The 76ers are 39–33 entering play on Tuesday night, smack in the middle of a smorgasbord of playoff hopefuls in the East standings.
Through a certain lens, it is a positive sign that Philadelphia has a hold on the seventh seed given the injury issues that have plagued the franchise in recent months—Joel Embiid has played only twice since the All-Star break while Tyrese Maxey has missed the last two weeks with a tendon issue in his shooting hand. But given there were times in the first half of this campaign where Philly looked like a possible conference powerhouse, limping towards the playoffs with a play-in tournament spot isn’t where the Sixers hoped to be in late March.
The team’s clash against the Bulls on Wednesday will bring reinforcements, at least. Former All-Star Paul George is set to return to play after missing the last 25 games due to a PED suspension. On Tuesday, the wing met with media to discuss all that’s happened since he was last allowed on the court, and George issued an apology in the process for his suspension.
“First and foremost, just give my apology to the city of Philadelphia,” George said. “My family, my teammates, the organization. Everybody that was affected through this suspension. To own up to that as a leader of this group, being brought here to be a leader … to let people down hurt more than kind of anything, going through this process. Shoutout to the guys for having my back, for supporting me through this time.”
In a statement to ESPN after news of the suspension broke, George said he “made the mistake” of taking improper medication in an effort to treat a mental health issue. During his presser on Tuesday the NBA veteran declined to share specifically what he took that triggered the suspension did give insight into the issues he was battling that led to his “poor decision.”
“Obviously, being a pro athlete takes a toll on you,” George said. “My body wasn’t where I wanted it to be. The expectation to perform because of my body not being where it needed to be. Obivously I’m going to have an expectation for myself. That’s what led [to] the poor decision at the time. But I’ve said it throughout my career, dealing with mental health: I’m no superhero. I’m a human. I made a mistake in that moment.”
He also acknowledged he was in a better place mentally now than he was earlier in the season.
“I’m in a better place,” George said. “Being a pro athlete, the most difficult thing is when your body isn't where you know it needs to be or where it once was. That leads and bleeds into the mental side of things, knowing that you're limited. But for me, if I feel good, my body is feeling great, mentally I know I'm capable of doing what I can do and what I've been able to do on the court for years. The mental thing only comes from the physical side not being in a great place.”
Generally positive updates from the 36-year-old. Even better, he said the knee he underwent surgery on last summer is feeling good too, and the unexpected time off helped his body recover.
The 76ers will certainly be glad to have him back. George is averaging 16 points per game this season and will be needed as a ballhandler with the various injuries the roster is dealing with right now.
How Paul George’s return impacts Eastern Conference playoff race
While you’d have to search hard to find anybody who believes in Philadelphia as a true title contender, the franchise is well-positioned to qualify for the playoffs. And the current situation out East makes George’s return quite impactful as far as how seeding will shake out over the last 10 games of the year.
As of Tuesday, the fifth East seed through the ninth seed are all separated by a total of 2 1/2 games. The Raptors currently hold the edge for fifth, barely ahead of the Hawks in sixth; Atlanta is barely ahead of Philadelphia in seventh, and the Sixers hold the slimmest of leads over the Magic (eighth) and Heat (ninth). Even the Hornets in 10th are only 1 1/2 games back of Philadelphia. It is a very delicate balance and the results of one game could lead to a complete reorganization of the standings.
The 76ers have exactly 10 games left and will need as many wins as possible to keep their spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Ideally they’d climb out of the play-in tournament, but that seems unlikely without Maxey in the lineup even with the return of George. Regardless, George should prove helpful as Philadelphia attempts to get to the postseason at full strength.
More NBA from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- NBA MVP Odds: Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic All Gain Ground on SGA
- Grizzlies Announce Ja Morant Out for Season With Elbow Injury, Ending Another Disappointing Year
- The Victor Wembanyama MVP Conversation Is Missing One Crucial Point
- Chris Mannix’s NBA Notebook: Victor Wembanyama Makes Loud MVP Case
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul George Apologizes for PED Suspension Ahead of Return to 76ers.
