Joel Embiid, Paul George to miss Sixers' season opener with knee injuries
The Sixers open their season Wednesday on national TV against Doc Rivers' Bucks, but they will be without their two best players. Philadelphia said Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss the season opener with knee injuries, and the duo could miss more games.
The Sixers said Jared McCain's status for Wednesday's opener will be determined later Tuesday. The rookie bruised his lungs in Philadelphia's 117-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets last week. The team said he's continuing to ramp up his on-court activities.
Embiid saw out the preseason for what the Sixers called left knee management. On Tuesday, the Sixers said the former NBA MVP will not play this week and will be re-evaluated during the weekend.
The team added that Embiid is "responding well to his individualized plan and is expected to ramp up his return to play activities this week, including scrimmaging."
Embiid won a gold medal with Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics and signed a $193 million contract extension before training camp.
The 30-year-old was limited to 39 games last season because of knee surgery. In his career, he's never played more than 68 games in a season. He recently told ESPN that he would "probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career" to ensure he's healthy for the playoffs.
George, the Sixers' prized free-agent signing, suffered a hyperextended left knee in a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. An MRI showed a bone bruise but no structural damage in the knee.
The Sixers said that the 34-year-old will miss at least Wednesday's game and be re-evaluated later in the week.
Philadelphia plays in Toronto on Friday and Indiana on Sunday.