It appeared that All-Star center Joel Embiid might make his season debut for the Philadelphia 76ers in Saturday’s home game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but that won’t be the case.
Embiid, who has not played in the preseason or in the first four games of the regular season, is building strength in his surgically repaired left knee.
He participated fully in Sixers practice on Friday, including 5-on-5 scrimmages, but he apparently is still not ready to take the court in live action.
“I think it’s being comfortable, trusting it,” Embiid said Friday. “I want to be at my best.”
Embiid vowed that he is doing everything he can and, along those lines, added that he has been insulted by media accusations questioning his commitment.
“When I see people saying, ‘he doesn’t want to play’ — I’ve done way too much for this city and putting myself at risk for people to be saying that,” Embiid said.
“I wish I was as lucky as other ones (who avoided injuries), but that doesn’t mean that I’m not trying and I’m not doing whatever it takes to be out there, which I’m going to be here pretty soon.”
The former NBA MVP isn’t the only missing Sixers star player at the moment. Paul George, who signed a four-year, $212 million contract over the summer, has also yet to play this season, as he recovers from a left knee injury.
George practiced Friday, just like Embiid, prompting coach Nick Nurse to call it “a normal day at the office.” Yet, George also won’t be available against Memphis either.
That means more pressure on standout guard Tyrese Maxey and veterans like Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond. Maxey scored 32 points in Wednesday’s lopsided loss to the Detroit Pistons, although Gordon, Lowry and Drummond only totaled 15 points in 64 combined minutes.
“(Maxey) scored enough tonight, I think,” Nurse said. “We just need some other guys — we need some production from Eric and Kyle and Drum. Everybody’s gotta chip in right now.”
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies play five of their next seven games on the road, beginning with Saturday’s tilt.
Memphis is coming off a 122-99 throttling of the visiting Milwaukee Bucks in which Ja Morant collected 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. He recorded the triple-double in 21 minutes, 28 seconds — one of the fastest triple-doubles in NBA history.
“I play free,” Morant said, noting a couple of highlight-reel passes against three turnovers in the win over Milwaukee. “With me, you gonna deal with turnovers. I’m always trying to make the right play.”
The Grizzlies held the Bucks to 9-of-42 shooting (21.4 percent) from 3-point range as part of a 42.7 percent shooting effort overall. Memphis limited Milwaukee’s three backcourt threats — Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr. and Pat Connaughton — to 6-of-31 shooting, including 1 of 18 from long range.
“We got stops,” Morant said. “We were boxing out, we were getting out running, playing our game. That’s how we want to play. If we want to do something in this league, that’s what we’ve got to do each and every night.”
The Sixers and Grizzlies have split their season series in each of the previous three years. They will meet again in Memphis on Nov. 20.
