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Philadelphia 76ers fans were just treated to startling news. Paul George, who played in just 41 games last season, suffered a left knee injury during a recent workout, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. Fortunately, he underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on Monday. He will begin rehab and then have his condition re-evaluated before training camp begins in October.
This is a lot to process. On the one hand, it is encouraging that George is getting this done fairly early in the offseason. The concerning part, however, is that the nine-time All-Star incurred this setback in the first place. He has three years and more than $160 million left on his contract. The Sixers' misfortune and miscalculations seem to be never-ending. A turbulent tenure in Philly rolls on.
The ongoing injury issues are particularly concerning since George turned 35 years old in May. The possibility of him not starting on schedule is gut-wrenching. Fans recently gained a new lease on life after selecting tremendous athlete VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft. Pairing the promising rookie with a healthy Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George is alluring, but will such a scenario ever realistically happen?
The 76ers will surely exercise caution with the first two, given that they are both in recovery mode. That leaves Maxey to carry a huge burden offensively. With so much up in the air in Philadelphia, it is time for him to solidify himself as the No. 1 guy on this squad. Neither head coach Nick Nurse nor this perpetually tortured fan base can trust the core trio to stay intact over the course of an entire season.
They cannot afford to give up on George, though. The Sixers can only hope they salvage their substantial investment. Perhaps this procedure will help the 2019 All-NBA First-Team selection move past his disastrous first year with the organization. Philly is definitely ready for a reset. Will the basketball gods oblige?
