The Philadelphia 76ers‘ season has not gone the way many expected it to. Already a playoff team, the 76ers had a busy offseason. Their biggest move was signing Paul George away from the Los Angeles Clippers. The team also signed many notable additions, such as Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Guerschon Yabusele. Because of their moves, many expected the 76ers to finish as a top-three team in the Eastern Conference. So far, this has not been the case at all.
A little over a month into the 2024-25 NBA season, the 76ers are 3-13. This is the second-worst record in the NBA, only ahead of the 2-13 Washington Wizards. Much of their struggles have to do with health. George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, the team’s “Big Three,” have played just one game together. Still, even when the 76ers finally reach full health, it could prove too big of a task to right the ship. Regardless, George does not feel this way, guaranteeing they will turn their season around.
“Just our effort and energy. I think that’s one thing that we can control. Obviously, with big fella out, myself, Tyrese, just joining back, getting his rhythm. I mean, obviously, we’re a little limited, but I think what we can control is just our effort, our energy, and just doing things a little harder, but we’ll change this. We’ll change this around. I’m 100% betting down on that that we’ll change this. It’s on us. We got to control what we can.”
Star Paul George Makes Bold Philadelphia 76ers Guarantee
When Paul George Expects to Return From Injury
After suffering a knee injury in the preseason, George missed the first five games of the regular season. However, upon returning, the 34-year-old only appeared in eight games before suffering another sidelining knee injury. George has missed two games so far and will likely miss more. However, according to George himself, he is not far off from his return.
“Hopefully, within the next week. That’s kind of been the mindset that I’ve had. Obviously, we haven’t quite cleared it, but that’s the mindset that I’m targeting. The way the knee’s been filling and the workouts have been going. Hopefully, within a week, I’ll be ready to go.”
Once George returns, assuming he stays healthy, it will certainly put the 76ers back on the right path. When healthy, the former Clippers star is one of the best two-way players in the game. Currently, the 76ers are a bottom-half offensive and defensive team in the NBA. George’s return should help the 76ers out on both sides of the ball.
The Last Word
The 76ers are in a tough spot, but the season is far from over. Even with their struggles, they are still just three games back of a Play-In spot. Additionally, it is not as if all is bad for Philadelphia in their current state. Rookie Jared McCain is enjoying a fantastic rookie season so far, averaging 16.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over 16 games. He looks like a great addition and should still see a large role once George returns.
