The Philadelphia 76ers announced that Paul George recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after suffering an injury during a workout.
The team called it a “procedure to treat an injury sustained during a recent workout” and offered no further details beyond saying George will be reevaluated before training camp begins in September.
“A source familiar with George’s injury told me this was essentially an arthroscopic clean up and did not involve the major ligaments.” Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports reported. Neubeck added, “Don’t know much more than that as of yet.”
But the injury doesn’t bode well for Philly, as The Athletic’s Tony Jones explains.
With Joel Embiid only cleared for partial basketball activities and George now in rehabilitation mode, that means two of Philadelphia’s three best players will at the very least be working their way back from injuries heading into a pivotal season. If George isn’t ready for training camp, preseason or the regular season, it would have numerous implications for Philadelphia in the interim.”
Last season, George appeared in only half of Philadelphia’s games due to lingering knee and groin issues. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, shooting 35 point eight percent from deep.
The 76ers’ injury woes weren’t limited to George. Joel Embiid played in 19 games, Jared McCain logged 23 appearances, and Tyrese Maxey suited up 52 times in what became a brutal year for the team’s core.
On paper, the Embiid-George-Maxey trio could make Philadelphia a contender in a wide-open Eastern Conference. But whether they can stay healthy and find chemistry under head coach Nick Nurse remains to be seen.
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