Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia Paul George is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee, avoiding any structural damage after hyperextending his knee during Monday's preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, George will be re-evaluated next Tuesday, putting his status for the team's regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Oct. 23:

Coming into the 2024-25 season, there was plenty of hype surrounding the 76ers after the offseason acquisition of George, which paired him with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and a retooled Philly roster. It's arguably the most talent, and roster balance, the team has had in the Embiid era.

The one caveat, however, was a big one—could players like Embiid and George, given their injury history, stay healthy?

So far, that concern remains ever present. Alongside George's knee, Embiid is also out for the remainder of the preseason due to left knee management. The superstar center has already acknowledged that he'll need to take some drastic steps to reach the playoffs healthy, something that has been a struggle for him throughout his career.

"If I had to guess," he told ESPN's Tim Bontemps earlier this week, "I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career."

"We're going to be smart about it," Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey added. "Part of being smart about it is having both Paul and Joel probably not play many back to backs, if any."

A healthy trio of Embiid, George and Maxey seemingly complement one another perfectly. Embiid's gravity in the paint creates room for both George and Maxey on the perimeter, with both capable of running pick-and-roll actions with Embiid. George also doesn't need to be ball-dominant to be effective as an excellent catch-and-shoot contributor and two-way player, but also has the ability to create his own offense late in games when defensives tighten.

It's all a moot point, however, if Embiid and George can't avoid the injury bug. So far, not so great in that regard.

Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers have dodged a major injury scare.

According to the team, tests on George's knee revealed a bone bruise and no structural damage. He will be reevaluated in one week, ahead of the Sixers' season opener.

Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters earlier on Tuesday that George "checked out OK" after leaving Monday's preseason loss to the Atlanta Hawks at halftime due to a hyperextended knee.

The play occurred early in the second quarter when George was guarding Jalen Johnson and his knee hyperextended when he got pushed back. He went down momentarily before being subbed out for Andre Drummond.

George was ruled out for the remainder of the game by the Sixers. Nurse said on Tuesday that the nine-time All-Star won't play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Sixers announced on Sunday that Joel Embiid won't play in the preseason due to left knee injury management. He had meniscus surgery in February after Jonathan Kuminga fell on his knee diving for a loose ball in a Jan. 30 game against the Golden State Warriors.

Embiid hasn't played in a game this preseason. Nurse didn't give a definitive answer when asked on Monday about the former MVP's status for opening night, but he did say they "are right on course with the plan we've kind of set out."

Expectations are sky-high for the 76ers going into this season thanks to the addition of George to a roster that already had Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Injuries are always going to be a concern for George and Embiid because of their track record of missing games.

George was healthy for most of last season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in 80 out of 88 games between the regular season and playoffs.

As long as the Sixers have their star trio available for a majority of their games in the regular season, they are going to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers open the regular season on Oct. 23 at home against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Philadelphia 76ers' newest star suffered an injury in a preseason matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.

Per Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Paul George sustained a left knee hyperextension during the second quarter of the game and did not return. The injury occurred when he was on defense and stepped back awkwardly while being backed down.

In his only other preseason appearance last week, George had 23 points, six rebounds and two assists in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had eight points in 12 minutes before exiting Monday's matchup.

With just two preseason games remaining, the 76ers could opt to keep the 34-year-old off the court until the regular season to ensure he has plenty of time to recover from Monday's injury. Philadelphia has already ruled star center Joel Embiid out for the rest of preseason due to left knee injury management, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

Over the offseason, George signed a four-year, $212 million deal with the Sixers, ending a five-year run with the Los Angeles Clippers. Much of the last few seasons have seen him struggle with injuries as he played 54 games in the 2020-21 season, 31 games in the 2021-22 season and 56 games in the 2022-23 season.

Luckily for the nine-time All-Star, he managed to stay injury-free last year, playing 74 games and putting up 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 76ers will hope his injury on Monday won't be long-term and he can be back on the court to start the regular season.

Philadelphia is coming off a disappointing 47-35 season that ended in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the New York Knicks.

The 76ers made a splash this offseason by adding George alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and they're looking to finally get over the hump and compete for a championship.

After dealing with injuries throughout his career, Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid doesn't expect to play both ends of back-to-backs at any point in the future.

"If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career," Embiid said, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey shared similar sentiments.

"We're going to be smart about it," Morey said, per Bontemps. "Part of being smart about it is having both Paul and Joel probably not play many back-to-backs, if any."

Fresh off winning his first NBA MVP Award in 2022-23, Embiid struggled through an injury-plagued campaign in 2023-24, missing 43 regular-season games due primarily to knee injury.

However, Embiid was a dominant force in the regular season when healthy, averaging 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.

While he played significantly fewer games, those numbers were better than the ones he put up the previous year en route to winning MVP when he averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steal.

Embiid returned from injury late in the regular season, and although he clearly wasn't 100 percent, he pushed through and helped Philadelphia qualify for the playoffs.

The 76ers went down 2-0 to the New York Knicks in their first-round playoff series, but they bounced back to win Game 3 125-114, and Embiid was a huge reason why, as he racked up 50 points.

Following the game, Embiid told reporters that he had been dealing with a bout of Bell's palsy, which causes weakness and drooping in the face muscles.

He played through the issue, but the Sixers ended up dropping the series to New York 4-2. Embiid had more basketball to play, though, winning a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics over the summer.

Embiid has proven to be one of the best players in the NBA when healthy. Now, it appears as though there may be a plan in place to try to keep him as healthy as possible moving forward.

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid will not appear in any preseason games ahead of the 2024-25 season.

According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Embiid was assessed by doctors on Thursday as part of his left knee management and was "progressing well." He'll continue an individual treatment plan that's designed to "best support his health and wellness" ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The 76ers also officially ruled him out of their three remaining preseason contests (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps).

Embiid underwent knee surgery to address a lateral meniscus injury during his 2023-24 campaign.

He missed just over two months as he recovered and was eventually able to return before the end of the regular season. Embiid played in all six games of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, averaging 41.4 minutes per game.

He briefly exited Game 1 of the series after seemingly hurting the same knee, but he returned in the same contest and was still able to average 33.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting against New York.

Embiid also suited up for the United States men's national team in the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping Team USA win a fifth straight gold medal at the Games.

The seven-time All-Star has made it a priority to stay healthy for a potential playoff run, revealing that he lost "25 to 30 pounds" over the offseason (via Bontemps).

"It's whatever it takes to make sure that I get to that point and I'm ready to go because ... basically every single year in my career, I've been hurt in the playoffs," Embiid said, per Bontemps. "So that's the goal, and it's all about doing whatever it takes to get there."

As he plans on slowly ramping up his activity level, the lack of preseason action could result in some rust once the regular season starts. It isn't uncommon for Embiid, though. He appeared in just one preseason contest ahead of the 2023-24 season and was still able to suit up on opening night.

The 76ers will look to have Embiid ready in time for their regular-season debut on Oct. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tyrese Maxey is feeling optimistic about the Philadelphia 76ers as they prepare to start the 2024-25 season with a new big three that includes Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Speaking to The Athletic's Tony Jones, Maxey talked about getting comfortable with George on the floor after the nine-time All-Star made his preseason debut on Friday night:

"He's pretty good at basketball. I can see the vision. I really do. My goal coming into tonight is to see how comfortable he can get and to try and make him as comfortable as possible. It's amazing to see what things he can do on the floor. I wanted to try and sit back and watch and see how he fits in and see how I can help him fit in. It was good to see him on the floor."

George certainly looked comfortable with his new teammates. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting (4-of-9 from three) and six rebounds in 26 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Sixers are entering another season in which they have to establish chemistry because of changes to their roster, but the difference from this time last year is stark. They were in the throes of James Harden wanting out due to a dispute with the 76ers' front office, particularly president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.

There were also rumblings that Embiid might look to move on if the Harden deal didn't work out and Maxey was unable to take a step forward.

Now we know that both things went in Philadelphia's favor. Maxey was named to the All-Star team and earned Most Improved Player after averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game.

The Sixers used the cap flexibility after trading Harden to sign George as a free agent this summer. It's now up to the superstar trio, plus head coach Nick Nurse, to build their chemistry on the court to turn this roster into one that can be a Finals contender in the Eastern Conference.

One thing that's working in Philly's favor is George has proven himself to be adaptable throughout his career. He had his fewest shots per game (16.7) last season since the 2019-20 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers after Harden was acquired from the Sixers.

Since the 76ers have Maxey as their primary ball-handler and Embiid is certain to get his share of touches, George doesn't have to be the most dynamic offensive player. He shot 43.5 percent on catch-and-shoot three-point attempts last season.

If George can offer that type of production on the offensive end of the court with his usual stout defense, the 76ers might have the best trio in the NBA.

The new-look Sixers will play their first regular-season game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23 at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Philadelphia 76ers lost Friday's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-111, but the final score doesn't really matter this time of year.

But Paul George looking ready to play a starring role for his new team does matter.

George finished with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal while shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep in his preseason debut. He led the 76ers in scoring with Joel Embiid sitting out, although Tyrese Maxey also impressed with 21 points and two assists behind 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from deep.

Philadelphia took a chance on George this offseason in part because it believed he could thrive alongside Embiid and Maxey, and he did just that next to the guard Friday.

And social media had plenty of reaction:

There was an element of risk for the 76ers when it came to signing George to a max deal this offseason. After all, he has played more than 56 games just one time in the last five seasons, which is concerning since Embiid has also dealt with injuries so often during his career.

Still, the team needed to add another impact option if it is going to compete with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and others in an Eastern Conference that is particularly deep with playoff threats.

George is a six-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive selection who can guard multiple positions, attack the basket off the bounce and hit from beyond the arc when defenses collapse on Embiid and Maxey.

The 76ers will need him to play up to his potential throughout the season if they are going to live up to expectations, and Friday's preseason performance could be a hint at what's to come.

Jared McCain is pushing for a regular role with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported that the 2024 first-round pick has impressed in training camp and has shown promising early returns ahead of his rookie season.

"Multiple team sources indicate McCain has played extremely well in camp, especially on offense," Jones wrote. "He's played without fear, but most importantly, with patience and aplomb. He's a highly skilled guard who has a chance to be impactful at all three levels and can play both spots in the backcourt."

Jones reported that McCain likely won't be starting on opening night but is making a case to find himself in the rotation and to be viewed as a building block for the future alongside Tyrese Maxey.

The 76ers took McCain with the No. 16 pick in the 2024 Draft after one collegiate season at Duke.

During his time with the Blue Devils, he averaged 14.3 points, five rebounds and 1.9 assists in 36 games. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and was also named NCAA All-Region during Duke's run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

He joins a Philadelphia team that went 47-35 and fell in the first round of the NBA playoffs. However, the addition of Paul George, as well as others like Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond, improved a roster that already had stars in Maxey and Joel Embiid.

This year's 76ers team should be a contender in the Eastern Conference and McCain will hope to add to the team's depth before eventually taking on a larger role.

Philadelphia opens the 2024-25 season on Oct. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse revealed that star center Joel Embiid was away from the team on Thursday to undergo a "scheduled" examination of his knee.

"He's not here," Nurse said, via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. "He's at a scheduled assessment of his knee. That was always on the schedule. We are still waiting for what's next."

Embiid appeared in just 39 regular-season games during the 2023-24 season, as he missed multiple months after undergoing surgery to address a meniscus injury in his left knee.

He was able to return just before the start of the playoffs and averaged 33.0 points in 41.3 minutes per game during Philadelphia's first-round loss to the New York Knicks. He briefly appeared to hurt the same knee and left the court in Game 1 of the series, although he was able to return before the contest was over.

Embiid also suited up in the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the U.S. men's national team win gold. He recorded 23 points in 38 combined minutes over Team USA's final two contests, which included a 19-point performance in a comeback win over Serbia in the semifinal round.

The 2022-23 MVP is expected to be out for the 76ers' next preseason game, as he didn't travel with the team for their matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday (per Tony Jones of The Athletic).

His absences shouldn't cause too much concern until the start of the regular season draws closer, as ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported on Sept. 30 that Philadelphia is planning on slowly ramping up his activity level throughout training camp.

With Tyrese Maxey and offseason addition Paul George alongside Embiid, the 76ers are expected to compete with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The seven-time All-Star is continuing to have his left knee monitored ahead of Philadelphia's regular-season debut against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23.

Paul George is 34 years old and has played more than 56 games in just one of the last five seasons, but that didn't stop the Philadelphia 76ers from signing him to a four-year, $212 million maximum contract this offseason.

"We were taking what we thought was the best plan to keep ourselves in title contention, but it definitely was a risky plan," president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. "They don't always work out, but we felt like all the other plans were worse."

Philadelphia is no stranger to walking the tightrope that comes with injury risks.

After all, star big man Joel Embiid played 39 games last season and has never appeared in more than 68 games in a campaign throughout a career that started with him being sidelined for his first two years in the league.

But Morey and the rest of the front office understood just how loaded the Eastern Conference is this season.

The Boston Celtics are the reigning champions, the Milwaukee Bucks have plenty of star power with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Indiana Pacers are coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, the New York Knicks added Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat figure to be threats.

Philadelphia needs all the talent it can get, and George certainly represents plenty of talent.

The versatile wingman has a resume that includes six All-NBA selections, four All-Defensive selections and nine All-Star Game nods. What's more, the one time in the last five seasons he played more than 56 games just so happened to be last season when he appeared in 74.

George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from deep for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023-24.

That three-point shooting in particular stands out, as he figures to see plenty of open looks playing alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Opposing defenses will have to pick their poison when the trio is on the floor together, and George is capable of making them pay when they focus too much attention on Embiid.

If it all goes according to plan, the 76ers will be competing for a deep playoff run come the spring.