Paul George‘s first season in Philadelphia certainly has not gone the way either party envisioned when the nine-time All-Star signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Sixers last summer.
The 34-year-old forward has missed 19 of the team’s 54 games to this point due to knee, groin, ankle and finger injuries, and he hasn’t been effective lately when active, recording just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 37 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn. After dropping five straight, the 76ers are now tied with the Nets for the sixth-worst record in the NBA.
Appearing on NBA Today on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that George, who has been playing through tendon damage in his left pinky finger, has been receiving injections just to suit up over the past week.
“He’s been doing what he can to be on the court and to try to be available,” Charania said. “I’m told that it’s to the point where he gotten injections to play and compete over the last four or five games. That’s something that players do come playoff time, not necessarily in the regular season.
“ … We can tell that he’s not 100 percent. … Clearly, there’s something that’s been amiss with him, with his body, and we’re seeing that play out. The Sixers, there’s going to be a point in time here where … they’re going to have to have some hard conversations about availability and potentially maybe even shutting a guy or two down in the second half of the season.”
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Already thin on frontcourt depth, the Lakers lost starting center Jaxson Hayes to a facial contusion in Wednesday’s loss to Utah, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear whether he’ll have to miss time as a result of the injury or if he’ll be able to recover during the All-Star break.
- Six weeks after fracturing his left tibia in his Nets debut, second-year wing Maxwell Lewis was able to return to action on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 2023 second-round pick only played 27 seconds to wrap up the victory, but he was grateful to be back on an NBA court so soon after a scary-looking injury. “I’m just blessed and glad it’s over,” Lewis said. “Now, I get to at least start what I was starting when it first happened on Jan. 1, just getting back to playing and my routine. It’s great. I’m blessed to be back.”
- The Hawks lost a couple of rotation players to multi-week injuries on Wednesday, but they’re expected to have Clint Capela back after the All-Star break, according to Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The veteran center has missed Atlanta’s last nine games due to a back injury.
- Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s overtime loss to Indiana due to a left leg injury, per ESPN.com. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner was unable to put weight on his injured leg, which is never a great sign.
As a Sixers fan can we please just shutdown Embiid & George; this gambit was always a 2year plan so just chalk this one up to a lost season and try to get everyone healthy (a complete fantasy I know).
Tell that to Warriors fans… lol
Players made of glass don’t suddenly become ironmen late in their career…
Yes,
76ers should tank this season.
George was playing hard last night.
All fans need to think this way:
Expectation is too high. Paul George is a role player for an average team now.
As a Thunder fan…..please go ahead with operation shutdown.
nobody could believe it at the time, but the greatest move in indiana pacers history was trading paul george
yes but okc was the one that maximize the paul george trade…not pacers
PG turned into sabonas who turned into haliburton who is now franchise star & led them to ECF last yr. Also the point is nobody could have imagined giving him up would be such a positive thing
I think my least favorite thing in the entire NBA is this growing trend of teams overpaying for always-injured players and then talking about how stunned they are when the players are always injured. You know who could have predicted this? Literally everyone.
For years now Podcast P has just one move during games …… on top of the 3 point line, in and out dribble and launch a long one. That’s it.
Can’t believe front office guys still for this act.
The last time he showed any burst, was that one on Birdman way back when.
George suffered a bone bruise early in the season. Even though he only missed a few games those don’t heal quickly. My guess is it’s been affecting him all season. Based on past behavior with Philly they are letting him play through it, even though just like Embiid he isn’t remotely at full health and shouldn’t be playing. Another example of how that organization is terribly run if you ask me. It starts with terrible ownership in my opinion.
Why didn’t 76ers trade for Butler last week?
You always trade the overrated players.
Why?
The Overrated players have a huge trade value, but they have little win production.
Because the 76ers have already been burnt by that dumpster fire..
TD
Warriors get George
76ers get Butler
Heat get Wiggins Anderson and filler and 3 Firsts
paul george got a max contract now he can coast and take it easy. focus more on his podcast and still get paid max money.