76ers’ Biggest Remaining Concern Won’t be Resolved vs Bulls

On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers have a chance to take down the Chicago Bulls, the only other team in the Eastern Conference with the same 5-1 record.

There will be reinforcements for Philadelphia, but the team is still shorthanded. Their biggest concern, which is depth in the front court, won’t be resolved against the Bulls.

What’s Going on With Paul George?

The Sixers never put a timeline on Paul George’s recovery, so it’s hard to gauge whether he’s on track, ahead, or delayed in returning.

After undergoing a minor knee procedure in the offseason, adding to a notable amount of setbacks from last season, George knew he wouldn’t be ready for the start of training camp. He missed the entire preseason, and he’s going to miss at least seven games to begin the regular season.

"There’s nothing new, really,” Nurse recently told reporters when asked about George. “I know that he had a good workout yesterday. … He is progressing and we’ll just see how it goes."

The Sixers ruled out George in Chicago as early as Monday night. Maybe there’s a better update coming in the not-so-distant future, but Nurse doesn’t have much more to add to the situation.

The Recovery of Dominick Barlow

The two-way forward went down with a right elbow laceration in a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. After 15 minutes of action, Barlow was ruled out for the rest of the game. He underwent a procedure before the Orlando Magic matchup and planned to miss two games.

At this point, Barlow has been out for four matchups and will miss his fifth on Tuesday night.

It’s apparent that Barlow is dealing with a bit of a setback, which Nurse described as “nothing super serious.” The recovery time is taking slightly longer than anticipated.

Oct 25, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Sixers saw some impressive flashes from Barlow, who landed two starts in his first matchups with the team. During the season-opener against the Boston Celtics, Barlow shot 4-8 from the field to score 13 points. He also had eight rebounds and five assists.

While his night was cut in half against the Hornets, Barlow left the court with two points and four rebounds. He a plus-seven before getting ruled out at halftime.

The Sixers could certainly use some help and depth in the front court on both ends of the floor. The good news is that the lack of forward depth hasn’t placed them in a desperate position. The team has still won five of its first six games. But considering the promise that Barlow showed, and the money the Sixers are shelling out to George, they’ll only benefit from having those two back in the mix.

Since it won’t be on Tuesday in Chicago, the next chance is Wednesday night on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.