The absence of Joel Embiid (managing a left knee injury) and Paul George (suffering from a left knee bone bruise) is the biggest storyline for the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of their season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
Reports suggest that the NBA may take a closer look at Embiid’s situation. ESPN’s Shams Charania indicated that the league is likely to initiate an investigation into the 76ers regarding Embiid’s participation status.
On Tuesday, a Sixers representative stated that Embiid is responding positively to his personalized recovery plan and is expected to increase his activity in preparation for returning to play this week. However, the representative confirmed that Embiid will not play this week and will be reassessed over the weekend.
Embiid battled a left lateral meniscus injury last season, but he made a comeback toward the end of the regular season and during the playoffs, where he averaged 33.0 points and 10.8 rebounds in the first-round series against the New York Knicks. His summer included winning a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics.
During the 76ers’ media day on September 30, Embiid emphasized the importance of taking precautions to ensure his health for the postseason. Head coach Nick Nurse noted on Tuesday that Embiid is making progress without any setbacks.
Nurse stated, “I don’t know what to say to you,” when asked about Embiid’s ramp-up plan, which did not have him ready for the opening game. “He’s in practice, he’s looking good, he’s progressing. He’s not quite ready yet. He’ll be ready pretty soon.”
The NBA has previously penalized the 76ers for violations related to injury reporting concerning Embiid. Prior to his return in April last season, the team listed Embiid as out, only to change his status to questionable just a couple of hours before the game. The league fined the team $100,000, citing a failure to accurately disclose Embiid’s availability and the 76ers’ history of infractions in injury reporting.