NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday to begin a 3-game road trip and they will once again be short-handed. Paul George, Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, and Dominick Barlow will all be sidelined to begin the trip as the Sixers look to bounce back against the Nets.
While Embiid is strictly based on load management, George and McCain have yet to play as they recover from their respective surgeries. George had an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in July while McCain underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb shortly before training camp as both players continue to progress.
“He is,” coach Nick Nurse started on George specifically. “There’s nothing new, really. I know that he had a good workout yesterday — both him and Jared — that was live-ish, 3-on-3. It was good. He is progressing and we’ll just see how it goes.”
The Sixers certainly want to take their time with George. He is so important to what they want to do and they need him back at a high level. He provides depth, more scoring from the perimeter, and can still get after it defensively which is the biggest help for Philadelphia right now.
As for Barlow, the Sixers will re-evaluate him soon, but there isn’t anything new on the bouncy big man.
“No. I think there’s (an update) coming here early this week, but it’s been kind of difficult,” Nurse said on Barlow. “It’s nothing super serious, but it’s just been a little bit longer or more difficult than we maybe initially thought to get this thing healed up, this cut healed up right on his elbow. He’s got to wear this straight kind of brace because it’s right where it bends and all this stuff. But nothing super major. Just need to get that thing healed up and get him going. I think they’ll give us an update here early this week.”
The Sixers will take on the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday before facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
