WASHINGTON — Joel Embiid will return to action while Trendon Watford will make his season debut when the 76ers face the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night at the Capital One Arena.
Embiid missed Monday’s 136-124 victory over the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena because he is not playing in playing in back-to-back sets.
The team is being cautious with the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star, who played in just 19 games last season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on April 11. It was his second left knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine years.
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Watford has been sidelined since the start of training camp with left hamstring tightness.
He came to the Sixers in July after signing a two-year, $5.3 million contract. There has been a lot of excitement within the organization about the pass-first forward.
So against the Wizards (1-2), the Sixers’ brass and their fans will get a chance to see how he meshes with his new teammates.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pounder averaged career highs of 10.2 points and 2.6 assists to go with 3.6 rebounds and 20.8 minutes in 44 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season. Watford is a career 34.9% three-point shooter. The Sixers view him as a potential key player in the rotation.
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Meanwhile, Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) will miss his second straight game after undergoing a procedure on Monday. Paul George (left knee surgery recovery) and Jared McCain (right thumb surgery recovery) have yet to play this season.
Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly (right hand surgery) will miss the game, while Tre Johnson (lower back soreness) is questionable.
