76ers superstars Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss the season opener against the Bucks

The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday evening as part of the NBA season tip-off. Unfortunately for the Sixers, the fans in attendance and ESPN, Philly will be noticeably lacking in star power.

The team announced Tuesday that MVP big man Joel Embiid and All-Star wing Paul George would both miss the season opener against the Bucks. Embiid did not appear in any of the Sixers’ preseason games due to “left knee issues,” while George hyperextended his knee in a preseason contest earlier this month.

ESPN’s Shams Charania noted that while Embiid is making good progress preparing for the game, he will not appear in any of the three games Philadelphia has scheduled this week. The same goes for George, who will be assessed again next week.

It’s a troubling start to the Embiid/George era in Philadelphia. George was the team’s prized free agent signing, an ideal third wheel to complement Embiid’s dominance and Tyrese Maxey’s playmaking. However, he is 34 years old and has missed at least 26 games in four of the last five seasons. His missing the first game of the season isn’t the end of the world, but it’s not exactly an auspicious start either.

Meanwhile, Embiid’s injury management is becoming increasingly concerning. He was clearly injured in the postseason last year and was unable to move well at times during the Summer Olympics. It seems his time off hasn’t really helped, and combined with Embiid’s admission that he’ll probably never play back-to-back games again for the rest of his career, well… the questions begin about his immediate and long-term career. Concept of health.

In the short term, the Sixers will face a Bucks team that has injury problems of its own. Khris Middleton was forced to miss yesterday’s opener as he continues to recover from ankle surgery.