CAMDEN, N.J. — The Sixers’ updates on Joel Embiid leading into the 2024-25 regular season have been open to interpretation.
Some aspects of the team’s approach have made perfect sense on first glance. Embiid said at media day that he wants to do “whatever it takes” to reach the playoffs healthy. As many superstars do, he sat out preseason games — all six of the Sixers’ exhibition contests, in fact — “as part of his left knee management.”
However, with the team one day away from its regular-season opener vs. the Bucks, the essence of the Sixers’ messaging hasn’t been especially clear.
Embiid is “responding well to his individualized plan,” a team official said Tuesday … and he won’t play this week. He’ll be “re-evaluated this weekend,” the official said. Paul George will also miss the Milwaukee game because of a left knee bone bruise.
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“They’re evaluating them here as we go,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “As soon as we can get them out there and get them scrimmaging and get them ramped up, we’ll then get them in.”
For a second straight day, Embiid and George put up shots with each other following the Sixers’ practice. Embiid then went into an individual workout with Sixers assistant coaches before sitting down on the sidelines next to his skills trainer Drew Hanlen.
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Embiid again showed nothing of obvious concern. He made jumpers, handled contact fine, didn’t seem hesitant in his movements, playfully trash talked.
His coach insisted “there’s no setback.”
“Again, he’s really active, he’s lost some weight, he’s out on the court,” Nurse said. “It’s just kind of sticking with our plan of making sure we’re getting him in a really, really good place to then get him playing live.”
None of that summation is untrue. It still begs several questions, including how to reconcile the notion that Embiid’s ramp-up plan would not include him playing on opening night.
“I don’t know what to say to you,” Nurse said. “He’s in practice, he’s looking good, he’s progressing. He’s not quite ready yet. He’ll be ready pretty soon.”
After Embiid’s left lateral meniscus injury last season, is there a specific physical condition (or injury) of note here besides “left knee management?”
“This is getting him to where he needs to be to get him on the court,” Nurse said.
He also voiced no issues with Embiid having joined Team USA basketball for its gold medal run this summer at the Paris Olympics, calling the experience “great for him personally and professionally.”
Of course, amid all the noise about Embiid, there’s a game for Nurse to coach Wednesday. Andre Drummond will start at center, although he said he didn’t have much heads-up about that assignment.
“The plan is to have (Embiid) play, so I didn’t know until today,” Drummond said. “Taking the opportunity and try to seize the moment. That’s really all this comes down to. I’m looking forward to my first start in a long time and I’m looking forward to coming out with a win.”
For now, as Nurse prepares without two All-Stars and considers potential lineups, he’s focused largely on results.
“I think we’re at a point now where the job is to win the game at hand,” he said. “So I think matchups really matter. What are you facing? What kind of size do you need out there? What kind of shooting do you need out there? What kind of game plan can get executed?
“Mostly, try to figure out a way to scratch out a win. And then keep adjusting from there.”
Whenever Embiid is ready, a lot less adjusting should be required. We'll wait and see how the Sixers’ plan unfolds.
