Brett Brown: Joel Embiid Is On Track To Play In Preseason

Sixers head coach Brett Brown said that Joel Embiid is on track to play in the preseason | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Sixers head coach Brett Brown joined ESPN’s Zach Lowe on “The Lowe Post” earlier today.

They talked about a wide range of topics on the show, from Dario Saric‘s Olympic experience, to stories about Manu Ginobili and Greg Popovich during his time with the Spurs, to the growth of Australian basketball and how he’s cheering for Australia in the Olympics, even if they play against the United States in the gold medal game.

While they didn’t talk about the 76ers all that much (Brown was on The Lowe Post not that long ago), Lowe did sneak in one Sixers question at the end: how is Joel Embiid progressing?

“I just left my third consecutive day working out with Joel 45 minutes ago,” Brown told Lowe. “Physically, mentally, recent medical scans, everything is pointing in the right direction. We’re just very excited.”

Lowe then specifically asked whether he was on track to play in the preseason. “Yes he is,” Brown said without hesitation.

The Sixers will begin preseason play October 4th, when they take on the Boston Celtics at the Mullins Center.

“There’s a real feel good mentality right now in our city. I think everybody’s starting to get excited,” Brown continued. “Obviously, this is just one more phase, one more wave on how we build our program. But we have such fantastic young, talented pieces to try to put that puzzle together. Everybody’s excited here in Philadelphia.”

Joel Embiid has missed the past two seasons while recovering from surgeries to return from a fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot. His initial surgery occurred just days before the 76ers selected him 3rd overall in the 2014 NBA draft, with a follow-up surgery needed in August of last year.

On top of missing the past 2.5 years of action, Embiid picked up the game late in life and had his freshman season at Kansas cut short because of a stress fracture in his back. Brown was quick to point out all the time that Embiid has missed and how patience will be necessary. Still, it’s hard to deny Embiid’s talent, and getting him back on the court would be a huge boost to the Sixers’ rebuilding efforts, and that’s a reality that appears to be on track.

Derek Bodner covers the 76ers for Philadelphia magazine’s Sixers Post. Follow @DerekBodnerNBA on Twitter.