Two fears keep me up at night. One is the fear that I’m a terrible father. Are the decisions my wife and I making for our 18-month-old causing irreversible damage to his young psyche? How can we be sure we’re doing a good job? Are we being too strict? Not strict enough? How can you even know if your parenting strategies are working on a kid who is not yet 2-years-old?

The second, and much more important fear, is the health of Joel Embiid. Training camp officially started today and he has YET to be cleared to play 5 on 5.

THE SEASON IS A MONTH AWAY, PEOPLE. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

My Embiid fear is obviously more pressing. Him not playing or missing considerable time this year will impact me much sooner than my kid becoming a kook because I was a bad father.

I figure I have at least until he’s a teenager before he goes off the deep end and tries to slit my throat in my sleep. That’s 13 years away, plenty of time to set him straight or give him up for adoption.

But Joel? That’s in the here and now. LIVE IN THE NOW, PEOPLE.

So why haven’t we heard anything from the 76ers about his status? I’m not completely sure, but is it a bad sign that we haven’t heard ANYTHING from the 76ers about their franchise center?

It’s been operation silence on the 76ers end for anything with Embiid. If he were healthy, wouldn’t you be shouting that from the rooftops like a carnival barker?

“COME ONE COME ALL, SEE THE AMAZING 7-FOOT MAN DAZZLE YOU WITH FEATS ON THE BASKETBALL COURT THAT YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. RIM PUNISHING DUNKS, SILKY SMOOTH 3-POINT SHOTS, YOU’LL SEE IT ALL FROM THIS FREAKISH MAN THE LIKES OF WHICH WILL ASTOUND AND AMAZE. JUST A DIME, STEP RIGHT UP STEP RIGHT UP.”

Maybe. Maybe not.

So why do I have a feeling we’re going to get a press release from the 76ers on a random Friday afternoon at 4:57 p.m. about how Joel hasn’t “experienced enough healing yet” to be cleared for training camp and he’ll sit out the preseason “as a matter of precaution.”

Fast forward to the start of the season and we’ll get another release saying Joel will “sit out the first month of the season to ensure he is completely healed, but bear in mind he has NO NEW injuries.”

Fast forward again to the end of the season and we’ll get another press release updating us on how his “foot surgery went well and Joel is expected to be back for the 2018-2019 season.”

The workout videos published by franchise have dried up. Hell, the only workout video I’ve seen of Embiid in the past three months was the one from NBA 2K18 going around Twitter of his video game self dancing on the sidelines during training.

I watched it for an hour. I’m a desperate man.

The only other update was Mike Missanelli giving a “news report” that went around social media from last week about how his foot has still not healed. Why would he just chuck that up into the ether? Is he that desperate to get some buzz going for his terrible, terrible radio show? Or is there a grain of truth to it?

Joel, buddy, let me know how you’re doing. GIVE ME SOMETHING. Give me two blinks for healthy, one blink for injured.

I need me some good 76ers in my life. The memories of a 2018 76ers championship will make my long and torturous rehab 15 years from now after my son broke my legs with a sledgehammer much more tolerable.

Is that too much to ask?