Joel Embiid, Paul George are full participants at Sixers practice, but will remain out vs. Grizzlies
Embiid said he doesn’t have a set return date in mind: "You are still getting back to yourself. You need to feel 100%," he said.
Joel Embiid and Paul George will remain sidelined Saturday night when the 76ers face the Memphis Grizzlies at the Wells Fargo Center.
This will come after the All-Star duo participated fully — including in the five-on-five scrimmage — in Friday’s practice.
Embiid has missed the first four games as the Sixers manage the recovery of his left knee, which underwent meniscus surgery in February. Embiid also was unavailable in the Sixers’ six preseason games and had not scrimmaged.
» READ MORE: How bad are the Sixers without Joel Embiid and Paul George? Numbers suggest they’re one of the NBA’s worst teams.
The 2023 MVP said he hasn’t had a setback since his surgery. After Saturday, the Sixers will embark on a three-game road trip to face the Phoenix Suns (Monday), Los Angeles Clippers (Wednesday), and Lakers (Nov. 8).
Embiid said he doesn’t have a return date in mind.
“Not necessarily, because with stuff it‘s unpredictable,” he said. “You can have good days. You can have bad days. So I think it would be kind of foolish for me to sit here and say, ’I‘m playing on Tuesday’ when I don’t know. I play today and then [have to see how] it reacts.
“You are still getting back to yourself. You need to feel 100%. I think over the years, I’ve done a lot and put myself at risk for the team, which I’m going to continue to do. But I think right now is the time to make sure everything is great, which is trending that way.”
George has been sidelined since hyperextending his left knee in an Oct. 14 exhibition game against the Atlanta Hawks. That injury resulted in a bone bruise that was expected to take weeks to heal.
The nine-time All-Star said he’s feeling fine. So what’s holding him back?
“At this point, it’s more just cardio,” George said. “Just getting in condition, ready to go for when I do come back, I’m not subject to any injuries because I’m fatigued or tired. So it’s just getting the cardio up.
“I had a really good two days of finally being on the court, running hard, and being in live action. So the knee up to this point feels really good.”
The Sixers (1-3) are looking to get on the right track after coming off a humbling loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
They’ve also suffered losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors. The Pistons (1-4), Raptors (1-4), and Bucks (1-4) are tied for the Eastern Conference’s worst record.
The Grizzlies (3-3) are coming off Thursday’s 122-99 home victory over the Bucks.
» READ MORE: Tobias Harris reflects on his tumultuous tenure with the Sixers: ‘It wasn‘t an easy experience’
Memphis point guard Ja Morant is averaging 20.4 points and 9.4 assists. Rookie center Zach Edey is averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds.
The Sixers split last season’s two meetings with the Grizzlies. They lost, 115-109, March 6 at home. They then prevailed, 116-96, April 6 at FedExForum.