Joel Embiid's career is off to a rocky start.
The rookie hasn't played a single game this season due to foot surgery he underwent shortly after the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in last June's NBA draft. Making matters worse, he reportedly has rubbed some people on the team the wrong way.
Embiid's work ethic is being questioned by some within the organization, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelhphia Inquirer. His conditioning is reportedly not up to par, either, and a source of Pompey's said Embiid is clocking in at close to 300 pounds. He was listed at 250 pounds while with Kansas.
The 20-year-old's weight gain is visible, as seen in this recent photo:
Here's a shot of him from last March as a member of the Jayhawks:
Embiid's lack of conditioning isn't a new development apparently. Pompey, citing sources, notes that Embiid hasn't always been a willing workout participant and has blown off conditioning drills before.
To be fair, what he's been able to do has been limited because of the injury. Embiid can only do things such as use the antigravity treadmill and take long walks, according to Pompey.
Pompey also reports that Embiid was sent home during the team's recent West Coast trip after a blow up with assistant strength and conditioning coach James Davis.
Embiid's biggest highlights since joining the 76ers, sadly, is the work he has put in on his Twitter game.
"Obviously, you can see some of his immaturity (in) his tweets sometimes," 76ers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute said. "But you can also understand how mature he is in certain situations the way he handled himself. ... He's a good kid, man.
"At the end of the day, it's tough for him being in a situation where people can't really see who he is as a person."
Due to a league policy the 76ers follow, Embiid hasn't talked to reporters this season to tell his side of the story and won't until he participates in a full, five-on-five scrimmage.
