The Sixers open their season on national television against Doc Rivers’ Bucks on Wednesday, but 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 last week during Philadelphia’s 117-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The team said he continues to expand his on-field activities.
Embiid saw the preseason for what the Sixers called Management of the left knee. On Tuesday, the Sixers said the former NBA MVP will not play this week and will be re-evaluated over the weekend.
The team added that Embiid is “responding well to his individualized plan and is expected to ramp up his return to playing activities this week, including scrimmaging.”
Embiid won one gold medal with Team USA during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and signed a $193 million contract extension before training camp.
The 30-year-old was limited to 39 games last season due to knee surgery. In his career he has never played more than 68 games per season. He recently told ESPN that he would “probably never play back-to-backs for the rest of my career” to ensure he’s healthy for the playoffs.
George, the Sixers’ prized free agent signingsuffered from a hyperextension 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 the 34-year-old will miss at least Wednesday’s game and will be re-evaluated later in the week.
Philadelphia plays at Toronto on Friday and Indiana on Sunday.
