Paul George Says Last Season Was 'Rock Bottom' for 76ers, 'Can't Get No Worse'

Paul George is looking forward to the Philadelphia 76ers bouncing back from a rough 2024-25 season.

"Can't get no worse than last year," George said Friday, according to PHLY's Kyle Neubeck. "That was a rock bottom type of season."

The 76ers dealt with injuries to several key players before finishing with a 24-58 record last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since their 2016-17 campaign.

George only made 41 appearances, missing the start of the year due to a hyperextended left knee that he suffered in a preseason game. He was eventually shut down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season after receiving injections for knee and abductor injuries.

In July, George underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee.

He detailed the progress he's made in his recovery from the surgery on Friday.

"Pretty much everything but full contact," George said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm in the weight room, I'm lifting, working out every day. I'm on the court. I'm not ready to start the full ramp-up of conditioning on court with running and stuff like that. But I'm on the court. I'm working out, doing stationary drills— one or two dribble moves. I'm still able to move and be active on the court. Just not ready to be a full-on contact participant right now."

The nine-time All-Star won't participate in Philadelphia's training camp as he works his way back onto the court (via Neubeck).

The 76ers will also be hoping for a healthier season from Joel Embiid, as the superstar center only played in 19 games during his 2024-25 campaign while he dealt with knee issues. Star guard Tyrese Maxey was limited to 52 contests and Jared McCain's encouraging rookie season was cut short after just 23 games as well.

If George and the rest of the team's top contributors can stay healthier moving forward, Philadelphia could find itself back in the playoff conversation.