CAMDEN, NJ — A nice change of pace for the Sixers: Joel Embiid and Paul George were each full participants in the team's Friday practice, the team said, including five-on-five scrimmaging.
Moments later, Embiid said he would not play on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, but does anticipate returning to action soon. Paul followed by saying he is "very close" to returning but also will miss Saturday's game.
George, who inked a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers as a free agent over the summer, suffered a left knee bone bruise during his second game of preseason action on Oct. 14 and has not been on the court since. It has seemed as if he was trending closer to stepping back on the floor, and his full participation in practice is another step in the right direction.
George's return nearing is a huge lift for the struggling 1-3 Sixers — particularly on the offensive end of the floor, where All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey has been overextended with George and Embiid both sidelined. One would imagine George will be eased back into things rather than being handed a massive workload immediately, but even smaller doses of his scoring prowess will do wonders for a team starved for consistent offense.
MORE: Paul George film study
The nine-time All-Star's situation has not particularly difficult to parse. He is a 34-year-old with plenty of mileage and a lengthy injury history who suffered an injury during a game and is being held out of games until he is back in perfect health. However, it has consistently been unclear what Embiid's status is.
Embiid not scrimmaging on the first day of training camp — one month ago exactly — turned into the former NBA MVP not scrimmaging during any of training camp as the team said it would be proactive in managing his surgically-repaired left knee. Then, Embiid was not going to play in the preseason. Suddenly, he was ruled out for the team's first regular season game and the following three contests. Now, Embiid will miss at least one more game, though his media availability at the team's practice facility was encouraging.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
