August 02, 2017
Joel Embiid is in Africa this week, working as a counselor at the same Basketball Without Borders camp that he once attended as a skinny teenager.
At the end of the camp, there will be the NBA Africa Game, which will feature a team comprised of first and second-generation African NBA players (Luc Mbah a Moute, Thabo Sefalosha, Embiid, etc.) going up against a team of NBA players from around the world (Dirk Nowitzki, Kyle Lowry, Kristaps Porzingis, etc.).
Embiid won’t play in that game as he recovers from meniscus surgery, but the Sixers center made some news in early August when he told ESPN.com’s Marc Spears that he hasn’t been cleared to play five-on-five basketball yet:
Embiid, a counselor at a Basketball Without Borders camp before Saturday's NBA Africa Game in Johannesburg, South Africa, said he's doing non-contact drills while recovering from a torn left meniscus, but he hasn't been cleared to play 5-on-5 yet.
"I can do everything but play 5-on-5 and one-on-one," Embiid told Spears. "I think I will be ready for training camp."
The revelation that Embiid isn’t yet cleared to play five-on-five is a bit surprising. After all, the 7’2” big man underwent what the Sixers called successful minor arthroscopic surgery to address the meniscus tear in his left knee over four months ago.
Watching Embiid work out at around the Sixers practice facility at the time of the NBA Draft, he appeared to be moving well in some high-intensity workouts. He even shares a few of these on his Instagram page from time to time. Here’s one:
Sixers fans have a right to be skeptical of injury timelines, but in general, this revelation itself likely isn’t much cause for concern. As Embiid indicated, he has been going through full workouts at a time of the year when five-on-five isn't as important.
In more serious injury news, former Sixer Gerald Henderson is set to undergo what could be season-ending hip surgery.
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