Paul George could be one “last hurdle” away from making his 76ers season debut, coach Nick Nurse said following Friday’s practice.
The team announced before Nurse’s media session that George will meet with doctors this weekend, which Nurse then called a potential final step for the veteran forward to be medically cleared to return to game action following offseason arthroscopic knee surgery.
“I’m like everybody out there in Sixers Nation,” Nurse said. “I’m hoping the doc gives him the clearance and we can get him out there, even if it’s just to get him back in the flow of things.”
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George has been practicing since mid-October, including full-contact scrimmaging in recent days. Nurse said George has been “moving very well” during those sessions. George was the last player on the floor following Friday’s practice, participating in a shooting and conditioning drill during which he fired a corner three-pointer at one end of the floor and then sprinted the opposite end for another long-range attempt.
Nurse added he expects George to provide an immediate defensive lift to the Sixers (5-3) because of his 6-foot-9 frame and “instinctual feel for that end of the floor.” The Sixers entered Friday ranked 22nd in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 116.5 points per 100 possessions.
“He’s really kind of a captain-type guy there,” Nurse said. “He knows what he’s doing, and he helps other guys. He talks. He knows how to kind of help other guys navigate situations and stuff like that. That would be useful, as well.”
George battled several injuries during a disappointing first season with the Sixers, when he averaged 16.2 points on 43% shooting, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals in 41 games. But he lacked the explosiveness to drive past defenders, which previously made him a dangerous three-level scorer and perennial All-Star throughout his 15-year career.
George said he would be open to playing power forward this season, a noticeable void on the Sixers’ guard-heavy roster. Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, who are on two-way contracts, have played the bulk of the minutes at that spot this season.
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Nurse is hoping for a similar return timetable for Barlow, who on Monday is scheduled for a follow-up visit with the surgeon who performed the procedure on his left elbow laceration. Because the wound is located where the arm bends, Barlow on Friday was still wearing a sling with a protective brace/cast that covers most of his arm and keeps it relatively straight.
Barlow has not played since Oct. 25, halting an impressive start to his time in Philly. He averaged 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the Sixers’ first two games and was a pleasant surprise during training camp, earning the starting nod on opening night.
McCain’s knee feeling good after debut
Jared McCain’s knee did not “blow up swelling” Wednesday morning, a positive sign after the second-year guard played in his first game in nearly 11 months.
“Just taking small wins at a time,” he said following Friday’s practice.
McCain played 15 minutes, 9 seconds Tuesday at the Chicago Bulls, his first action since mid-December knee surgery and Oct. 1 thumb surgery. He went scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting, but contributed two assists and one rebound.
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In the short term, Nurse expects McCain to remain on a minutes and games restriction. He did not play in Wednesday’s loss at the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. McCain continued to do extra individual work following Friday’s practice, crossing George as they ran across the floor in the same conditioning and shooting drill. He is listed as available for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Raptors on the NBA’s official injury report released Friday evening.
McCain also is learning how to play with the bulky knee brace worn under a sleeve, which he joked “looks like I have a bulletproof leg.” He said wearing that protection makes his body feel “unbalanced” and “super heavy,” especially while playing at NBA game speed.
“Like you’re just lugging a whole leg — another leg on top of your leg,” McCain said. “And it’s just hard to move. I said it to my family, it’s like my mind wants to do something, but my body’s not letting me. It just takes getting used to.”
Before both injuries, McCain was an early Rookie of the Year front-runner while averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 23 games. Overall, he was pleased with his first outing following such a lengthy absence.
His shot attempts were “exactly how I played last year,” he said, even while sharing the backcourt with Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe for the first time. Defensively, McCain believes he “was as quick I can [be] on my feet with the brace on” and has been focused on that end’s details and principles.
“Just trying to get in the rhythm and not mess up the flow,” McCain said, “and still be myself.”
Another back-to-back
The Sixers next play their second back-to-back this week, hosting the Raptors Saturday and the Detroit Pistons Sunday (both at 7:30 p.m. on NBCSP). Their results in such games so far have been mixed. They topped the Orlando Magic and then rallied to defeat the Washington Wizards on Oct. 27-28. But on Tuesday, they blew a 24-point lead at the Bulls, then started slow and fell at the Cavaliers the following night.
Ahead of Wednesday’s loss in Cleveland, Nurse said he prioritized physical and mental rest with players during the day. Following Friday’s practice, the coach vaguely alluded to “a couple of things I think that we’ve learned that we need to tweak” regarding how they handle such scheduling situations.
But, mostly, Nurse said he wants the Sixers “to try not to make such a big deal out of it being a back-to-back.”
“That’s a good place to start mentally,” Nurse said, “[with] a mindset of, ‘Let’s just play the game.’”
