Paul George shares update on his availability for 76ers debut vs Suns
According to Paul George, there is a high chance he will suit up against the Phoenix Suns tonight (Nov. 4).
George hyperextended his knee on Oct. 14 against the Atlanta Hawks in a preseason contest and has been sidelined since then. He has yet to play a single regular season game for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Journalist Keith Pompey asked George about the probability he would make his debut tonight. The nine-time All-Star provided a positive update for fans waiting for him to suit up.
"I would say 90%, 95%. Obviously, I'm gonna go through shootaround this morning, give it a full test. I've been cleared in the past couple days. No soreness, no swelling, no anything that would give me a second thought going into tonight."
After the Sixers shootaround, Pompey added an even more optimistic update regarding George's status.
Pompey reported that the star forward's status has been upgraded to probable.
The Sixers are badly in need of relief. Aside from Paul George missing action, 2023 MVP Joel Embiid has missed every single one of the team's games so far.
With George and Embiid absent, Philadelphia has struggled out of the gates, losing four of its first five matchups. Its only win was a hard-fought struggle against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 27 that went into overtime. Tyrese Maxey led the team to a 118-114 victory, scoring 45 points.
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Tyrese Maxey has been holding down the fort for the 76ers with Paul George and Joel Embiid out
When the Philadelphia 76ers signed Paul George this past offseason, the hope was that he, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey would form a new big three. So far, Maxey has been the only one available.
Maxey has been working hard with the team's two other stars sidelined. He is leading the league in minutes per game, averaging 41.0 minutes.
He is also the only Sixers player averaging over 20 points per game at 29.8. The only other players on the team averaging in double figures are Kelly Oubre Jr (18.0 ppg) and Caleb Martin (11.2).
Tyrese Maxey has been a budding star for the Sixers. Last season, he won the Most Improved Player of the Year award and was named to his first All-Star team. His emergence has provided Embiid with a running mate.
With the addition of Paul George, the hope is that the Sixers could finally make it to the Eastern Conference Finals in the Embiid era. However, aside from talent, health is also a major factor for them.