Paul George: 76ers Feel 'Good Where We're at' After Embiid's Return Despite 2-8 Start

The Philadelphia 76ers, already beset by injuries early in the 2024-25 season, have opened the campaign with a 2-8 mark.

It's a steep and early hole the team has dug for itself, but Paul George said on his podcast Wednesday that the Sixers aren't panicking just yet.

"We feel good where we're at," he said on Podcast P. "We haven't played well, I personally haven't shot the ball well. I feel like I'm starting to get my feeling, my timing back. I'm starting to feel like myself again. I missed the whole preseason, so my legs have been heavy. I've been a little more gassed than usual. Just tired, so I'm starting to get all my wind back. Get my legs back under me. I'm still learning teammates, I'm learning spacing, I'm learning [how Nick Nurse coaches]. ... Once we start winning and figure out who we are, our identity, we'll turn the tide and go the other way."

The Sixers completely reworked their roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this offseason, adding George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Guerschon Yabusele, Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson in free agency, drafting Jared McCain and re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry.

It was always likely that the new roster would need time to jell. But that was put on hold after George and Embiid were hurt to start the regular season and Maxey suffered an injury early on in the campaign.

The only positive for the Sixers thus far has been that the injuries to the star trio have allowed players like Yabusele and McCain to get increased run.

Yabusele has been a surprise contributor given his prowess from beyond the arc (40.5 percent), while McCain has looked like the steal of the 2024 NBA draft (11.5 PPG, 1.5 APG, 35.9 percent from three, two straight performances with 23 or more points) and has likely earned himself a significant role the rest of the season.

But the Sixers will go as far as Embiid, George and Maxey can take them. The trio has yet to play together in a single game. Embiid only made his season debut during Tuesday's loss to the New York Knicks, while George has appeared in just five games and has been on a soft minutes restriction, averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and two steals per game across 29.2 minutes, shooting 42.5 percent from the field and just 30.6 percent from three.

And Embiid was even rustier upon his return—he scored 13 points and had five assists on Tuesday night but shot 2-of-11 from the field and looked labored. It was a concerning first showing, with the hope that he simply wasn't in game shape yet and there weren't deeper, more underlying concerns with his recovery from knee issues.

George was effusive in his praise of Embiid on Wednesday.

"When we practice, he is so dominant," he said. "It makes the game so easy. He's so good, isolation-wise, you have to help. No way you leave anyone to guard him by themselves. He plays like a guard in a big's body. He's talented, bro, I've never seen someone at his size just have that much talent. He can do it all."

He's going to have to as the Sixers seek to turn around what has been a brutal start. It won't get better for the Sixers on Wednesday evening, however, with both Embiid and George already ruled out for the second half of a back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers.