Paul George, a forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, will play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. This news comes as a relief for the Sixers, who have struggled with a depleted lineup early in the 2024-2025 NBA season. George, who has been battling a bone bruise in his left knee, missed the team’s first five games but will be available for the matchup against the Lakers. However, the team will continue to carefully manage his playing time.
George’s Return From Injury
Paul George sustained a knee injury during the 2024 preseason, which kept him sidelined until recently. Despite being on a minutes restriction, George played over 30 minutes in his first game back against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 15 points, though his shooting was subpar, hitting just 29 percent of his attempts from the field. In his second game against the Los Angeles Clippers, he saw his minutes reduced to 23, yet his performance showed improvement as he contributed 18 points.
Despite the progress, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse is not ready to push George to his full workload just yet. According to Ky Carlin of USA Today, Nurse is targeting at least 25 minutes for George against the Lakers. The coaching staff aims to gradually return the veteran forward to action as he continues his recovery from the bone bruise.
Impact On The Sixers’ Depth
The Sixers are facing the Lakers without key contributors Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Embiid will serve his second game of a three-game suspension, and Maxey’s hamstring injury will prevent him from playing until next week. As a result, Paul George’s presence on the floor becomes even more critical for Philadelphia.
Throughout his career, George has been a formidable opponent for the Lakers, averaging 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game against them. The Sixers, lacking two of their three All-Stars, will rely on George to contribute and maintain the team’s competitiveness, despite his limited playing time.
George’s Early Season Stats
In his first two games this season, George has averaged 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.5 three-pointers per game. Despite limited minutes, he has shown flashes of his All-Star talent and defensive prowess. As the Sixers face the Lakers, fans will be watching closely to see how effective George can be and whether his minutes will increase in the coming weeks.
The Sixers will need George’s scoring and leadership to compensate for the absence of their other stars. The matchup against the Lakers will be a crucial test as Philadelphia navigates these early-season challenges, with George’s performance playing a pivotal role in their success.
76ers’ Paul George Reveals Cause Behind Slow Start To Season
The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off one of the NBA offseason’s biggest moves when they signed Paul George to a four-year, $212 million max contract. The 76ers were desperate to add a third All-Star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and the hope was that George was the perfect piece to solve that issue.
Much to Philadelphia’s dismay, the team’s “Big Three” have yet to share the floor this season. George missed the first five games due to a knee injury. Embiid was just hit with a three-game suspension for shoving a reporter, and now Maxey is expected to miss a week of action with a hamstring issue.
Needless to say, the 76ers will need a big performance from George when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The nine-time NBA All-Star has been somewhat disappointing since returning from injury, though, and decided to share the details behind his slow start before Philadelphia’s next game.
“I’m still trying to get my body back,” George told Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin. “I believe my execution, rhythm, and timing with ball handling are lacking, and I’m currently working on improving these aspects.” They’re presenting me with a lot of challenges that I’m not yet prepared for, as I’m still working on regaining my health and strengthening my lungs and cardio system.
After being one of the NBA’s best forwards for the last 15 years, George looks like he’s a step behind his peers to begin his 76ers tenure. He’s only averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from deep in two games. That’s without even accounting for the 10 turnovers he’s racked up during that stretch.
Despite the limited sample size of two games, George still has 75 games remaining in the regular season to turn around his performance. Regardless of the duration required to recover, the former Fresno State player understands the importance of setting a positive example. “I’ll be better,” George said about his outlook. “I’ll put the work in, but it is a rough patch, I would say for myself… I must improve myself for the benefit of these guys.
Paul George’s Official Playing Status For The 76ers-Lakers
The depth chart is getting thin for the Philadelphia 76ers early on. That’s been the case for the first few weeks of the 2024-2025 NBA season, as the veteran forward Paul George has been a regular on the injury report.
Dealing with a knee injury, which occurred during the 2024 preseason, George missed the Sixers’ first five games of the season. Earlier this week, he finally saw his status on the injury report upgraded to questionable.
Heading into the Phoenix Suns matchup, George received the green light to play. Although he entered the matchup planning to be on a minute restriction, he ended up checking in for over 30 minutes. George struggled with his shot, shooting just 29 percent from the field and scoring 15 points.
On Wednesday, George appeared in his second game for the Sixers against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. The minutes restriction was in effect, keeping him on the court for just 23 minutes that night. While George shot much better, his 18 points didn’t help the Sixers avoid another loss.
Some notable names appear on the Sixers’ injury report, but George is absent for the first time since the start of the regular season. Although the impact of the restriction remains uncertain, the Sixers can rest assured that their star forward will play against the Lakers on Friday night.
Throughout his career, George has averaged 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists against the Lakers. The 76ers will miss two-thirds of their All-Stars in LA. Joel Embiid will serve the second game of his three-game suspension. Tyrese Maxey sustained a hamstring injury earlier this week and will not undergo a re-evaluation until a week has passed.
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