Get Pumped for the Sixers with Joel Embiid and Paul George Knee Updates, Less Than 48 Hours Apart, in October

Paul George hyperextended his knee in a preseason game one day after the Sixers sent out a statement on Joel Embiid’s knee:

Nick Nurse says Paul George was looked at again today and “everything checked out okay.” Further imaging to come. George and other vets didn’t practice today.

“He’s okay for now. We’ll see about imaging.”

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 15, 2024

Sixers say Joel Embiid will not play in preseason and will take part in a treatment plan after getting his left knee evaluated.

Full update: pic.twitter.com/ToQpFKFVyR

— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) October 13, 2024

Now on the surface you’re looking at the Paul George thing and thinking “okay, glad it’s not serious.” And you’re looking at the Joel Embiid statement, which was sent by the Sixers during the Eagles game, and thinking “yeah okay, do what you have to do to keep him healthy.” There’s nothing inherently bad with either one of these updates in a vacuum, but here we are talking about Embiid’s knee and PG’s knee on October 15th, eight days away from the season opener against Milwaukee. It scares the absolute shit out of me and it should scare the absolute shit out of you. If it doesn’t, you’re lying to yourself. Admit that you can feel it in the pit of your stomach. Admit it.

Not to mention the fact that the Embiid update came out of nowhere. I guess we had mistakenly assumed that he was good to go after playing in the Olympics. Tim Bontemps at ESPN wrote this Monday morning:

It has become an organization-wide priority to get Embiid, who on Sunday was ruled out for the rest of the preseason as he ramps up for the 76ers’ season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks, to the playoffs in the best health possible.

…

Embiid will also — begrudgingly — continue to wear a brace on the left knee he injured in January. But while he has always been uncomfortable wearing either a facemask or brace at any point in his career, he said it won’t stop him from doing the things that have made him one of the league’s most dominant forces.

“It’s the right thing to do, and the right thing that’s going to give me the support for the rest of my career,” Embiid said. “For me, it’s a mental thing. I hated it. [But] I started telling myself, ‘OK, I have to do it, that’s the only way they’re going to let me play. 

The Sixers had a great offseason, Joel won Olympic gold, and the juice was flowing again. Now we’re getting the injury updates and the regular season hasn’t even begun. It’s ominous. Foreboding. I hate everything about it. Nothing but abhorrence.

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