76ers still haven't decided on Jahlil Okafor's surgery
Despite having ruled him out for the season a week ago after discovering a torn meniscus, the Philadelphia 76ers and their team doctors have yet to come to a consensus on a surgical procedure or course of treatment for rookie big-man Jahlil Okafor.
"No surgery has happened," Sixers coach Brett Brown said Thursday, according to CSN's Jessica Camerato. "It's just that with doctors representing Jahlil and representing the club, just trying to get it done together where they come to a group consensus."
Brown also made a point of quelling any speculation about whether Okafor's injury may have been misdiagnosed or is even worse than initially believed. Given that Nerlens Noel missed his entire would-be rookie season, and Joel Embiid his first two seasons, Okafor's injury is part of a vexing recent pattern of incapacitated big-man lottery picks in Philadelphia.
"There's no sort of conspiracy theories going on," he said. "It's more just trying to get a collaborative effort. I think any time - and it happened with Joel, it's happened I think even with Nerlens, I can't categorically say that - where you get opinions and expertise in a room, maybe the decision on what path isn't as easy as you wished it was. Although the procedure, we've discussed, it's evidently a 10-minute procedure. So it's just been put right now in that situation where they will talk about it more."
The surgery was initially expected to sideline Okafor for six weeks, and there's been nothing to indicate that will change, so the extra week of deliberation shouldn't affect his summer schedule. For now, the Sixers are rightly more concerned with making the best long-term decision for Okafor.
"They're stepping back, they're trying to figure out the best practice to continue the operation," Brown said. "They’re discussing it amongst doctors to figure out what the next plan is. No plan has been determined. That is ongoing."
The 20-year-old out of Duke averaged 17.5 points, seven rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across 53 games in his maiden NBA season, after the Sixers took him third overall last summer.