The 76ers and Joel Embiid may be in a bit of a predicament in the NBA.
ESPN's Shams Charania reports. On Wednesday, the league announced it would likely launch an investigation into the 76ers' handling of the former MVP's “player participation” to address what the team is calling his left knee management.
Embiid is expected to miss at least the first three games of the 76ers season, including Wednesday's season opener against the Bucks in Philadelphia.
The 76ers said in a statement Tuesday that Embiid is “responsive to his personal plans” and will participate in this week's scrimmage.
He will be reevaluated over the weekend, the team added.
“He's been practicing, he's looking good, he's making progress, but he's not quite ready yet, but he'll be ready soon,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse told reporters Tuesday. he said.
Sources told ESPN that the team hopes to give Embiid “regular time off during the regular season” to keep him healthy for the postseason.
News of a possible investigation by the league suggests 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey does not want to play back-to-back games with Embiid and Paul George, who will also miss Wednesday's opener with a knee injury. It was announced a few days later.
Embiid echoed similar sentiments, saying he may never step on the court two days in a row again.
“If I had to guess, I probably won't play back-to-back for the rest of my career.” Embiid told ESPN..
Embiid played in just 39 games last season due to a knee injury.
Over the summer, Embiid played a key role in Team USA's quest for a gold medal.
Embiid, 30, has been plagued by injuries throughout his 10-year NBA career, including undergoing meniscus surgery in February, and has played in 433 of 801 regular season games since being selected third overall in the 2014 draft. He missed two entire seasons.
