76ers Don’t Deal Paul George Due to Multiple Playbacks After Loss to Bucks

Philadelphia 76ers, who play their opening game on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, have already eliminated Paul George and Joel Embiid. With Embiid stepping into action as part of his plan to stay healthy this year, the big man was ruled out for a handful of games after missing the entire preseason.

George continues to recover from the bone bruise on his knee. The experienced forward suffered a loss in his second preseason game with the Sixers against the Atlanta Hawks.

Without George and Embiid, the Sixers came up short against the Milwaukee Bucks. While the 76ers are leaving the door open for George to make a potential debut later this weekend, a team official confirmed that will not be the case.

While George continues to “progress well,” the veteran All-Star will miss Friday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors. He will also miss the away game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon.

Team officials confirmed earlier this week that Embiid would also miss the first three games.

When the Sixers returned to practice on Thursday after their loss against Milwaukee, Embiid and George were there, participating in the game. However, since none of the All-Stars competed in scrimmages, their participation was limited.

George’s return timeline is unknown at this time. The Sixers will re-evaluate the veteran forward next week and plan his debut accordingly.

While George played only twice in the preseason, the experienced player showed promise in the offensive area, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey. Seeing the field for 19 minutes per game, George scored 16 points per game with a 55 percent shooting rate. He averaged 50 percent from behind the arc. In addition to his scoring, George also produced four rebounds, two assists and one steal per game.

The Sixers hope to see their star trio in action for the first time soon. For now, they’ll just have to be patient while relying on Maxey’s guidance. George is the first player to make his debut at this point in next Wednesday’s home game against the Detroit Pistons.