Paul George is finally ready to make his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, George will make his season debut with the franchise in their matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. George has been dealing with a bruise in his left knee this fall after going down in a preseason game against the Hawks last month.
He took part in a five-on-five scrimmage with the 76ers on Friday and participated in practice as normal on Sunday, according to Charania. Unless there are setbacks, he will be in the lineup Monday night at the Footprint Center.
George is one of two 76ers stars who have yet to play this season, which has sparked some controversy and an investigation by the league. Joel Embiid also hasn’t played due to a left knee injury, and it’s still unclear when he will be able to do so. The 76ers were concerned about his health.
with and pushed Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Marcus Hayes Saturday night. The incident came after Hayes wrote a column about Embiid’s injury problems, referencing Embiid’s son and late brother. Embiid ripped into Hayes, and then the incident happened on Saturday after the two “got into a verbal back-and-forth.” Embiid will not play Monday night.
George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the 76ers last offseason. Last season, he averaged 22.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he captured his second straight All-Star title.
The 76ers enter Monday’s game with a 1-4 record. Their only win came in overtime against the Indiana Pacers, where Embiid was actually hit with a technical foul for waving a towel on the bench during a free throw attempt. After Monday’s game in Arizona, the 76ers conclude their three-game road trip with games against both the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers in Southern California.
