Joel Embiid to miss next two games, Paul George out Tuesday as Sixers' injuries continue to pile up
Embiid, who has been out since Jan. 4 with a foot sprain and knee swelling stemming from last year's meniscus surgery, was a partial participant in Monday's practice, the team said.
Joel Embiid has been ruled out of the 76ers’ next two games against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and Sacramento Kings on Wednesday because of left knee injury management. The team also said that Paul George will not play against the Lakers because of a finger injury sustained Saturday in a win against the Bulls in Chicago.
The positive news: Embiid was a partial participant in practice Monday after his knee responded well to treatment, the team said. George did not partake in practice, and the team was still awaiting results of an MRI and ultrasound as of Monday afternoon.
Embiid was still on the floor when the media entered the gym following practice. A few minutes before they received an update on his status, those gathered saw Embiid twice go into a handstand while attempting to playfully distract All-Star teammate Tyrese Maxey as he shot corner three-pointers. Later, Embiid went through some of his own shooting, and appeared to be set for more work with coaches when the post-practice media session ended.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said Embiid took part in “most” of the team’s practice drills, but not with the rotation players who needed to prepare for Tuesday’s game.
“I don’t think much changes from where we’ve been,” Nurse said, referencing playing without Embiid and to a constantly shifting lineup. “We’ve got to continue to ... see who’s there. … Figure out the matchups. Figure out the game plan. Figure out the rotations, and go from there and go play as hard as we can and as well as we can.”
Embiid has not played since Jan. 4, first because of a sprained foot sustained during a Christmas win against the Boston Celtics and then because of left knee swelling following a mid-January workout once the foot injury healed. The 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player has played in only 13 of the Sixers’ 44 games, mostly because of the ongoing knee issue stemming from meniscus surgery nearly a year ago. He is averaging 24.4 points on 45.2% shooting, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, and has not played more than four games in a row during the season’s first three-plus months.
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The updates on Embiid and George were part of the Sixers’ latest lengthy health report, which have become commonplace during this injury-riddled 17-27 season.
Center Andre Drummond, who has missed 13 of the last 17 games with a lingering toe injury, also missed practice. Starting forward Caleb Martin, who has been sidelined the last eight games with a hip sprain, was a full participant. So was veteran guard Kyle Lowry, who returned Saturday from a nearly three-week absence with his own hip issue. Versatile wing KJ Martin, who has been out for more than a month with a foot stress reaction, and reserve big man Guerschon Yabusele, who has been dealing with a knee issue, were also partial participants.
When asked about his injury progress, KJ Martin said he is “getting there.” He added that he plans to go through team and individual workout sessions the next few days, and could get more imaging on his foot “to make sure I’m 100%” before returning.
“It’s been tough,” Martin said of missing the last 17 games. “But at the same time, it’s been a blessing in disguise, just seeing the game from a different standpoint. … I’m doing as much as I can, obviously, to work out and stuff for my personal self.
“But at the same time, whatever I’m seeing, I pull one of my teammates to the side during the game, or whatever it may be, and try to help them out.”
If Drummond and/or Yabusele are unable to play Tuesday, that will again leave the Sixers’ frontcourt depleted against the Lakers' perennial All-Star big man Anthony Davis. Rookie Adem Bona and two-way player Pete Nance are the Sixers’ other center options.
Tuesday’s matchup against the Lakers begins a six-game homestand for the Sixers, their longest of the season. Following a Wednesday outing against the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back, the Sixers will play the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic on Friday, the defending champion Celtics on Sunday, the Western Conference’s Finals representative Dallas Mavericks next Tuesday, and the Miami Heat next Wednesday.
This stretch also envelops the Feb. 6 trade deadline, which could shed light on how the Sixers plan to attack the rest of a mostly dreadful season with a blip of recent optimism following consecutive wins over the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and Bulls over the weekend. The Sixers entered Monday one game behind the Bulls for 10th place in the East, which is the final spot for the play-in tournament.