Help is on the horizon for the Philadelphia 76ers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The month of March has been tough on the Philadelphia 76ers as they’ve been without several key contributors. But, help is on the horizon.
Advertisement
After a 25-game suspension due to a violation of the NBA’s anti-drug policy, star forward Paul George is slated to return to game action for the Sixers against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
In his first media availability since the suspension, George apologized to Sixers fans for the mistake.
“I think first and foremost, [I] just [want to] give my apology to, obviously, the city of Philadelphia, my family, my teammates, the organization, everybody that was affected through this suspension,” George said to media members at the team’s practice facility in Camden, New Jersey.
“Obviously, to own up to that as a leader of this group and being brought here to be a leader and help bring you know that edge and a possibility and chance to win here, to let people down hurt more than kind of anything going through this process.”
Advertisement
Getting George’s two-way output back will be a big boost for Philadelphia. Another boost could come in the form of Joel Embiid, who has been sidelined since late February with a right oblique strain.
After missing 13 straight games for Philly, Embiid is listed as questionable for the game against Chicago on Wednesday night, indicating that he could be available to play. Even if he doesn’t play against the Bulls, it appears as though Embiid is moving closer to a return to game action.
The same could be said about Kelly Oubre, who has missed eight straight games for the Sixers due to an elbow strain. A recent social media post from Oubre seems to indicate that he’s also nearing a return.
Lastly there’s Tyrese Maxey, who has been sidelined due to a right finger tendon sprain. No concrete timetable has been provided for a potential return from Maxey, but there’s optimism that he could be ready in time for the Play-In Tournament or postseason play.
Advertisement
Maxey will be re-evaluated at the end of the month, but he’s been keeping himself busy in the meantime.
“He’s working pretty hard,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey. “He’s getting some decent workouts in. He’s moving a lot. He is doing some workouts primarily left-handed. He has taken some shots right-handed. I believe he’s got another evaluation here coming up this weekend or early next week. So, hopefully, we’ll be at the 3-week mark and we’ll see from there. I know that’s kinda the minimum of the three weeks and we’ll see where he is from there.”
Given all of these injuries and absences, it’s been difficult to be too optimistic about Philadelphia’s prospects in the Eastern Conference. But, if they can get all of their key contributors back in the near future, the Sixers could still have an opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs.
More Philadelphia 76ers news:
Advertisement