After 12 games on the shelf recovering from offseason knee surgery, Paul George finally made his season debut Monday night against the Clippers.
Nick Nurse doesn’t expect George to play both legs of the Sixers’ upcoming back-to-back against the Raptors and the Bucks, but he said his star forward exited the game feeling healthy.
“He was good,” Nurse said Tuesday. “Came out good. Felt good. Feels good. Today he was a full participant in practice.”
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George, who signed a four-year max contract ahead of last season, played 21 minutes and scored nine points against his former team. Nurse said before George’s season debut that the forward would be on a minutes restriction but did not get into specifics.
Although George shot 2-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-4 from three-point range, the Sixers are already feeling his impact on both ends of the floor.
“We all know [what] he can do as far as on-ball defending, but he’s also a great off-ball defender, being there for us, being able to help, being loud,” Trendon Watford said. “I think that’s what we’ve been missing. With Kelly [Oubre Jr.] going out, Kelly being the vocal guy on defense, and obviously the guy who takes the toughest matchups, Paul can fill that void for us.”
Dominick Barlow, who played his second game since returning from an elbow laceration, idolized George growing up. He said the spacing George brings on the floor helped open up the game for the entire team.
“It’s going to make our lineups a lot more interesting, and it’s going to be fun,” Barlow said.
Barlow’s return
Speaking of injuries, Barlow said he’s at full strength and not restricted in any way after a procedure to repair the cut in his elbow. He is working with the medical team to prevent the cut from reopening but said he’s not overly concerned about it.
Barlow believes his vision on the court already is improving.
“Seeing driving angles, I had a couple of straight line drives that I was able to attack, so I’d probably say that was the biggest thing,” Barlow said. “I’m just trying to get some more pop back in my legs.”
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The Sixers did not have updates on the health status of Oubre or Joel Embiid, Nurse said. Embiid was a full participant in practice Tuesday but has missed four consecutive games because of soreness in his right knee.
“He’s OK, I would say,” Nurse said ahead of Monday’s game. “Just not quite pain-free. Still day to day. I think it’s getting better. I don’t think he’s far away from playing.”
Oubre missed Monday’s game with a lateral collateral ligament injury in his left knee, which he suffered Friday in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. Nurse said the team is still waiting for an update on his status.
