Paul George expected to make Philadelphia 76ers debut vs. Phoenix Suns Monday night, CBS Sports reports
Barring a setback, Paul George will make his highly anticipated Philadelphia 76ers debut on Monday night against the Phoenix Suns, CBS Sports reported.
George is officially listed as questionable for the game. ESPN was the first to report to the news on Sunday night.
George has missed the first five games of the 2024-25 regular season for the Sixers, who are 1-4 without George and superstar Joel Embiid in the lineup. George is recovering from a bone bruise he suffered against the Atlanta Hawks in a preseason game in October.
Last Friday, George fully participated in Philadelphia's practice and scrimmaged, but he wasn't available for Saturday night's game, which the Sixers lost 124-107 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
George, 34, signed a four-year max contract with the Sixers in the offseason to form the NBA's newest big three alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. In the 2023-24 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, George made the All-Star team, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists and shot 41% on 3-pointers on nearly eight attempts per game.
But, the Sixers have struggled mightily so far with George and Embiid sidelined, and stories off the court have surrounded the team early into the season.
On Saturday night, Embiid got into a physical altercation with a columnist from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid took issue with the reporter after he wrote a column that mentioned his late brother and his son -- both named Arthur -- and questioned his professionalism and effort. The NBA is investigating the incident.
The Sixers were also fined $100,000 last week for "inconsistent" statements about Embiid's health status.