The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be coming very close to welcoming Paul George back. The nine-time All-Star has yet to log a single minutes this season due to the untimely injury he incurred shortly before training camp began, but if the reports are true, he should find himself playing in the hardwood again in no time.
After turning in a letdown of a debut campaign last season, George must be eager to prove a lot of people wrong. Fans and pundits alike have written him off already as they have become sold on the belief that he will never regain his All-Star form again, but the 76ers still need him if they want to get as far as they can in the playoffs, assuming they make it there.
Having said that, George’s return could complicate a lot of things for the 76ers, especially when it comes to their forward rotation. More specifically, Justin Edwards could once again find himself not seeing the court much when the veteran comes back to take his minutes.
Paul George could ruin Justin Edwards’ new momentum for the 76ers
Edwards, who had a great rookie year, has immensely struggled to start the season. But having said that, he seems to have picked up some positive momentum as of late, averaging 11 points in his last three outings while draining almost 67 percent of his three-pointers during that stretch.
Now, that may not account for much, but considering how broken his shot looked early on, this is a great sign of a potential turnaround. However, he is still not getting anywhere close to logging the same amount of court time he did last season, and George’s return could push him further down the drain.
Edwards will not be benching Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been stellar for the 76ers so far. He will also not be sniffing the floor more than Trendon Watford, who has switfly become a vital piece for this group. And given George’s pedigree, even a fresh-from-injury version of him should log considerably more minutes than Edwards.
As a result, George’s comeback will prompt the coaching staff to get even more creative when it comes to finding minutes for Edwards so as to give him the opportunity to build on the quiet momentum he had just generated. Of course, they cannot play everybody, but to best help him overcome his early struggles, giving him run on the court will be imperative.