(AP)

Michael Carter-Williams underwent successful surgery to repair the labrum of his right shoulder, the 76ers announced Tuesday, and there is no timetable for his return.

The surgery was performed by Dr. David Altchek, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, the team said, and his rehab will be monitored by the team’s head physician, Dr. Brian Sennett of Penn Medicine.

“The health of our players is our primary concern,” Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie said in a statement. “There were a number of healthy discussions between Michael, our medical team, several medical specialists and Michael’s representatives. After careful consideration and thoughtful research, we collectively agreed that it was in Michael’s best interest to move forward with the procedure now and allow maximum recovery time.”

The timing of the surgery would seem to put Carter-Williams’ availability for the Sixers’ summer-league teams in jeopardy. The soonest Carter-Williams, who on Monday was named NBA Rookie of the Year, would have to be medically available is in October for the team’s training camp.

Carter-Williams' durability was a popular talking point during his rookie season, as the Syracuse product missed 12 games with three separate injuries:

• He sat out from Nov. 13-18, missing four games with a left foot bruise.
• He did not play between Dec. 6-16, skipping seven games due to a skin infection on his right knee that required a brief hospitalization.
• And he missed a game Feb. 1 at Detroit with a sore right shoulder.

The Sixers went 1-11 in games in which Carter-Williams was a DNP.

(Associated Press)

Andrew Bynum will begin post-surgery physical therapy Friday, the Sixers announced Wednesday night.

Bynum underwent surgery on both knees Tuesday in New York. The procedure was performed by David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The team announced Monday that Bynum would miss the rest of the season (really, all of it) with bilateral bone bruises that have caused swelling and pain in both knees.

Bynum will begin his PT at the end of the week and will remain non-weight-bearing for three weeks, after which he will spend an additional three weeks on crutches.

If there's any further update on Bynum, the Sixers will announce it.

A step-by-step look at Andrew Bynum’s tenure in Philadelphia, including news Monday that he would miss the rest of the season:

Aug. 14: The Sixers complete a three-team trade, acquiring Andrew Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Aug. 17: The team introduces Bynum in an open-to-the-public press conference at the National Constitution Center. Famously, Sixers owner Josh Harris says, “Where do I sign?” when asked if the Sixers have intentions on signing Bynum, an restricted free agent in 2013, to a contract extension. Sixers CEO Adam Aron tells Bynum “the city is yours.”
Read more »

(Associated Press)

Before Tuesday's game, Sixers coach Doug Collins was asked what he'd alter about the team that had lost eight of nine. He said he'd want “a healthy team.”

Collins' comment seemed timely, considering as his players were suiting up for a game against visiting Boston, his all-star center was in New York City, getting yet-another opinion on his bad knees. Andrew Bynum was not at Wells Fargo Center. Instead, he was visiting personal physician David Altchek for a look-see at his bad appendages.

The Sixers have gone the entire season without Bynum, which is a different scenario than that which the Celtics have faced. They've been sans Rajon Rondo since January, with a torn ACL. The Celtics are entrenched in the playoff race, while the Sixers are – well – not.

“I think the big difference is their star player won a championship with them,” Collins said of Rondo. “Our star player has never played, so our guys have never been around him.”

It's looking more and more like Bynum may never play for the Sixers. (Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo said in pregame that surgery has not been taken off the table.) That's left a bitter taste in Collins' mouth, but it'll be a cold day in hell before Collins waves a white flag.

Collins hopes the feeling of missing the postseason resonates with his guys.

“Anytime you miss the playoffs, it should hurt. Anytime your season is over and you go home without playoff games and you're not a part of that, it should be very painful,” he said.

“The plans we had this year, for this season, we really haven't been able to see. There's no excuses. Nobody's going to make any excuses. We just haven't had a chance to see that. I think the guys have done a nice job fighting through it. I'm proud of them. They've given all they can give.”

(Associated Press)

Andrew Bynum was not with the 76ers Thursday, instead heading to New York City for a pair of joint-lubricant injections in his afflicted knees.

A Sixers spokesman said the Synvisc injections were previously scheduled with Bynum's personal physician, Dr. David Altchek, and are not to be considered a setback.

Bynum will take the rest of the week off and will resume his basketball-related activities next week, presumably as soon as Sunday.

Bynum previously received Synvisc-One injections in September. It's understood that the lubricant can provide relief from pain for up to six months.

Monday, Sixers GM Tony DiLeo said it was possible that Bynum could participate in practice with the Sixers by Friday. That, clearly, is out of the question.

*    *    *

In other news: Jason Richardson is in Vail, Colo., for an appointment with knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman. Richardson is seeking a second opinion on his left knee. ... Damien Wilkins, who missed Wednesday's game, also was not with the team due to personal reasons.

(Associated Press)

Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday will play Friday night against Atlanta, and the Sixers are expected to provide an update regaring Andrew Bynum before the 7 p.m. game.

Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo will speak to reporters at 5:30 p.m. about Bynum, the injured center who visited his personal doctor, David Altchek, Thursday in New York. Bynum is expected to be available to talk about the doctor's visit, as well.

It's believed Bynum underwent MRIs on his bilateral knee bone bruises during his follow-up visit to Altchek. If the Sixers have good news, it might mean that Bynum could begin impact conditioning or basketball-related activities. He's been relegated to swimming and low-impact stuff for the time being.

Turner, who sustained a mild left ankle sprain Wednesday in Houston, is a go. Turner got treatment Thursday on the ankle and participated in Friday's shootaround.

“I'm going to come out and compete tonight,” Turner said.

Turner added that he has no limitations “once I get moving.”

“I ran today,” he said. “I competed at a high-energy level, which I normally do. I'll be fine. I just shouldn't worry about it, you know?”

Holiday, who's missed the last four games with a left foot sprain, also declared himself eligible for a return. He said Sixers trainer Kevin Johnson has been taping Holiday's his foot differently the last few days and said it's working.

Holiday said he appreciated Sixers coach Doug Collins' intent to keep Holiday out until he was 100 percent.

“I feel like if I came back any earlier, I guess the result of what happened would've been the same,” Holiday said. “I probably would have been out anyways because my foot was pretty bad. Again, the trainers took care of business and I'm good to go.”

(Associated Press)

HOUSTON -- There was no beating around the bush, no sense sugar-coating it. Thad Young made it clear, in the moments following the Sixers' 125-103 loss to the Rockets, what was to blame.

“We didn't play any defense," he said.

Here's how bad things got for the Sixers:

• The Rockets, who shot 56 percent overall and 41 percent from 3-point range, had 29 assists on 42 baskets.
• The Sixers gave up the most points in Doug Collins' three-year tenure. Not since Eddie Jordan's swan song as their coach, April 15, 2009 at Orlando, had the Sixers given up as many points.
• In their last five games, the Sixers rank third-worst in scoring defense, allowing 106.8 points per game.
• The Sixers have allowed their last three opponents to breach the 100-point mark, the longest stretch since Collins' first season, in 2010-11.
• In 25 games, the Sixers' opponents have scored 100-or-more points 10 times. In all of last season, even though it was lockout-shortened, the Sixers gave up 100-or-more 12 times. The Sixers, by the way, ranked second in the NBA a year ago in scoring defense.

So ... where to from here?

"As a team, we can't go out there and score 127, 128 points. One-hundred-anything means we didn't play any defense," Young said. "We just have to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to stop guys and get stops and get back to playing our game."

#       #       #       #       #

A couple injury updates:

Andrew Bynum is visiting his personal physician Thursday in New York and, if David Altchek delivers good news from the follow-up appointment and MRIs, we might have a better idea when Bynum can return.

Jrue Holiday (left foot sprain), who's missed four games, remains day-to-day. Evan Turner (mild left ankle sprain) left Wednesday's game in the third quarter. And X-rays returned negative for rookie Maalik Wayns (right foot pain), who suffered injury in the final minute against the Rockets.

(Associated Press)

PHILADELPHIA – Andrew Bynum’s debut with the 76ers has been pushed back yet again, but at least there’s more clarity regarding his injury this time around.

The Sixers released a statement Monday following a morning shootaround, saying the All-Star center underwent an MRI on his afflicted right knee Nov. 5, after which Bynum’s doctor David Altchek extended Bynum’s return date by an additional three weeks. If everything holds true, Bynum is expected to resume basketball activities by Dec. 10. From there, it’d be an additional one to four weeks before Bynum – who has a bone bruise – could resume game play in “significant minutes.”

That timetable would put Bynum’s debut with the Sixers at somewhere between mid-December and early January.

Bynum, after his latest appointment with Altchek, was cleared for a regimen of low-impact exercise of two weeks, followed by three weeks of training and conditioning on an antigravity treadmill.

“We know that Sixers fans are eager to see Andrew Bynum play and shine in a 76ers uniform,” Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo said in a statement. “We also know that no one is more eager to see Andrew play for the Sixers than Andrew himself. He fully realizes the key contribution he can make to the team. Hopefully, that day is coming soon."

Bynum is expected to address reporters Monday night, prior to the Sixers’ game against visiting Milwaukee.

A two-time NBA champion, who averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds a year ago with the Los Angeles Lakers, has yet to practice with the Sixers, who acquired him in a four-team trade in August.

Second-year center Lavoy Allen, who’s been starting in the spot Bynum will assume upon return, said he keeps close tabs on Bynum’s status.

"Because he's my teammate,” Allen said. “I wonder about his condition. No matter when he comes back, I'm still trying to help my team win games."

Jason Richardson, who will start tonight after missing three games with a left ankle sprain, understands it might be a while before Bynum gets back.

“We definitely want him out there, but we know it’s going to take him some time,” said Richardson. “As a team, we really want him out there. But at the same time, we have to keep moving forward with what we’ve got.

“It’s going to be arms all open and hugs and stuff when he gets back. And when he gets back, we’re going to be that much better a team.”

Bynum is making $16.4 million in the final year of his contract.