Joel Embiid will undergo an evaluation and Paul George will make his preseason debut against the Timberwolves

DES MOINES, Iowa – Paul George will make his 76ers debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Meanwhile, the team will be without Joel Embiid as it prepares to play at home against the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves' G League affiliate.

The Sixers then face the Boston Celtics on Saturday and the Atlanta Hawks in the two remaining games of their preseason road trip.

” READ MORE: Nick Nurse, Iowa's favorite son, returns to the state that made him a champion and a citizen of the world

Coach Nick Nurse was asked after Thursday's practice at Grand View University whether Embiid will meet the team on the road trip.

“He’s not here,” the nurse said. “He is having a scheduled check-up on his knee. That was always on the plan. We’re still waiting to see what’s next.”

The 7-foot-2 center played in just 39 games last season, largely due to a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.

He said he is “slowly rebuilding” his knee this preseason.

Embiid and George missed Monday's 139-84 exhibition win over the New Zealand Breakers at the Wells Fargo Center.

But Tyrese Maxey and George took part in shooting drills after Thursday's practice, which included a series of acrobatic dunks.

With this mindset, George's goals for Friday's preseason game include improving and developing chemistry with his teammates.

“But I think you should just get some fitness,” he said. “Try to really blow out my lungs, run the floor, all that intangible stuff. I think the talent will make a name for itself over the course of the season and after pre-season. More than that, I'll be on my game. But it's about keeping up with (Tyrese Maxey), running around the floor and giving him space. But as I said, this preseason is more about the intangibles.”

While George worked on the intangibles, Nurse enjoyed practicing on his old turf.

The 57-year-old was head coach at Grand View for two seasons in the early 1990s. He took over in 1991 at age 23 and was the youngest head college basketball coach in the country at the time.

Thursday's practice took place at the Johnson Wellness Center and Dave Sisam Arena. Grand View played here under Nurse. The Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League also trained here when he coached them.

“It looks a lot nicer, a lot newer than 1990, whatever it was,” Nurse said of the small arena. “It's been so long that I can't really look it up anymore. … It was two stays at this gym. We were lively today, just as I remember in this gym. It's loud and close. It creates a bit of a competitive environment and our guys were definitely competitive today.”

The Sixers were treated like rock stars while Grand View students stood in the hallways and watched practice through glass doors. They then waited outside the building to take selfies with the players.

Green is retiring

Former Sixer Danny Green announced his retirement on Thursday. He leaves the game as a three-time NBA champion.

The 37-year-old swingman won titles with the San Antonio Spurs (2014), Toronto Raptors (2019) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020). Green shot 40% on three-point shots during his 15-year career with six NBA teams.

Green had two stints with the Sixers. He initially played for the Sixers during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Green re-signed with the Sixers on September 13, 2023. However, he only played a total of 18 minutes in two games before being released on November 1st.

Blue x White scrimmage

The Sixers will hold their annual Blue x White Scrimmage on October 20th at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington.

The event is free to the public. However, fans must purchase a ticket to enter the arena, which is home to the Sixers' NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Season ticket holders can obtain tickets for the event via a link starting Friday at 9 a.m. Holders of a partial plan are then entitled to tickets from 11:00 a.m. Tickets will be available to the general public starting at 1 p.m

After the Sixers revamped the roster this offseason, championship or bust hopes are high.

The most significant move came when George signed a four-year, $211.5 million contract to form a Big Three with Maxey and Embiid. But the signings of Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele and Eric Gordon, as well as the signings of Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry and Maxey, have catapulted the Sixers into championship contention.