76ers Keep Key Debuts on Hold While Facing Brooklyn Nets

Paul George and Jared McCain aren't ready to make their season debuts just yet.

Feb 12, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When the Philadelphia 76ers take the court on Sunday night to face the Brooklyn Nets, they’ll remain without two core players, who have yet to make their season debut.

Paul George and Jared McCain knew their debuts would be pushed back before the 76ers reached training camp. They are officially going to miss the first two weeks of the 2025-2026 NBA season.

Paul George post practice shooting, pretty good pic.twitter.com/TH6vpCF84j
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 30, 2025

Over the summer, Paul George experienced another setback to add to his unfortunately long list of injuries since joining the team last year.

A procedure on his knee led the veteran forward to accept that he won’t get to start his season on time. Ahead of training camp, George made it clear that he intends to return to All-Star form, looking to earn his massive deal, but he has to get fully healthy first.

The good news is that George has been back on the court in the Sixers’ practice setting. The veteran forward is beginning to ramp up so he can return and bounce back after a disappointing first year in Philadelphia.

The nine-time All-Star appeared in 41 games. Seeing the court for 32 minutes per game, George averaged 16.2 points, while shooting 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc. It was the first time in nine seasons that George finished a year averaging under 20 points.

Jared McCain, who fully recovered from a season-ending knee injury, suffered a thumb injury ahead of training camp. Once the Sixers confirmed that McCain was undergoing surgery, it was clear the second-year guard was set to miss multiple weeks of action.

Last season, McCain appeared in 23 games. He produced 15.3 points per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field and knocking down 38 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Similar to George, McCain has been back on the court for practice action, but the team doesn’t have a target date for his return in place just yet. After the Sixers close out this week, they should have better clarity on George and McCain’s future statuses soon.

The Sixers are set to take on the Brooklyn Nets at 6 PM ET on Sunday.

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