Joel Embiid to Sit Out Rest of Preseason Due to Knee Injury

The Philadelphia 76ers announced Sunday that celeb centre Joel Embiid will sit out for the remainder of the preseason due to left knee injury management.

Embiid wasn’t with the team at the beginning of its 3-game preseason street ride to Iowa Friday and Boston on Saturday, alternatively assembly with medical doctors Thursday to test on the fame of his left knee. That meeting went properly, with sources announcing that the goal is to put Embiid in the first-rate feasible function to make it through the season and to have his knee as close to 100% as feasible.

Last season, Embiid most effective performed in a single preseason recreation, and the expectation this year become that he might be a limited player in the exhibition slate—if he wound up doing so in any respect.Now, the primary time he’ll put on a 76ers uniform this season may not be till as a minimum the season opener on Oct. 23 in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks in Philadelphia.

Embiid, who played in 39 video games closing year after a knee injury in late January worn out his probabilities of protecting his MVP award, dropped 25 to 30 pounds of weight entering education camp — and has stated he hopes to lose more — to take pressure off his knee.

Philadelphia enters this season with arguably the highest expectations it has had at any factor at some point of the Embiid Era after one of the quality offseasons inside the NBA. The 76ers landed Paul George as an unfastened agent, extending both Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to lengthy-term deals and retaining free retailers Kelly Oubre Jr.

In an ambitious flow to solidify their rotation, the crew has made key signings, bringing in veterans like Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond. These additions purpose to strengthen the squad’s depth and revel in a pro-leader in Kyle Lowry, who is expected to play an essential function this season. The enterprise is making every effort to construct a formidable team, making sure they have sturdy backup alternatives in key positions.

Paul George, who has been recuperating from injuries, ultimately made his preseason debut on Friday in Iowa, giving lovers a glimpse of his readiness for the approaching season. Despite George’s go-back, the group opted to relax numerous gamers during Saturday’s sport in Boston, which ended in a loss on the second night of a lower back-to-back.

The strategic resting of gamers inside the preseason is a clean indication that the team is focused on retaining the fitness and properly-being of their middle members, making sure they’re clean and equipped for the grueling ordinary season ahead. While the loss may sting for some fanatics, the larger picture stays promising, with the crew banking on their newly fortified roster to make a strong push when the video games start to count.

As they gear up for the normal season, the addition of proven gamers like Martin, Gordon, and Drummond, combined with Lowry’s leadership and George’s go-back, offers the group a deep pool of expertise. Their offseason actions endorse they may be critical about making a run inside the playoffs, and lovers are eagerly ready to see how those new portions fit together once the actual games start.