The Sixers are heading into another back-to-back, and this time, the matchups might actually influence who suits up.
Philadelphia released its injury report ahead of Monday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers, and the headliners are no surprise: Joel Embiid and Paul George are both listed as questionable with left knee injury management. That’s a slight downgrade from their usual “probable” status in recent games, but there’s some context here that matters. This Pacers game is the front end of a back-to-back, with the Phoenix Suns coming to town on Tuesday.
Both Embiid and George have played in nine of the Sixers’ last ten games, and the one they missed? That was also part of a back-to-back - last week in Toronto.
In that case, it was a pair of games against the Raptors, so the team had some flexibility in choosing which game to rest them. This time around, the calculus is different.
The Suns are a much tougher challenge than a Pacers squad sitting on just ten wins, so if Embiid and George can only go in one of the two, the Sixers may prioritize Tuesday.
So far this season, neither Embiid nor George has played both legs of a back-to-back. But there’s a wrinkle: George was a very late scratch in that first Toronto game, which may hint at him pushing to play both games soon. Whether that happens this time remains to be seen, but it’s something to keep an eye on as tip-off approaches.
Elsewhere on the injury report, rookie guard Jared McCain is listed as doubtful after being assigned to the G League over the weekend. His timing was almost poetic - McCain faced off against the Noblesville Bloom, the Pacers’ G League affiliate, in his first game back with the Delaware Blue Coats.
It wasn’t exactly a highlight reel performance: 15 points on 18 shots, six turnovers, and a loss in 30 minutes of action. Not the kind of outing that screams “NBA-ready,” but that’s what the G League is for - reps, learning curves, and figuring things out.
As the Sixers weigh their options heading into this back-to-back, the decisions they make could offer a glimpse into how they’re managing their stars’ health with an eye on the long haul. Prioritizing a tougher Suns matchup might make sense, but if George or Embiid suits up for both? That could be a sign the team - and the players - are ready to start ramping things up.