Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Sixers fans won’t see their big man Joel Embiid play in the NBA preseason as he continues to recover from his knee injury before the regular games commence in late October.
Joel Embiid failed to play with the team in their last three warm-up games, two of which were losses. According to reports from the Sixers and ESPN insider Tim Bontemps, he won’t be able to play in the remaining preseason.
“Joel Embiid has been officially ruled out for the remainder of the preseason, as he continues to ramp up for the start of arguably the most anticipated season of his time in Philadelphia,” Bontemps reported.
New ESPN story: Joel Embiid has been officially ruled out for the remainder of the preseason, as he continues to ramp up for the start of arguably the most anticipated season of his time in Philadelphia. https://t.co/5hnUKQTS4T
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) October 13, 2024
Currently, the Cameroonian-American Center is with his doctors to inspect the status of his injured knee. According to Bontemps, Joel Embiid’s team aims to stabilize him fully throughout the following season.
Embiid is also losing weight to reduce pressure in his knee, dropping 25-30 pounds during his stay at the training camp. He wouldn’t wear the Sixers uniform until the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Last season, Joel Embiid made scoring achievements in the NBA. However, conditions such as Bell’s Palsy affected his plays. For 39 games this past season, he averaged 34.7 points and 11.0 rebounds.
Joel Embiid underwent previous knee assessment
As Sixers big man Joel Embiid aims to be fully prepared for the following season on October 22, he underwent a recent knee examination last Thursday that kept him out of his team’s preseason matches.
Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse once revealed Embiid’s upcoming assessment after being asked if the center would finally play in the matches against the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks.
“He’s not here. He’s at a scheduled assessment of his knee. That was always on the schedule. We are still waiting for what’s next,” Nurse said via the Philadelphia Inquirer
Joel Embiid was not with the Sixers for Thursday’s practice ahead of Friday’s exhibition game with Minnesota at the Wells Fargo Arena. Coach Nick Nurse was asked if Embiid will join the team at any point of this road trip? They face Boston (Sat.) and ATL (Mon). pic.twitter.com/MA2S0SA1RP
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) October 10, 2024
Joel Embiid only played for a few games last season, plagued by injuries that culminated in a torn left knee last January. As a result, he was out for the rest of his team’s following matches until determined to support his team in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks.
However, Embiid displayed a healthy performance as he played for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, getting his first Olympic gold medal. Previously, he was in the Sixers’ training camp but is not yet considered fully ready to be deployed to the court for the preseason.
Despite Joel Embiid’s injuries, Tyrese Maxey and the addition of veteran Paul George on the Sixers effectively support him, lightening his role and responsibilities even at full recovery.
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