Unsurprising injury report could be foreshadowing what's to come for Knicks rival

The New York Knicks have injury concerns after re-signing OG Anunoby, trading for Karl-Anthony Towns, and losing Mitchell Robinson for the first few months of the season. New York couldn't escape the injury bug last season, and fans hope 2024-25 will be different. The team isn't starting on the right note, but it could be worse.

The Sixers were praised all summer for signing Paul George to a four-year max contract. The 34-year-old is signed through the 2026-27 season and has a $56.6 million player option in 2027-28. The injury-prone star is coming off a season where he played 74 games, but the last time George played at least 70 games in a season before that was 2018-19.

Philadelphia needed another star to maximize Joel Embiid's prime, but the former MVP also has a concerning injury history. Embiid isn't expected to play back-to-backs this season, so it will be beneficial for the Sixers to have George on nights when Embiid rests or is injured. It sounds like a good plan in theory, but the reality is that the pairing could be disastrous.

George injured his knee in the preseason. Fans suspected he'd miss Philadelphia's season opener against Milwaukee on Wednesday, but at least the injury isn't serious.

Embiid didn't play in the preseason because of a sore left knee. He had surgery on his left meniscus last season after he injured it on Jan. 31. He played in the postseason but wasn't 100 percent. Embiid did play in the Olympics.

Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss Sixers opener against Bucks

Philadelphia fans will have to wait to see its new star duo in action. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Embiid and George will miss the Sixers' season opener against the Bucks. Embiid will also miss Philadelphia's game against Toronto on Friday. George will be re-evaluated later in the week.

Embiid said his goal is to be healthy in time for the postseason. There's still a long way to go until April, but it is concerning that Embiid and PG13 are already missing time.

There are concerns about Embiid and George's health, and it's hard to believe they'll stay healthy for most of the season. It's even harder to envision Philadelphia finishing as a top-three team in the East, even with the depth the team added over the summer.

Embiid hasn't played in a conference finals. Adding George will give the Sixers their best shot to make a deep playoff run, but only on paper. Philadelphia could be setting itself up to be another early first-round exit.

The Knicks have their own injuries to worry about, but monitoring what's happening in Philadelphia is worthwhile.