We're less than two weeks away from the Philadelphia 76ers' media day. As the anticipation builds, fans are already wondering: can this team count on Paul George to get back to his All-Star level form?
It's arguably the biggest question the 76ers are facing heading into the new season. If it's not relating to Joel Embiid's health, then it's definitely the question of which Paul George we're going to be getting.
Of course, when George joined this team, the perspective on him was quite a bit different from both Sixers fans and the national audience than it is right now. 15 months ago, PG had just finished up an All-Star campaign where he played his most games since joining the Los Angeles Clippers five years prior.
We all remember just how big signing him was for Philadelphia at the time. It was the injures and poor play while adjusting to a new system that really served to tank his value this past season. What was a dream signing quickly turned into looking like a nightmare.
Paul George's injury recovery will determine a lot
But are we now in a place where the average opinion of Paul George is a bit too low? It's feeling that way. What you're seeing more of now is those who see PG as a total loss, believing that he's simply too old and injury-prone to get back to the level of a guy who can seriously elevate a team.
It's wild to see the popular opinion shift so rapidly, but that's the way these things tend to go. I, for one, don't believe it's the right time to give up on George and what he can mean for this team as they pursue a championship.
Of course, knee issues were the primary reason for George's first season as a 76er falling apart. He was first ruled out for the season in March due to left knee and adductor problems, then he underwent an offseason procedure to treat an adjacent left knee issue sustained during a workout. He's supposed to be re-evaluated before the start of training camp.
The results of that evaluation are going to tell us a lot. If he's looking in game shape and ready to go once again, Philadelphia could be in an excellent position to start the new season. If he's still falling behind in his recovery and needing to sit out to begin the year, it could be a bad omen for the Sixers.
This is the primary focus of the fanbase right now. What Paul George says about his knee at media day may just reveal the direction this team is ultimately headed in.