The Philadelphia Sixers' first preseason game against the Knicks on Thursday was a sign of what the season will look like if Joel Embiid and Paul George miss as much time as they did last season. Spoiler: It won't be pretty. As much as Philadelphia and its fans hope the team will be healthy for most of the season, reality could hit hard again.
Brian Windhorst isn't buying it. On the "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast, he said he didn't know why he was saying it, but while laughing, he pointed out the Sixers' optimism about having their team together and healthy this season. Tim MacMahon, who was also on the show, said, "Okay, that's enough." Clearly, many people find it hard to believe that it'll happen.
Can you blame them?
Embiid hasn't been healthy since he tore his meniscus in a January 2024 game against the Warriors. He essentially played on one leg later that season in the playoffs. He played only 19 games last season and had arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in April.
Philadelphia wants to ensure Embiid is 100 percent before he returns, so there is no set timeline for when that may be.
George, meanwhile, played 41 games in his first season with the Sixers. He had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee in July to treat an injury he sustained in an offseason workout. There is no set timeline for his return, either.
Will the Sixers' season be derailed again by injuries?
Not only are Embiid and George sidelined, but Jared McCain had surgery earlier this week to repair a UCL tear in his right thumb. He'll be re-evaluated in a month, which doesn't mean he'll return in a month.
Philadelphia's regular season will begin in Boston in less than three weeks, and the team will be without Embiid, George, and McCain. Hopefully, no other names are added to that list.
It's a long 82-game season, so maybe, just maybe, there will be a point where the Sixers have a clean injury report, or close to it. How long it will last, if it happens, is the question. Injuries have plagued the careers of Embiid and George, making it difficult to feel optimistic about their futures as they age.
Philadelphia has no choice but to believe, though, so you can't blame them for that. However, they also have no one to blame but themselves.
For the sake of the players and the fan base, please let the Sixers get past the season unscathed (for the most part).