The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of pressing concerns this season, none more important than their current bouts with injuries. Joel Embiid has his own set of recurring miscues, but that at least has become a bit more of an optimistic front, especially when compared to the present situation of Paul George.
While an argument could be made that Embiid had a worse injury, George’s is more recent. Hence, he did not get a lot of time to recover since he incurred his injury a bit later in the offseason. That puts him in a more precarious situation, and his status this preseason has been pretty telling of his current progress.
In all likelihood, George will probably miss some games to start the season given that he has not even suited up yet this preseason. But while that may appear to be a grim sign of things to come for the nine-time All-Star in this campaign, it may actually be proof that the 76ers dodged a major bullet.
As pointed out by NBA insider Jake Fischer here, George suffered an injury typically caused by wear and tear, and the fact that he experienced it before the season even began is much better than if it happened in the middle of the season. And truth be told, that is a difficult viewpoint to try to controvert.
The 76ers may have actually dodged a major bullet with Paul George
The 76ers badly need Paul George to play like the All-Star caliber player and two-way star he has always been. His skill set fits right into what the squad needs next to its high-octane scoring duo in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and while his dip in production last season casted some doubts on his viability to function as a vital piece, there is no doubt that he still stands to elevate the team’s ceiling simply by returning to his old self.
No, he does not have to return to logging All-Star averages. He only needs to regain his mojo as a flamethrower from the perimeter who can playmake and capably defend multiple positions. Put simply, getting him healthy should remain high on the team’s priority list.
In addition, the 76ers do not have the strongest cushion at forward behind the nine-time All-Star. While Nick Nurse is planning some creative ways to address that issue, there is no better alternative than just having the designated player himself.
Hopefully, Paul George recovers as soon as possible, lest the 76ers risk starting off slow once again.