CAMDEN, N.J. — Following the conclusion of their practice on Wednesday morning, the Sixers offered updates on a few of their injured players ahead of the team's first home preseason game on Friday night.
• Joel Embiid, practiced on Wednesday and has continued increasing activity, including some work in five-on-five action, the team said. There are still "boxes that need to be checked" before a timeline of playing in games can be established, they added, using a phrase Embiid frequented at Media Day last month. Embiid only played in 19 games last year due to nagging left knee issues and had his season ended when he underwent arthroscopic surgery in April. The re-evaluation period after that surgery was six weeks.
• Paul George, out with an injury to his left knee, is still only doing individual work, the Sixers said, but added that the nine-time All-Star has been increasing intensity in workouts and is expected to be integrated into team work in the coming days. George suffered two bone bruises in that knee last season -- once in a preseason game, the second time soon after returning in the regular season. He also dealt with groin and finger issues and was limited to 41 games in his first season after signing a four-year, $211 million contract with the Sixers.
• Trendon Watford will not play on Friday because of a hamstring issue which dates back to at least the last weekend of September. Watford was day-to-day as of the Sixers' first official practices then; the team had hoped he would practice at some point during its trip to Abu Dhabi. Watford underwent imagining and no structural issues appeared. The team is not planning to rush him back and expects him to get on-court work in within the next week.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice