Expectations were sky-high for the Philadelphia 76ers this season. With veteran wingman Paul George joining forces with 2023 league MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers had a legitimate “Big 3” that could do battle with any other prolific trio in the Association.
Alas, it was not meant to be, as the highly skilled 7-footer was hampered by an injured left knee that limited him to only 19 games this season. Embiid’s injury caused a domino effect across the roster and forced PG, who was still recovering from a bone bruise caused by a hyperextended knee injury he suffered in the preseason, to shoulder a larger load.
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Things obviously didn’t end well for the talented 6’8″ wingman, as his season was cut short in early March. With the Sixers sporting a 21-40 record, the team decided it was best to shut PG down and allow him to get a bead on his health heading into the offseason.
Paul recently opened up about his struggles in his first season with the Sixers, revealing that he had to take lots of medication in January to help him overcome injuries and keep playing.
Extra pressure
The former Fresno State ace is no stranger to pressure. With 15 seasons and 114 playoff games under his belt, PG has shown he can deliver the goods when the lights are brightest. However, George shared that trying to push the Sixers to victories without Embiid, who averaged a whopping 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game last season, proved extremely difficult.
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“So going into games there, I wasn’t really like, you know, I had to, as a leader on the team, I kind of had to put that in the back of my mind and just focus on who we got in this locker room. How can I help lead them? And how can I try to get my body together to go out there?” George shared.
The Fresno State product added that he reached a point in January when he was taking painkillers to help his body cope with the demands of the regular season.
“It’s just tough, you know what I mean? I was doing stuff in January that, you know, ni****s doing in April. You know what I mean? Like, taking the pills to numb the pain and s**t. I was doing that in January, you know what I mean?” the six-time All-NBA Team member added. “And so it was, it just got to a point where it’s like, man, this is, it’s taking a toll on me.”
Soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee Carmelo Anthony responded that he understood PG’s sentiments, owing to his similar experiences playing for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks.
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“It’s hard, bro. It’s tough. Let me tell you something, it’s difficult. It’s hard. It’s fun. It’s stressful. It’s hurtful. You get what I’m saying? It’s all of these emotions in one,” Melo chimed in.
Tough playing with Joel
As much talent as George and Maxey bring to the table, Embiid’s presence will determine the Sixers’ success. When “JoJo” is out there, Philly looks like a world-beater, capable of topping any team. When he’s out, one only needs to look at this season’s 24-58 record without him to see what a crucial factor he is.
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Paul, though, lauded “The Process'” efforts to keep on playing despite clearly being less than 100 percent.
“I think the best thing about it was like you knew big fella was, Embiid was, doing everything he could to be out there, but you knew big fella ain’t healthy. Like, so it was an understanding that he can’t play every night, but when he did, we knew he was giving it everything he had,” Paul stated. “And like for us, that was, that was enough. Like obviously we wanted, you know, I would have loved to be out there more games with him.”
With Embiid, PG, Maxey, and sensational rookie Jared McCain all on the mend and looking forward to returning next season, the Sixers have a redemption season on their minds for the 2025-2026 campaign.