Why Sam Hinkie needs to let Embiid play in 2014-15

It’s no surprise the Philadelphia 76ers are going to be the laughing stock of the NBA yet again. Trying to eclipse their total in the win column from last’s seasons dreadful 19-63 finish could prove to be a little too far out of reach given the state of their current roster.

If the reigning Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams, and rookie Nerlens Noel being the highlights of a team that many project to finish as the worst team in the league doesn’t tell you how little hope there is for the Sixers to compete next season, you could just take a look at the rest of their roster for yourself.

But outside of player development and the recovery of rookie Joel Embiid, next season will be looked at as one that is simply a period to establish the pillars of their foundation for the future and add yet another early lottery pick from the draft to continue building towards Hinkie’s vision.

That said, a huge part in identifying who the pillars of the roster for the Sixers’ next decade could be drastically altered if their twin towers in the paint can’t play together, which is why Hinkie should let Embiid see the court before next season is up.

Both are listed as centers with Embiid standing at 7’0”, 250 pounds and Noel being 6’11”, 228 pounds. Noel clearly has an identity that will flourish on the defensive end, as he could quite possibly become the next great shot rejecter in the NBA for the next decade.

Joel Embiid, on the other hand, has huge potential as a rim protector, but his paycheck will be earned as a go-to option offensively in the paint, which is what has drawn such vast comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon.

Noel hasn’t received such high praise, but has been compared to both Tyson Chandler defensively and is said to have a Kevin Garnett-like offensive potential if Brett Brown can assure he reaches his ceiling.

It could just be me, but I don’t think any team would pass up on the possibility of having the next Hakeem and KG running the show for them down low. But for this to be possible, both would have to play as a unit, which is why it’s so crucial for the two to get a test run together before the season ends.

It was said in late June that Embiid’s recovery time period was five-to-eight months. This would mean he could debut as early as January or have to wait until nearly the end of the season in April to have such luck. Of course, Hinkie won’t rush Embiid back simply because he has medically cleared to play, as seen in a statement from Hinkie in a press conference discussing his patience with Embiid’s recovery.

“Guess what our approach will be? We will focus on the long-term health of the player. We’ve had this discussion before. It is all that matters, the long-term health of the player. Will we be smart about that? Of course. Will we be thoughtful about that? I hope so. Will we be patient? Yes. We will give him every chance to be as healthy as he can be.”

Sounds to me like Hinkie has the intentions of giving Embiid the Noel treatment and making the Cameroon native spend his first year in the league watching from the sidelines and getting more than enough rest to come back is style as Noel did.

This would be a great strategy if he knew for certain that Embiid and Noel would be compatible in the post together and it doesn’t ultimately become a hindrance for Brown’s rotation, but as of now, neither have ever played anything outside of the center.

Being able to give Joel Embiid a couple months in the rotation before the season concludes would give Hinkie an idea of how his two projects in the paint fare together, or if he would be wise to ship one off and gain another crucial asset in return.

I think we will likely see Embiid debut sometime around March and it shouldn’t be a problem for the two in the paint together with Embiid’s ability to play a little father away from the rim than Noel, but if Hinkie doesn’t test out his big men as a unit and it fails, it will set the rebuild back ever further and I doubt any of the boundlessly patient Sixers’ fans are looking forward to that.