Why Paul George’s Return Presser Enhanced his Expectations for the Sixers

The Sixers have been without their star trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George since March 8. Philadelphia, however, did not let its postseason hopes unravel.

“Obviously, it was devastation there,” George said this afternoon. “Especially, where we were at, I believe we were at fifth seed. I think we had just won a game against Sacramento, or something like that. We've been playing good basketball. So, there was some devastation, just of momentum that was being built.”

Instead, they persevered, winning five of their last nine games to remain within the top eight of the Eastern Conference. The Sixers bided their time and will receive a much-needed reinforcement.

George will return from his 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy ahead of Philadelphia’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. He used the absence to get healthy and now the Sixers need him at his best as they aim to clinch a playoff spot with 10 regular-season contests remaining.

“I’ve been feeling great preparing and working out, staying in shape, I’ve been feeling great,” George said. “Feeling explosive again, feeling strong again, so I feel like I’m back on that level of being able to perform and be the focal guy, be the scorer, so that’s my mindset going into [Wednesday].”

Although George did not specify which knee ailed him, he missed four games in January due to left knee injury management/soreness. This includes Philadelphia’s 130-93 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on January 29—two games before he received his suspension.

Philadelphia could instantly feel George’s presence on both ends of the court against Chicago.

He cemented himself as the Sixers’ defensive anchor as they allow only 113.4 points per 100 possessions when George is on the floor. That would qualify for a top-10 defensive rating league-wide according to Basketball Reference. His help defense and ability to guard multiple positions are traits that Philadelphia has lacked. The Sixers ranked 20th in defensive rating in the 25 games that George missed, according to NBA.com.

The 35-year-old also carved out a role offensively, weathering a balance between moving on and off the ball. George is shooting better from 3-point range than he did last season, benefitting from the scoring gravities of Maxey and Embiid. But he has also served as the Sixers’ de facto backup point guard, organizing the second-unit’s offense. Philadelphia’s 118 offensive rating with him active qualifies for ninth-best in the league, per Basketball Reference.

His absence started a laundry list of Sixers injuries. But they pushed through, going 13-12 during George’s exile. The Sixers received notable production from VJ Edgecombe, who has embraced being the team’s first option. He recorded at least 35 points in two of his last three games while Quentin Grimes and Justin Edwards have stepped up in their own rights.

“So, to be thrown into, you know, having to do more and pick up pieces, especially for a guy like VJ,” George said. “I give him a ton of credit. He just put the team on his back, especially now with Tyrese and Joel being out. It meant a lot.”

The clock is ticking for Philadelphia to crawl back into the playoff picture, trailing the Atlanta Hawks by one game for the sixth seed. The Sixers (39-33) will appreciate the stability George brings on both ends of the floor as they strive to return to health.

“The only thing for me is just to go out there, play as hard as I can to kind of build towards better conditioning and cardio going forward down this last 10-game stretch,” George said.