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76ers
The 76ers’ hopes, as usual, hinge on the health of Joel Embiid. Head coach Nick Nurse said there are encouraging signs early in camp as the reigning MVP works his way back, via PHLY Sports.
“I think the encouraging things are some of the stuff that he’s said — that he looks good, right? He’s feeling pretty good,” Nurse explained. “He’s got some boxes to tick to keep it going, but it looks more encouraging. I think he said he feels a lot better this year at this time of year than he did a year ago.
“So, that’s got to be a positive step in the right direction. We’re looking forward to getting him back with the group.”
Recurring issues with Embiid’s surgically repaired left knee limited him to just 19 games last season before he was shut down in February.
He’s recently spoken about the need to stay on the floor more consistently this year to avoid a repeat of what he called a “disaster” of a season. Philadelphia opens preseason Thursday in Abu Dhabi.
Mavericks
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford will miss two to three weeks after rolling his ankle on the first day of training camp, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Head coach Jason Kidd said the injury happened Tuesday.
With the regular season set to begin October 22 against San Antonio, Gafford’s availability for opening night is uncertain if he takes the full recovery timeline.
He’s expected to miss the entire preseason slate, which runs through October 15.
Gafford averaged a career-high 12.3 points, along with 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks last season, but appeared in only 57 games due to injuries, including a 21-game absence with a sprained knee.
He signed a three-year, $54 million extension this offseason, locking him in through 2028-29. If he can’t go to start the season, Dereck Lively II is likely to step in at center alongside Anthony Davis and rookie Cooper Flagg.
Wizards
CJ McCollum is wasting no time embracing his role as veteran mentor in Washington. The 34-year-old guard — and winery owner — joked that many of his new teammates are too young to legally drink his wine, as noted by Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network.
That group includes 20-year-olds Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson, along with 19-year-old first-rounders Tre Johnson and Will Riley. McCollum, acquired from New Orleans over the summer, said the mentoring began right away.
“The guys are asking questions. Obviously they’re able to see how I work and how I got to where I’m at within this league in terms of the respect I have, but also how I play,” McCollum said. “I think they’ll learn a lot from me just by osmosis, by being around, but also me being able to help out and explain why I do things the way I do, why I prepare the way I do, why I get in at the times that I do.”
Carrington, expected to be Washington’s starting point guard, called it “super exciting” to share a locker room with someone he’s long admired.
He noted he’s spent long post-practice sessions picking McCollum’s brain, adding, “I think he loves it though. I’m starting to realize he likes to talk too. It’s kind of helping both of us, I guess.”
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