NEW YORK – 18 games in 2025-26 season, Philadelphia 76ers sit at 10-8 after beating Brooklyn Nets on Friday. The track record is solid considering the injuries the team has endured early in the season, but the bigger issue, again, is the absence of two of the team's stars.
Through 18 games, Joel Embiid has only played six games as he recovers from April surgery on his left knee and is now also dealing with a right knee issue. The Sixers hope to have the big guy back sooner rather than later, but he hasn't played since November 8th.
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Paul George was able to take the court in the win over the Nets, but it was only his fourth game of 18. The trio of Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey have yet to play a game together. This is not ideal considering they have only played 18 games in the 2024/25 season, completing only 15 of them.
As for coach Nick Nurse, he knows he needs Embiid and George for the Sixers to reach their full potential, but he has bigger concerns when it comes to injury.
“Well, look, I think it's pretty much the same as I said a year ago, I think we need them to be the best version of ourselves,” Nurse said before the win over the Nets. “That's for sure. I'm obviously amazed at the level of concern when they're not playing, but now that we're missing three or four other guys in the rotation, right? I think we're probably thinking about a nine-man rotation, and then it gets a little tougher.”
According to Nurse, it's not just the Embiid and George factors. The Sixers are also dealing with injuries to Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecomb and Trendon Watford. They just got Adem Bon back from a sprained right ankle against Brooklyn but then lost Andre Drummond to a sprained right knee, so the rotation remains thin on nights.
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“Again, we bring in the next guy, but it makes us really skinny,” Nurse added. “A few minutes pass. He does a lot of things to at least somehow in all directions. So not only do we want Joel and Paul back, we want Kelly and VJ back, and we want Bona back tonight. We want all the guys back, of course. I think it balances things out for everyone.”
As for Edgecomb, the rookie worked out at Barclays Center before the game, so you can believe he's close to returning as the Sixers now prepare to face the Atlanta Hawks at home on Sunday.
“I think again, he goes out on the court and trains individually,” Nurse explained on Edgecombe. “He hasn’t participated in any team activities yet, but I think he’s doing okay with his on-court training and hopefully he’ll improve quickly.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Nick Nurse voices concerns about Sixers injuries
