When will we see Embiid play?

You can't help but wonder, if, had the Sixers known of the uncertainty and multiple-season-spanning length of Joel Embiid's road to recovery, they still would have selected the center with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

It has been over a year since his selection, and the team still does not know when exactly, if ever, Embiid will suit up for the Sixers.


On a conference call last week, Sam Hinkie confirmed to media members that Embiid would indeed be sidelined for the entirety of the 2015-16 season, ending speculation that the former Jayhawk could maybe make a late-season debut.

"I don't see scenarios where we throw him in a game [towards] the end of the season. It just doesn't seem very likely," Hinkie explained. "We think with a conservative approach, it will mean the season."

A couple days after the conference call, a report surfaced stating that the Sixers are hoping that Embiid will be ready for action by next October. A timeline with an October 2016 target start date automatically rules Embiid out of next summer's summer leagues, which means that the earliest we would see him would be at next season's start. And that's if there isn't another setback. While everyone hopes for the best, it would be irresponsible not to consider the possibility of another issue. A minor setback of some sort could push his debut date back to 2017. Another major setback, like the one he suffered in June when he seemed to be just weeks away from hitting the hardwood, could push it back indefinitely, and jeopardize his career.

The Sixers continue to preach patience, as absolutely no part of the process will be rushed. The very vague timeline we have to work with pegs Embiid to return next October at the earliest, and ?????? at the latest. He remains under team control for the next several seasons, with team options beginning in 2016-17. Ideally, Embiid will have ample time to fully recover from this second surgery and will be ready to suit up for the Sixers at the start of that 2016 season. If not, and his debut is further delayed, the team will unfortunately have to really consider his future with the franchise. For now, we have over a year, at least, until we see him out on the court.