WASHINGTON — An explanation for why Paul George is suddenly looking like his All-Star version self for the first time in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform is simple on the surface, but layered in context.
George’s resurgence is tied to a left knee injury that has lingered for years — one that was connected to the circumstances that led to the NBA-mandated 25-game suspension he served earlier this season. The knee, first injured roughly two years ago, was managed through last season, then reaggravated again last summer and never fully stabilized during the early part of his Sixers tenure. Only now, with extended time off, can Paul say he trusts it again.
“The time off has really unlocked me and allowed me to play free and to be able to play aggressively,” George said. “I don’t want it to get confused: I was healthy, but I needed time for my body to heal and for my body to recover. I was healthy and playing, but the games were coming too fast, and my body wasn’t responding quickly enough. I wanted to keep playing, but I knew that my body needed time.”
For much of two years, the prized free-agent signee looked like a bust. This week, he’s been able to look and feel like himself for the first time since leaving the LA Clippers. Four games in since his return, the 35-year-old George has looked fresh, spry and athletic. He’s been able to get to the basket with regularity and is averaging 28.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting over 51 percent from the field.
On Wednesday night, his 39 points in a win over the Washington Wizards represented his high in a 76ers uniform — a game that, while against a struggling opponent, underscored how differently George is moving on the floor. Where he had typically been deferential within Philadelphia’s offense, he’s been aggressive, no matter who is on the floor. Where he’s settled for contested jumpers, because he had previously been unable to separate off the dribble, now he’s been able to use his ability to drive to the basket to set up his jumper. He’s been working inside-out instead of the other way around.
The 76ers are 3-1 since his return from the league-imposed suspension. He scored 28 points against the Chicago Bulls in his game back, then followed it up with 26 points and 13 rebounds in last Saturday night’s road win over the Charlotte Hornets, arguably his best and most effective all-around game.
“I think he showed great leadership in being aggressive and getting us going at the start against Washington,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought it was great to see the variety in his game. I thought we saw some drives, and we saw some transition 3s. So, it was a great job by him in getting us jump-started in both halves.”
When George incurred the suspension, it culminated the frustration he had been feeling and the hamster wheel he had been running. Upon his return, he apologized and acknowledged it was a mistake that he ingested the substance that got him banned for 25 games. Still, for someone who had been dealing with a tidal wave of criticism, he stepped back and tried to figure out a way to make it work.
His immediate thought was that he wanted to make sure his body, the knee, had sufficient time to heal. His biggest frustration is that he would mentally make a move on the floor, or see a spot he could typically get to off the dribble, but would not be able to get there. He knew he needed some time off, but he also knew he was healthy enough to play and that he wanted to be available for his teammates. The whispers of him being washed were too loud.
“I wanted to make sure that I used the time wisely,” George said. “I was still able to work out, but I was able to do it without the pounding and the wear and tear. I wanted to stay in shape and stay sharp. I was able to work hard, but also able to recover and to carry it into the next day.”
During that time, George went to work. He did everything: went through daily workouts with the Sixers’ developmental coaches. played one-on-one, two-on-two and running full-court sessions with the coaching staff and stay-ready crew. When shootarounds and practices came around, George played with the scout team and mimicked the star player of whatever opposition was immediately on the schedule as preparation.
“After a while, word kind of filtered through the building about how good he was looking in his workouts,” Nurse said. “I saw a couple, but the reports were that he looked really unbelievable in those workouts.”
On Wednesday night, the 76ers received a gift when the Sacramento Kings defeated the Toronto Raptors. That means, as of Friday morning, the Sixers are in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings, the final guaranteed playoff spot and a way to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
There are still six games remaining in the season for the 76ers, so a lot can happen. Philadelphia has been trending upwards for the last few weeks, as players have been able to get healthy. They are 3-1 since George has come back from his suspension. They head into a monster back-to-back this weekend, facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night and the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
They aren’t playing perfect basketball, or anything close to that kind. You can argue that the 3-1 record over the last week should have been a four-game sweep. A late-game meltdown against the Miami Heat prevented that. You can certainly point to Philadelphia’s defense and find significant room for improvement there as well.
Still, if this version of George shows up for the remainder of the season, the 76ers could present a different kind of problem for opponents in the playoffs. Alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia has as talented a group as almost anyone in the conference.
There have been times when George wondered if he would be able to get back to this level. There were times when he wondered if the explosive first step and ability to finish at and above the rim were gone for good. This recent stretch has shown that he can still be himself when he is completely healthy. Mentally, he trusts his left knee again — something that he’s battled for the better part of two years.
“It feels great to be able to do the things I’ve previously been able to do,” George said. “It’s hard mentally to see yourself doing things, and you can’t physically do them. I think that’s the hardest part of an athlete going through injuries, trying to do different things, and the body is rejecting them. I don’t think it gets talked about enough.”