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Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is set to make his NBA debut in October, when he finally comes back from an injury that has been hindering him the past two seasons. Before he was drafted, Embiid had a high ceiling and was compared to the great Hakeem Olajuwon due to his offensive prowess. Embiid was also seen as a great defender and many believed that he would be the steal of the draft. It has not looked like that so far, but here's what we can expect from Joel Embiid in the 2016-17 season.
Taking it slow:
Sixers fans shouldn't expect Embiid to be great right out of the gate. It's going to take time to adjust to the NBA and due to the fact that he hasn't played any serious ball in the last two years, expect him to be rusty for a lot longer than usual. Embiid may average less than 10 points per game due to rust, but mainly due to the Sixers micro managing his minutes. Embiid won't play too many minutes in the first half of the season, but as it progresses it may increase. With the plethora of big men the Sixers have, expect Embiid to start off slow and play anywhere between 20-25 minutes a game.
Teaching the other big men:
Embiid is young, but he definitely can teach the other big men on the squad a thing or two. During the last two seasons, Embiid wasn't around practice and the games to be hands on and give the other big men tips. Embiid is arguably the most skilled offensive big man on the team and he can definitely teach the other players some of his post moves. Nerlens Noel, in particular, can benefit from having Embiid on the floor and we can expect that Noel will improve because of Embiid.
Improve the Sixers defense:
Even with limited minutes, Embiid will have an impact on the defense. With Noel and Embiid playing at the same time, they should provide the Sixers with a great defensive frontcourt. Both are great shot blockers. You can expect Embiid to have a huge impact on the defense and the impact will improve the Sixers, which leads to the next point.
Embiid will lead Sixers to more wins:
If Embiid stays healthy, he will improve the Sixers. Plain and simple. He's a great offensive presence and he will make things easier for Jahlil Okafor and the rest of the team. Even if he plays 20-25 minutes a game, Embiid will lead the Sixers to more than 10 wins, which is really easy to be honest. They can not get much worse with him.
Joel Embiid is set to return this season and we can expect him to start off slow, but eventually making an impact with the team. As a Sixers fan, I am excited to see him play and see his level of production. Stay tuned because the Sixers are slowing becoming relevant and will be a great team to watch!!