Paul George could receive a pretty harsh welcome in his 76ers debut

After weeks of suspense, the Philadelphia 76ers fans will finally get their first look at Paul George donning the team’s official colors during the regular season. A knee injury sidelined him since the early portion of the preseason, and now, the team gets some much-needed help to steer the wheel as the tread a difficult early-season slate.

With a 1-4 win-loss card through their first five outings, Philly is currently touting the second-worst record in the East. While certainly not disastrous given the team’s hobbled state, the conference bears a pretty tight race, and the 76ers need all the juice they can get to boost their standing as they start getting healthy bodies back.

Embiid will still be out for some time — if not more — making George’s debut a heed to desperation calls. Tyrese Maxey has struggled being the lone wolf in the hardwood for the club, and having the nine-time All-Star back should be a massive burst of relief not only for the team, but also for the young guard.

Why Paul George could face a harsh welcome in his 76ers debut

Barring any setbacks, George is slated to be bannered for the first time this season against the Suns on the road to commence the team’s brieef three-game West Coast road trip. Phoenix, at 5-1, has turned in a great start and has looked like a more cohesive unit than last season.

Having said that, running into Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal is a tough draw for a first game, especially for a rhythm player like George. While profiled as a high-octane offensive squad, the Suns actually have the sixth-best defensive rating in the league in the early going and have seemingly bought into Mike Budenholzer’s tweaks on that end.

George will also undoubtedly get the assignment to check Durant and even Booker in spurts. He has the skill and pedigree to ace that one, but that may not be a smooth sailing for one 34-year-old coming off a long pause.

After taking on Phoenix, the 76ers will head to the brand new Intuit Dome to face the Clippers — George’s old team. Following his decision to spurn the franchise in free agency, the ever-rowdy LA fans may not be too warm in their reception. That’s to be expected at this point.

But hopefully, at that juncture, George will have already shaken off the rust and assert himself against his old team, which is still missing Kawhi Leonard. Still, the Clippers are not to be taken lightly, especially on the defensive end and with them being backed up by an aggressive crowd.

Oh, and one cannot forget about the Lakers, which have looked better so far under the guidance of JJ Redick.

Nevertheless, this should be a great test for Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers as they aim to reverse their rather ugly start to the season. Hopefully, eh can find his rhythm soon and help the team stay afloat as they still await the comeback of Joel Embiid.