBA career.
Finally, this time, things are looking good for the former Kansas Jayhawks standout as he recently told reporters that he feels "100 percent ready" to suit up for the Sixers and show the whole world what he can do on the professional basketball court starting this coming preseason, as per ESPN.
"I feel 100 percent and ready to get started," Embiid said. "We have been working on a lot this summer, and I got a chance to play a little bit against the guys, and it has been going great."
Head coach Brett Brown had also assured the media that the 7-foot, 250-pound big man will finally play for his squad this coming season, saying that Embiid is "on track" both mentally and physically this offseason.
"I just left my third consecutive day working out with Joel," said Coach Brown. "He just is so on track, he's on track in his head, he's on track physically. I will tell you that, behind closed doors, physically, mentally, recent scans medically, everything is pointing in the right direction."
Yahoo Sports indicated that Embiid "definitely" intends to join the Sixers' training camp later this month. He also said to be expecting that "there will be a transition period once cleared to play given the length of his rehab, but notes he is a quick learner".
Embiid also thinks that there would be some restrictions on his playing time to help him avoid re-injury and to ease him through the grind of the professional game as he had been sidelined for two years.