Sixers remain unsure about Joel Embiid’s availability for start of training camp
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With NBA training camps roughly six weeks away, the Philadelphia 76ers still do not know whether center Joel Embiid will receive medical clearance in time to participate.
Head coach Nick Nurse addressed Embiid’s progress during an interview with Brian T. Smith of TalkSport at the Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Manchester, England. Nurse said he is uncertain about the All-Star’s camp status but noted that every medical update has been encouraging.
“I know he’s working very, very hard and things look good,” Nurse said. “Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, there are a lot more decisions to make before we get there. Our main priority is having him healthy and able to play to his highest level.”
Extended injury history
Since winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2023, Embiid has seldom been fully healthy. He appeared in just 39 games in 2023-24 before undergoing meniscus surgery on his left knee. The season before, he was limited to 19 contests, was shut down in February and later had arthroscopic surgery in April.
Nurse’s comments mark the first public update on Embiid since team president Daryl Morey said after June’s draft that the 30-year-old center was on pace to return “right around the start of camp.” Even if clearance arrives on time, the club intends to bring Embiid along gradually ahead of opening night.
After a difficult year, optimism builds
Philadelphia finished last season with 24 wins after beginning the year with championship aspirations. Injuries stretched the roster thin: Paul George played only 41 games, Tyrese Maxey 52, and the team used a total of 40 players.
Nurse called 2023-24 “a really unfortunate season” but expects improvement through better health and the arrival of No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe. “Those guys get healthy, they’re great players, and we get some better health this year,” he said. “We’ll be right back in the mix—that’s what we’re looking to do.”
Source: Hoops Wire
