PHILADELPHIA 76ers center Joel Embiid won’t play until the regular season due to his balky left knee.
The Sixers announced the decision Sunday (Monday in Manila) after Embiid missed preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday (Saturday in Manila) and the Boston Celtics on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
“As part of his left knee management, Joel Embiid was assessed by doctors on Thursday (Friday in Manila),” the team said. “Embiid is progressing well and will continue to take part in an individual treatment plan designed to best support his health and wellness for the 2024-25 season. He will not play in this week’s preseason games. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.”
Embiid recently said he dropped 25 to 30 pounds in the offseason to help take pressure off the knee.
Embiid will miss preseason games against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) and Orlando Magic on Friday (Saturday in Manila).
Philadelphia opens the regular season on Oct. 23 against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.
Embiid played in just 39 regular-season games last season mainly due to his troublesome left knee.
Embiid, 30, was injured in a collision with Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga on Jan. 30. He underwent a procedure to fix the damage to his meniscus on Feb. 6.
He hobbled through the playoffs after returning to action.
Embiid was superb in the regular season by averaging 34.7 points and 11 rebounds and making the All-Star team for the seventh straight season.
Embiid was NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season when he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in 66 games. He is a two-time scoring champion and also won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in the summer.
Overall, Embiid has averages of 27.9 points and 11.2 rebounds in 433 games over eight seasons.
