Wroten could be sidelined until December
76ers fans shouldn’t get excited now that point guards Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall are participating in some on-court drills at practice.
76ers fans shouldn't get excited about Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall participating in skeleton drills at practice.
"They are a ways away" from playing in games, Sixers coach Brett Brown said after practice Thursday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "I feel like you always get nervous about throwing out dates. I think it would be fair to say that we are not going to see Kendall for the month of October and beyond. I hope not much further beyond.
"And Tony [will be sidelined] further along after that, probably not until sometime in December."
Wroten had season-ending surgery on Feb. 3 for a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Marshall, whom the Sixers signed earlier this month, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in January, as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. He missed the remainder of the season.
In September, Brown said the duo would be out until at least the end of October.
"I don't want to be locked into those time frames, because they could be longer," Brown said.
He added that the Sixers are "just coaching them and talking to them. We are at the mercy of our medical people and how quickly they can 100 percent recover."
Wroten averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.60 steals in 30 games last season with 15 starts.
Marshall, who signed as a free agent with the Sixers on Sept. 8, averaged 4.2 points and 3.1 assists in 28 games last season in Milwaukee.
He averaged 8.0 points and 8.8 assists and started 45 games for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2013-14 season.
The former North Carolina standout had a rough going before his time in Los Angeles. Marshall was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2012. The team traded him to the Washington Wizards on Oct. 25, 2013. The Wizards released him three days later.
He then had a brief stint with the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers' NBA Development League affiliate, before being called up by the Lakers.
Okafor a no-go. Jahlil Okafor will miss his second consecutive game because of a sore right knee when the 76ers host the Washington Wizards in a preseason game Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
The rookie center, however, did practice for the first time in three days Thursday.
"It was good just to see him on the floor," Brown said.
The 6-11, 268-pounder missed Monday's 94-88 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. In addition, Okafor had a minutes restriction in the three games in which he played.
He was on the court for only 17 minutes, 2 seconds in the preseason opener against the Wizards. Then he played 20:26 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and 16:56 against the Brooklyn Nets.
Jackson in. Reserve point guard Pierre Jackson will make his preseason debut against the Wizards. His missed the first four games with groin injury.
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