Joel Embiid, Paul George Listed As Out For 76ers’ Opener

Well, this isn’t how anyone around Philadelphia wanted to start the NBA season.

But it’s true — both All-Star center Joel Embiid and forward Paul George are out for Wednesday’s opener against the visiting Bucks, the team revealed.

The Sixers say Embiid is out for left knee rest and George is out with a left knee bruise. Embiid did not play at all in the preseason. He is out for at least the first week of regular-season games.

Granted, given Embiid’s injury history, most Sixers fans will be up in arms about this. But the Sixers said before the season that the idea is to try to keep Embiid healthy and playing when it means the most. In other words, Philly wants to be there at the end, and even with George and other newcomers, it won’t matter if Embiid isn’t available or at his best in the playoffs.

So once again it will be the Tyrese Maxey show, at least for the first few games. On the bright side, neither knee issue (Embiid’s and George’s) is believed to be anything serious.

Sixers center Joel Embiid and Paul George shot jumpers following Monday’s practice. pic.twitter.com/bZnd5KKx2t

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) October 21, 2024

Of course, not everyone is in favor of the Sixers’ plan to rest Embiid during the NBA regular season. The list of critics includes no less than legendary forward Kevin Garnett.

“Eighty-two games, man. This is what the f–king job calls for,” Garnett said of Embiid, via The Sixer Sense. “You’re not practicing, you’re not even playing a whole f–king, you don’t play in the summer? … I don’t want to hear that s–t, man. I don’t want to hear none of that s–t. Motherf–ker can sit out of back-to-backs?”