PHILADELPHIA: Paul George’s debut with the Philadelphia 76ers is on hold and Joel Embiid is again set to miss time with an injury.
Embiid and George will miss Wednesday’s season opener against Milwaukee and could miss more games as the All-Stars expected to try to lead Philadelphia to their first championship since 1983 return from injuries.
George was set to make his Sixers debut after he left the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer. But the 34-year-old George got a bone bruise when he hyperextended his left knee during a preseason game.
The Sixers did not say Tuesday how many more games George could miss; his return to play will be assessed later in the week.
The Bucks also lost a dose of star power ahead of the game as the NBA opens this week.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Bucks forward Khris Middleton also isn’t expected to play in the opener. The three-time All-Star hasn’t had any 5-on-5 work in the preseason as he recovers from offseason surgeries to each of his ankles.
“It’s pretty 100 percent to 99,” Rivers said of the likelihood that Middleton won’t play.
A nine-time All-Star, George was injured when his knee buckled on a defensive play in the second quarter of a game last week against Atlanta.
George has dealt with injuries for much of his career before he played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19.
He discussed the bone bruise this week on his “Podcast P with Paul George.” A six-time All-NBA selection, George said his knee was stable with no major damage, nor did it cause any long-term concern over his health.
“My leg literally just got stuck. I don’t even know what else to call it. Just my knee locked up, my leg locked up,” George said on his podcast. “When I went to go push off, all my momentum is going forward and my leg, it just caused it to go inwards. I know I’m thinking of when I seen it immediately I was like, ah, this don’t feel right, this don’t feel right.”
The Sixers’ schedule also includes games Sunday at Indiana and home games Wednesday and Saturday.
“I’m going to be good. I’m going to be good,” George said. “I should be back hopefully sooner than later, but it won’t be a long timetable I would imagine.”
The Sixers are down a familiar road with Embiid.
He did not play in the preseason because of a sore left knee.
The Sixers said Embiid was “responding well” to his individualized rehab plan and was scheduled to scrimmage this week. Embiid also will miss Friday’s game against Toronto and will be reevaluated this weekend.
“There’s been no setbacks,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters at the 76ers’ complex in New Jersey. “He’s really active. He’s lost some weight. He’s out on the court. Just kind of sticking with our plan of making sure we’re getting into a really, really good place before we play him live.”
The 30-year-old, who won an Olympic gold medal in Paris with Team USA, signed a $193 million contract ahead of training camp. The 76ers have failed to advance out of the second round of the playoffs since 2001, in large part because Embiid has failed to stay healthy for an entire postseason.
Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and was limited to 39 last season in large part because of knee surgery. He tore the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 and had surgery on Feb. 6.
“We’ve got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy,” Embiid said in September. “It’s whatever it takes to make sure I get to that point and I’m ready to go. Basically, every single year of my career I’ve been hurt in the playoffs. That’s the goal, doing whatever it takes to get there.”
The 76ers finished 31-8 last season with Embiid — about a 65-win pace — and a woeful 16-27 without him.
Embiid revealed ahead of training camp that he dropped about 25 to 30 pounds over the summer to stay in better condition for the long grind of the season. That includes not rushing back from any further issues with the knee.
“Until I’m at that point where they feel like I’m ready to go, I’m sure they’re going to hold me back,” Embiid said at the team’s media day. “I believe with the guys that we have, and what I can bring to the table, we have a pretty good chance (at a title).”
He has five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.
With George joining the 2023 NBA MVP in Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers were expected to boast one of the most formidable trios in the league as they try to put together a nucleus that can compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Maxey is expected to play after the guard suffered a bruised right thumb in the preseason.
As for the Bucks, Rivers said Middleton’s injury is more of a day-to-day issue and shouldn’t keep him out long. A variety of injuries limited Middleton to 55 regular-season games last year and 33 in 2022-23.
“I’d say if this was a playoff game, he’d probably be playing, or close to it,” Rivers said.
Taurean Prince has been starting in Middleton’s place during the preseason.
