Joel Embiid increasing activity level but still not cleared for practice

Like Nerlens Noel before him, it doesn't sound as if Joel Embiid is going to make it into an NBA game during his first season in the league.

The Philadelphia 76ers' highly-touted No. 3 overall pick has been ramping up his basketball activity of late but still hasn't been cleared for practice. The team has instead focused on skill development and conditioning, even if the lack of game action gets to the Cameroon native at times.

For a while, it seemed that may be an issue, with Embiid reportedly getting sent home amid work ethic concerns and conditioning issues, something the player denied. Keeping Embiid engaged and developing may present a challenge for head coach Brett Brown and general manager Sam Hinkie, but they're taking the long view with his health. 

It doesn't sound as if Embiid will be able to make it back onto the court this season, not without clearance for practice yet and only six weeks to go. The team hasn't officially ruled him out - his broken foot was only expected to sideline him for four-to-six months when it happened in June - but this all sounds very familiar to how they handled Noel, who effectively redshirted his freshman year.

There's little incentive for Philadelphia to rush Embiid, even if a handful of games may be good for him. They drafted him because they saw an undervalued asset for the future, not because they wanted to win an extra game or two in 2014-15. There may also be some hesitation to expose any holes in his game or conditioning issues, in the event they look to move him this summer.

Crazy as that may seem, they just dealt the reigning Rookie of the Year, and with two or three of the top-five picks in June likely to be big men, it wouldn't exactly be off-brand for Hinkie to trade Embiid.