76ers' Embiid not yet cleared for 5-on-5 drills

Sep 21, 2017 - 12:31 AM Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 drills as he works his way back from an injured left knee, the team announced Wednesday.

Embiid played in only 31 games last season and had surgery in March to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.

Team president Bryan Colangelo and coach Brett Brown said Wednesday that the club will soon decide the best way to proceed with Embiid's playing time when training camp opens next week.

"To be able to specifically tell you what I'm about to get out of him next week, I'm not able to do that now," Brown said, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "But in regards to playing 5-on-5 basketball and when that can actually happen, right now, we can't give you a direct answer."

"It's been very important to us to make it criteria-based where he checks off certain boxes (and) can move to the next step," Colangelo said.

Embiid missed his first two NBA seasons while recovering from two surgeries to repair a broken bone in his foot. He declared for the 2014 NBA draft after just one season at Kansas and was selected third overall.

The 23-year-old was having a breakout year before the knee injury, averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, making him a candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year.