The Philadelphia 76ers get back to action tonight as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves for another preseason bout. Assuming that the T-Wolves play their regulars, this should be a good preliminary yardstick for the team as they play one of the best teams in the West which made the Conference Finals last season.
In their previous affair, the 76ers easily cruised past the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League despite not having Joel Embiid and Paul George. But this time around, they will be tested and we could see Nick Nurse play his regular deck more.
Having said that, the team has dished out a good news for fans, though we also received another news about a setback.
76ers get both good and bad news ahead of intriguing preseason match-up
For subsequent relief, it would be better to serve the bad news. According to Nurse, Joel Embiid will miss tonight’s bout against Minnesota. Fans awaiting for the 2023 MVP will have to hold their horses, especially given the recent development on his knee.
Embiid is currently not with the team, though Nurse assured that his absence was scheduled as he was slated to undergo an examination on his knee, which was afflicted with a major hump last season. Hopefully, he can start ramping up activities with the regular season just right around the corner.
On the flip side, the team will finally parade Paul George tonight as he is expected to make his debut wearing the 76ers uniform against the Timberwolves. He has been a full participant in training camp, though he initially noted that his debut could come after their first preseason outing.
Lo and behold, George will indeed make his first appearance as a Sixer tonight. He probably won’t log much court time with the coaching staff aiming to ease them back into action, but his presence would definitely get the fans all riled up.
While the games don’t count just yet, the Philadelphia 76ers seem to be taking it easy and erring on the side of caution to start things off, which is pretty ideal, although hopefully, the team can mobilize fully before the regular season begins.