Joel Embiid did not travel with Sixers and will sit out preseason game against Cavaliers

CLEVELAND — Joel Embiid did not travel to Ohio with the 76ers and will be unavailable for Monday night’s exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Sixers said the All-Star center is healthy and that missing the trip is part of his personal training plan. Embiid also sat out the Sixers’ 127-108 exhibition victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 3. He finished with 12 points on 6-for-13 shooting along with six rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes, 28 seconds against Cleveland last Wednesday.

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The Sixers conclude their preseason slate Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets at the Wells Fargo Center.

It makes sense for the Sixers to be cautious with Embiid. He suffered an orbital fracture near his right eye and tore a ligament in his right thumb against the Toronto Raptors in the first round of last season’s playoffs. He also had surgery on the thumb and a procedure on his left index finger following the postseason.

Before those injuries, Embiid became the first center to lead the NBA in scoring since Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal in the 1999-2000 season. Embiid was also the first center to win a scoring title while averaging more than 30 points per game since Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, who averaged 31.1 points in 1975-76.

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And he was the first center to average more than 30 points since Hall of Famer Moses Malone, who averaged 31.1 points as a Houston Rocket in 1981-82. Malone was traded to the Sixers after that season, winning a second MVP award and an NBA title during the 1982-83 campaign.