The Philadelphia 76ers are navigating a disastrous season. Nick Nurse’s team currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, 3.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls who occupy the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Due to the Sixers’ struggles, there has been significant discussion on whether to shut Paul George down for the remainder of the season. The veteran All-Star has been in and out of the rotation this season.
During his postgame news conference following the Sixers’ 105-123 loss to the Boston Celtics, Nurse refused to entertain the idea of shutting down a healthy player.
“We want them to play if they’re able to play, right?,” Nurse said. “For me, the medical people tell me if they’re good. … I think, at the end of the third the other night, he just wasn’t able to continue. So that kind of stuff happens too, and I just take my directions from them.”
George missed his team’s loss to the Celtics, as he’s currently dealing with a groin injury. When healthy, Philadelphia’s star forward is averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He’s shooting 43% from the field and 35.8% from deep.
Sixers Have Growing Concern Over George’s Injury
When speaking to the media following the Sixers’ 126-112 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, March 4, Nurse admitted that he was concerned regarding George’s latest injury setback.
“Well, yeah, it is definitely a concern,” Nurse said. “[He] was questionable coming in with the groin [issue] and it just tightened up on him there. I think it was the start of the fourth. Yeah, ’cause we had him scheduled to go back in and Kelly [Oubre Jr.] out for a rest ’cause Paul got a little rest in the third. But yeah, tightened-up groin and we’re certainly concerned about it. ”
George sustained the injury midway through the fourth quarter. After missing the loss against the Celtics, Philadelphia fans will likely be hoping he’s back in the rotation in the near future. Fortunately, the Sixers aren’t back in action until Sunday, March 9, so George has a few more days of recovery before the medical staff make a decision on his availability.
Paul George Has Put His Podcast on Hiatus
In a Feb. 24 episode of his ‘Podcast P with Paul George’ podcast, George announced that his show was going on hiatus. George aims to be laser-focused on helping the Sixers challenge for a spot in the play-in tournament, and potentially the playoffs.
“It’s no secret this season is up to this point, man,” George said. “It hasn’t been what we envision…With that being said, though, I want to let the Podcast P family know that after today’s episode with Dwight (Howard), I plan to take a break from the pod to focus on getting my body right, getting mentally right and help this squad make a push towards our goal. To finish the season, I’ll give ourselves a chance to be in contention to compete for a championship.”
Given his decision to step away from his podcast, George’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. Nevertheless, the fact that Nurse intends to re-insert George into the rotation when healthy, means the Sixers still plan on fighting for a postseason place. Regardless of whether they get there or not, it’s clear some changes will need to occur during the summer.
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