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It was not too long ago that there were severe doubts about Joel Embiid’s future in the NBA. The Kansas standout first suffered a stress fracture to his navicular bone leading up to the draft which clouded his NBA future. This caused him to slip to the third overall pick and allowed the Philadelphia 76ers to land the franchise-altering superstar.
Complications with this injury held Embiid out for the entirety of his first two seasons. This put him at a low point in his life and caused severe doubts about if his body could hold up at the NBA level. The superstar recently shared his experience with this year’s second overall pick, Chet Holmgren, who is dealing with similar issues and body concerns per Brandon Rahbar of the Daily Thunder.
Holmgren’s Injury
The former Gonzaga standout is one of the more unique prospects in recent NBA history. He has a dazzling skillset that includes ball-handling, perimeter shooting, and impressive defensive instincts on his seven-foot frame. It is his skinny 190-pound frame that scared away many NBA scouts leading up to the draft.
These concerns came to fruition early on as Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury which is set to keep him sidelined for the entirety of the season. This occurred during The Crawsover Pro-Am this summer which was hosted by Jamal Crawford. A number of NBA players participated in the event which ended up having to be canceled early due to the court becoming too slippery to play on. Holmgren injured his foot just minutes into the matchup when guarding LeBron James.
While it is frustrating to see him injured, this season will provide Holmgren with a valuable opportunity for Holmgren to work on his body and be prepared for the NBA grind moving forward.
Why Embiid’s Advice is Helpful
While he did not have as severe of concerns with his body as Holmgren, Embiid put on a notable amount of muscle during his time off. This has played a valuable role in his development and allowed him to flourish into the superstar he has become. If Holmgren can adopt the same mindset that Embiid did the sky could be the limit for his future.
It also is a great sign of progress in Embiid’s maturation to reach out to younger players and help make a positive impact. The superstar was questioned during his first few seasons in the NBA for his maturity and he has grown in a major way off of the court. While basketball is the career for these young players, they have the same off-court issues as everyone else and this is more difficult than is acknowledged as they make a major change in their lives.
The Thunder and Sixers will certainly have different goals on the court this season. Oklahoma City will continue its rebuild and focus on the development of young players while the Sixers have deep postseason aspirations. Embiid is certain to play a major role in the team’s success as he enters the first full season with James Harden playing next to him. For the time being, it is awesome to see the superstar reaching out to a younger player as he begins his NBA process.
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