Not only did the Sixers beat the hated Boston Celtics on Tuesday, but they got even more good news after the game.
The last George update on Friday led to a temporary freakout so this
is a far more welcome development.
Better yet, head coach Nick Nurse also told reporters that Joel Embiid, who missed Tuesday’s win due to right knee soreness, has no structural issues in the knee and is day-to-day. It’s unclear if he’ll suit up for Friday’s rematch against the Detroit Pistons (aka the Fightin’ Tobias Harrises), but it doesn’t sound like it should be a long-term issue. (Famous last words.)
George has already been participating in practice for the past few weeks, so it’s not a huge surprise that he’s nearing his season debut. Still, given how things went for the Sixers on the injury front last year, steady progress toward full health certainly beats the alternative.
Despite being without George for the first 11 games of the season and having Embiid on a minutes limit, the Sixers have gotten off to a 7-4 start. Justin Edwards, who’s largely been a non-factor thus far this season, was the hero against Boston on Tuesday night, finishing with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting (including 5-of-5 from deep).
George’s imminent return figures to push Trendon Watford to the bench, where he’ll battle with Jabari Walker in a quiet tournament for the backup 4 job. Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Embiid should all be locked-in starters when healthy, while Andre Drummond is proving plenty capable in spot starts whenever Embiid is out.
George may need at least a few games to shake off rust, but the Sixers have proven in the early going that they don’t need him to take on a massive scoring load right away. His defense and floor-spacing ability alone will be major upgrades to their wing rotation. Anything he provides beyond that at first will be a bonus.
Although George’s first season with the Sixers was a disappointment, this year’s squad has far surpassed national expectations in the early going without him. If his return can help them keep the good vibes rolling, we’ll again have to ask the existential question: Are the Sixers too good?
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.
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