PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid yanked the rim with such force on a two-handed dunk that he managed a quick pull-up before he let go and snapped it back into position.Hes going to break the rim, right there, a 76ers employee said, laughing.The rim was sturdy during a pregame drill.So now, is Embiid.Embiid has teased the Sixers since he was picked third overall in the 2014 draft with the expectation he would become the cornerstone center that would lift the Sixers to -- well, lets start with 20 wins.What he became instead was a flawed symbol of a so-called Process that saw a losses-into-lottery methodology leave the organization as the worst in the NBA. The Liberty Bell crack would seemingly heal quicker than the broken bones in Embiids right foot. He had surgeries in consecutive years that cost him his first two seasons and relegated his double-doubles to snappy Snapchat and Instagram posts.The wait for Embiid is over.He is not only healthy enough to have his minutes bumped to a preseason-high 20 on Saturday night against Detroit, the Sixers have considered backing off their plan of holding him out one game of back-to-back sets. The Sixers first set of consecutive games is Nov. 1 and 2 and they have 17 this season.We would have guessed that back-to-backs would have been off the table, that they wouldnt have happened, coach Brett Brown said. I feel like where we now are at watching him, its stuff we are completely considering. To say it will happen, I cant say that.Embiid caused a scare when he landed awkwardly on his right foot in the first half Saturday, but he played in the second half for the first time in six preseason games and wowed the crowd by faking a spin before a left-handed layup and emphatic first pump for part of his 15 points.I like the pressure, I like the responsibility, Embiid said.Brown, in his fourth season, said he would take a cautious approach with Embiids minutes.There are some times just with normal aches and the other parts of his body that you pay attention. Its still a 275-pound, 7-foot-2 man going up and down the court, he said. How about his motor, when he puts his mind to it? How about his lateral quickness, when he puts his mind to it? To get that stuff, just harder, longer, makes you think we have to take this course.OK, so Embiid is back for the 10-win Sixers.But who will join him in the frontcourt?Once thought to have a logjam in the paint, the Sixers instead have more mystery. Big men, big questions: Who is ready for the 76ers?Jahlil Okafor led the Sixers with 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in his rookie year before he was shut down in March for surgery on a torn right meniscus in his right knee. The Sixers said he was expected to resume basketball activities in about six weeks.Six weeks has stretched into seven months. Okafor, the 6-foot-11 center out of Duke, has yet to play in the preseason and the Sixers are hopeful he can play in the Oct. 26 opener against Oklahoma City.The movement at times produces some things that make us feel like we dont want to push it forward too much, Brown said. There is some biting, there is a little bit of pain. We just pull him back.Nerlens Noel, another key cog in the rebuilding process, hasnt played since the first preseason game because of a strained left groin. Noel complained about the glut of big men (I dont see a way of it working) as he entered training camp.Oh, and theres the little matter of No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons sidelined indefinitely with a broken bone in his right foot.Robert Covington started at power forward against Detroit and Dario Saric, another `14 draft pick yet to play a regular season game for the 76ers, was at small forward. And, yes, its preseason, but the Sixers were still crushed 97-76 by the Pistons, and another lousy season is on tap in Philly.Embiid could make it a smidge brighter. He was 5 of 8 from the floor with five rebounds and an ugly seven turnovers before a crowd that cheered his every move. Nothing fancy, but spotting Embiids name on a stat sheet instead of an injury report is a rare reprieve from the gloom that dooms the 76ers.We all see how good we think he can be, Brown said. Cheap Saucony Sneakers .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Cheap Saucony Running Shoes . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. http://www.wholesalesaucony.com/ . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Wholesale Saucony Shoes . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. Saucony Shoes Outlet Online . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. It seems disaster has struck the Cleveland Indians.First, they lost starter Danny Salazar to a forearm strain, which was announced last Monday; he is likely done for the year but might be able to return during the postseason. A day later, catcher Yan Gomes was hit by a pitch in a rehab game and is likely lost for the year with a nondisplaced fracture in his right hand. The latest calamity came Saturday in the form of a line drive that broke a bone in Carlos Carrascos hand, sidelining him for the rest of the year.Writer Paul Hoynes has covered the team a long time, and even he thought the writing was on the wall. Replacing Carrasco and Salazar withh Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger wasnt going to lead to success.dddddddddddd Thats reality and that means a quick exit in the postseason, he wrote.The players themselves rallied against the writer, however, and let their voices be heard, with Jason Kipnis leading the way:But what can this decade of postseason baseball teach us about the Indians chances? Turns out, the reality may not line up with Hoynes opinion, for three key reasons. Lets take a closer look:1.?Corey Kluber is good enough to be their Madison Bumgarner. ' ' '