CAMDEN, New Jersey – There is no definitive date for the return of Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Paul George following their respective knee surgeries, both players reported on Friday at the team’s media day. Embiid, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April, said he felt “pretty good,” but is managing his recovery day by day.
Last season, Embiid was limited to 19 games due to a persistent left knee injury and a foot sprain, forcing him to end his participation at the end of February. He averaged 23.8 points per game, his lowest figure since the 2019-20 season, and 8.2 rebounds, the lowest for the former NBA MVP since his rookie year in 2016-17. The media day was the first official update on his health since the surgery and the first time Embiid spoke publicly since February. When asked about possible adjustments on the court to prevent injuries in the future, Embiid responded:There is not necessarily an expectation; it’s more about making sure everything is right, doing everything correctly, and then moving forward from there. Obviously, the goal is to play consistently and not be in the position we were in last year.
Joel Embiid
The franchise’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, commented:Sometimes you can’t get out of yourself. All I know is that, since I started this, it’s playing hard, playing on both sides. There are a lot of people in the league who play on one side, either offense or defense. For me, my mentality is to do whatever it takes to win. Throughout my career, I’ve had to do both.
Joel Embiid
The head coach, Nick Nurse, hopes to have more leeway with Embiid’s availability this season, which would mean he could play more than the previous year. Paul George underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in July, after suffering an injury during a workout. A reevaluation was expected in September. He played only 41 games last season after signing a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with Philadelphia in the summer of 2024. George declared:We are not going to get into the expectations game. The advice of the doctors, what Joel said about listening to his body, which is an important component in the way doctors handle injuries, that’s what will prevail this year.
Daryl Morey
The 6’8″ forward averaged just 16.2 points last season, his lowest amount since his six-game campaign in 2014-15. George has only played more than 56 games in a season once since 2018-19. The Sixers’ 2024 first-round rookie, Jared McCain, appeared to be on track for the season opener after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee last December, but suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb in a workout on Thursday. He was averaging 15.3 points before his season was cut short after 23 games. Morey commented on McCain:I’m getting better and better. I feel stronger. These next few weeks are very important, leading up to the start of the season, opening night, all that. All I can do is focus on that, day in and day out, taking it one day at a time. I think I’ll be in a good place, hopefully, sooner rather than later.
Paul George
Quentin Grimes, who was expected to take on a more significant role with McCain’s absence, was not at media day on Friday.Some injuries are strange. Jared’s couldn’t have been stranger. We are still working with the doctors to see when he will return.
Daryl Morey
