CAMDEN – Friday felt, a newly shaven Nick Nurse said, like a rare “normal day at the office” for the 76ers. It got a little less normal when Joel Embiid addressed the media for the first time since the start of a season in which he has yet to play. On the court, a team two days removed from a home loss to the lowly Pistons was whole for the first time, both Paul George and Embiid practicing fully with their knee injury/management situations. Both remain out for Saturday’s visit from the Memphis Grizzlies, but they participated in full-court and 5-on-5 situations at practice. It marked a significant step for a club that has endured a 1-3 start. “I feel like I’m in a good place now,” Embiid said. “I think mentally, physically, I’m in a good place. Now it’s all about getting reps getting back in game shape.” On a possible return date, Embiid said he, “should be back pretty soon.” George said he’ll accompany the team on its West Coast trip next week, which might be an opportune time to debut. His biggest hurdle remains building game fitness. “I feel pretty strong, and I’m in a good place right now,” George said. “It’s been a great process getting to this point.” Neither will help Saturday night at the Center, but Nurse can at least contemplate the end of the early season bifurcation of trying to win without the stars while devising ways to play once they return. A film session to start Friday’s practice included Embiid and George taking the lead, pointing out areas of improvement in Wednesday’s loss to Detroit and scouting niches they may soon fill. “Those guys were really in the middle of it today, even though they’re not on the court, helping us understand, this is how we play it,” Nurse said. “Paul has questions because he’s new. And Joel’s helping us answer them. … I think during some of the stuff today, I was calling plays that had those two guys involved so they can start getting some reps and see what it looks like.” Both players described degrees of frustration in being reduced to spectators. George, signed as a free agent in July from the Los Angeles Clippers, has had to learn without doing since hyperextending his knee Oct. 14 in Atlanta. Embiid waded into the controversy surrounding his absence, for which the team was fined $100,000 by the NBA. He reiterated that there was no setback after his participation in the Paris Olympics for Team USA, though he pointed out the difference in the physical demands of playing 16.8 minutes a game for two weeks against mostly non-NBA opposition and carrying the Sixers’ load for 35 to 40 minutes a night. The chance to play for gold was not something he could pass up. Given past playoff struggles, that sense of winning something is valuable to the big man. “I think I was fine,” he said. “When you’ve got a chance to compete for a gold medal, for the U.S., representing your country, you can’t pass that up. I don’t care what anybody says, that’s something you just can’t pass up. It felt good to win. It felt good to be part of the experience.” Embiid didn’t take kindly to shots in the media, calling out one columnist by name for questioning his desire to play in an occasionally profane self-defense. “I think everybody that knows me knows that … I would love to be out there every single game,” he said. “No, it’s just unfortunate that some of (us) are not as lucky as others to be part of every single game. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it’s not for the lack of trying. “I think over the years I’ve done a lot and I’ve put myself at risk for the team, which I’m going to continue to do. But I think right now is the time to make sure that everything is great, which it’s trending that way, and it’s pretty good right now.” The biggest step remaining for Embiid is confidence in the knee. He rushed back last February from meniscus surgery to take part in the playoffs at less than 100 percent. The stress led to a bout of Bell’s palsy, and Embiid has called the mental aspect of this rehab more challenging than from any of his other myriad ailments. Trusting his body remains a work in progress. It’s why he’s reticent to attach a timeline. And at the beginning of a long season, for which his stated goal is to be healthy in the playoffs, he wants to be 100 percent before he tests it in a game. “I think really it’s being comfortable, trusting it,” he said. “I think just being out there, I want to be on my best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m afraid if I do this, it might do something or whatever.” Without George and Embiid, the 76ers have struggled mightily. Despite a solid win in Indiana, they’ve struggled in particular on offense, sitting 24th in the league in scoring, 28th in field goal percentage and 26th in plus/minus. Too much of the load has fallen on Tyrese Maxey, and while George and Embiid have counseled from the bench, there’s only so much they can do. George, though, doesn’t feel behind on his learning curve. He and Embiid have worked on particulars off to the side, aspects like post entries and screen actions that Nurse will incorporate into the gameplan. For now, the wait continues. But it carries optimism. “It has been completely frustrating, just from wanting to finally get started with these guys and using these early games to build and find chemistry and getting on the same page and getting off to a good start,” George said. “But since I’ve been out, I’ve still been engaged, still staying locked in with the guys, helping from the sideline, whether it’s in game (or) it’s practices. And now being able to be a full participant in practice, now it’s just a next step in that phase.”