Joel Embiid remains sidelined for Sixers with knee problem, but Paul George could be nearing return

The bad news for the 76ers: Joel Embiid will miss his fourth consecutive game on Saturday at the Detroit Pistons, because of left knee injury management and personal reasons.

The better news for the Sixers: Paul George (left knee bone bruise) was a full participant in practice Friday, the team said, while Caleb Martin (upper back soreness) partially participated in the session. Both were listed as questionable to play against the Pistons on the NBA’s official injury report released Friday afternoon.

Veteran guard Kyle Lowry will also miss his fifth consecutive game with a right hip strain, the team said.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s practice that the swelling in Embiid’s surgically repaired left knee, which arrived after he played 35 minutes in the Nov. 20 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies, “has gone down a bit, and I think it’s under control pretty good.” But Embiid is still experiencing “some soreness,” Nurse said, preventing him from returning to the floor.

“About all I can say,” Nurse said of Embiid’s progress.

The Sixers entered the 2024-25 season with a long-term plan to manage Embiid’s knee, which underwent a meniscus procedure in February. But that the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player has already (and unexpectedly) been sidelined for most of the regular season’s first month is a significant reason for his team’s dreadful 3-14 start.

Embiid, who had morphed into arguably the league’s most dominant force when healthy, has played in only four of the Sixers’ 17 games so far this season. He also has looked rusty in most of his limited action, averaging 19.8 points on 37.9% shooting to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Embiid’s continued absence also means the Sixers are still waiting for their All-Star trio of Embiid, George, and point guard Tyrese Maxey — which they believed would vault them into championship-contender status — to get an extended run on the court together. They all took the floor for the first time at the top of that Nov. 20 game at Memphis, but played only six minutes together before George went to the locker room shortly after halftime with his second left knee bone bruise since Oct. 14.

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George’s participation in practice Friday, though, aligns with his Tuesday comments that he hoped to return within the week. Nurse said George looked “pretty good” during a session that the coach said had a “good amount” of contact drills and scrimmaging. George continued to wear a bulky brace while doing extra individual work against coaches after practice.

Before his latest health setback, George averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in eight games, while shooting a disappointing 38.3% from the field and 27.3% from three-point range.

“Getting those reps, being able to see him feeling good, looking good,” teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. said of George on Friday. “Obviously, just the presence alone does a lot for the morale of the team. We have to continue to just build and try to encourage guys and help guys get back to their full rhythm and strength.”

Martin, meanwhile, said his back is “feeling better, for sure” after missing Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Houston Rockets. He acknowledged he sometimes pushes to play “to a fault,” which occurred when he attempted to fight through Sunday’s loss to the Clippers before leaving the game early in the second half. So when asked Friday if he plans to play in Detroit, he said he was hopeful but will “take it day-by-day right now.”

“I kind of knew coming into that day [that] it probably wasn’t the right thing,” Martin said of trying to play through the Clippers game. “ … But we’ve got guys banged up, and if I can go, I’m going to try to go.

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“I used to do the same thing in Miami. I would tell guys, even when I was really banged up, ‘I can give 10 minutes tonight.’ Whatever it is. I’m going to try to give whatever I can give and help the team the best I can.”

Martin, who has started 15 of his 16 games played this season, is averaging 9.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. But his shooting percentages have dipped to 41.2% from the floor, and 30.4% from beyond the arc. When also asked about the extensive medical tape on his right arm/shoulder during the Clippers game, he responded with, “Everybody’s got something, you know what I mean?”