Joel Embiid's unexplained absence has 76ers fans in panic mode in record time

The Philadelphia 76ers can't catch a break.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, both Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss Wednesday's season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. It's a bummer for fans who waited all summer to watch Philadelphia's new star trio, and it raises important questions about the 76ers' outlook this season.

At least Paul George has an excuse. He suffered a nasty bone bruise in Philadelphia's preseason victory over Atlanta. The Sixers aren't going to push it with their prized investment, so patiently working George back into the fold makes sense.

Embiid is "progressing well and ramping up," but... from what? Embiid does not have a listed injury. Nick Nurse told reporters there has been no setback, and reiterated that it's all part of the plan. We just don't know the plan.

Embiid has received imaging on his knee this summer and the 76ers have broadcast a new working "plan" to preserve Embiid's health. The goal, of course, is to deliver him to the playoffs at full strength. The lack of clarity around that plan, or why it involves him missing the first week of the season, is frustrating. No 76ers fan will bemoan a careful approach to Embiid's workload, but if this is all part of some deliberate plan, there needs to be some explanation as to why he's not ready to rumble on Opening Night.

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Joel Embiid will miss 76ers' season opener and we don't know why

That all comes down to communication. If Embiid is hurt, the fans should know about it. By that same token, the league pretty much requires injuries to be reported. Instead, we have this vague "plan" that is being executed behind our backs. Embiid has lost weight, he's cleared to scrimmage this week, and he looks great, per Nurse. But he's out for at least another week, he was not cleared to scrimmage at all during the preseason, and Nurse is dodging questions like Neo dodges bullets in The Matrix.

It's all very fishy.

Nobody is mad about Embiid missing time (well, some folks are). The anger in the fanbase stems primarily from Philadelphia's inability to articulate the nature of Embiid's injury management. We know the former MVP probably won't play back-to-backs this season (or ever again), but there's a difference between scheduled rest and in-season maintenance, and straight-up missing the first week of the season because he's evidently not ready to go.

Embiid is the second-best player in the world, first-best on a good day. All of Philadelphia's title hopes hinge on his health. Philadelphia should prioritize Embiid's health over win-loss numbers, but the Sixers are integrating a lot of new pieces this season. That stuff takes time. Embiid's no back-to-backs policy ostensibly rules him out for 15 games, not counting the week-plus he's about to miss. How much time will Embiid, George, and Maxey actually spend together on the court in 2024-25? And will it be enough to establish the chemistry necessary to win a championship? We have no way of answering those questions, and that sucks.

The Sixers built up a lot of goodwill and exictement with their signing of Paul George. We've seen genuine, unfettered preseason optimism around this team for the first time in ages. Now that's all down the drain. Embiid may or may be hurt already, George is hurt already, and it seems like Philadelphia might be due for a couple tough losses out of the gate. Brutal.