The Philadelphia 76ers will head into the new season with a lot of optimism. With a healthy roster, this team can seriously contend in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and they know it. This is a confident group heading into opening night on Wednesday in Boston.
With that being said, the Sixers have injury questions they need to answer when it comes to Joel Embiid and Paul George. While Embiid appears to be on the fast track, George has not yet been able to get back on the floor. He is progressing in live stuff in practice, however, so that is a good sign.
The Ringer ranked the top 100 players in the NBA and George came in ranked No. 71:
Is this it? Is the Paul George experiment in Philly destined for failure? It sure seems that way, barely one year into his monster four-year deal. The early returns have been woeful in large part because the old NBA cliché “the best ability is availability” seems to ring as true as the Liberty Bell itself. If George and Joel Embiid want to salvage this situation, they can start by playing more games. George is still a long, smooth, two-way wing who can score from anywhere, guard anyone, and make the game look effortless when he’s locked in. The difference now is that the mileage has added up, and his max deal is clogging up the Sixers’ cap sheet while he’s mostly been absent from the lineup. Simply put: He’s gotta play more games, or else his time in Philly will be remembered as a debacle.
George is certainly on the right track as long as he continues to progress in practice. He probably won’t play in the opener, but just reading the tea leaves, it looks like he will be ready for a return rather soon, barring any setback.