Joel Embiid is out again, but Sixers’ All-Star center nears return from knee injury

Joel Embiid and Paul George will each miss their fifth consecutive game injuries to the left knee when the Philadelphia 76ers host Memphis on Saturday night.

The oft-injured Embiid has yet to play this season, though he did participate in Friday’s practice, including 5-on-5 with the team. George, who has yet to play this season with a bone bruises on left kneehe also participated in full practice and played with the Sixers.

Embiid he skipped the entire preseason and hasn’t played any basketball that matters since helping Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics.

Embiid is officially out with what the 76ers are calling left knee management. He was limited to 39 games last season, mostly due to knee surgery after tearing the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 against Golden State.

“Everybody was on the same page,” Embiid said at the 76ers’ compound in New Jersey. “If your body doesn’t react well and if your body tells you one thing (stay out). I did it. As far as I can tell, I broke my face twice, I came back early with Risk of losing my sight. I have broken fingers. When I see people say he doesn’t want to play, I’ve done too much for this city, putting myself in danger of saying that. .”

Embiid’s absence since the season opener raised suspicions in the NBAand the league fined the team $100,000 on Tuesday for public statements, including by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse, that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health and violated NBA rules, including the player participation policy of the league. It was found that the participation policy was not violated.

Embiid was the No. 3 in the 2014 draft, but missed his first two full seasons with injuries. Since his first full season in 2016, Embiid has played in 433 of a possible 805 regular season games and just 59 of a possible 67 playoff games.

Embiid dislocated his right knee in the 2023 playoffs, which cost him games against Brooklyn and Boston. He missed two games in the second round in 2022 and another in the first round in 2021 with various injuries, in addition to the two he missed to start the 2018 playoffs with a fractured orbital bone and another in 2019, also with a knee problem.

“I wish I could be as lucky as others,” Embiid said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not trying and doing whatever it takes to try to be there, which I will be here soon enough.”

Embiid added that he has no regrets about playing in the Olympics. He could be back for West Coast’s three games, starting Monday against Phoenix.

“I think it’s really being comfortable, having confidence,” Embiid said. “I want to be the best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m afraid if I do something or anything (I get hurt again). I’ve mentioned that since the last surgery, it was probably the toughest mentally, I’m just dealing with regaining that trust. In the past, it was simple.