Paul George is finally ready to make his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers.
George will make his season debut with the franchise on Monday night in their matchup with the Phoenix Suns (7:15 p.m. ET, NBATV), according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. George has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee this fall after he went down in a preseason game against the Hawks last month.
He took part in a five-on-five scrimmage with the 76ers on Friday and he participated normally in practice on Sunday, according to Charania. Barring any setbacks, he’ll be in the lineup on Monday night at the Footprint Center.
George is one of two 76ers stars who has yet to play this season, which has sparked a bit of a controversy and an investigation by the league. Joel Embiid has not played either while managing a left knee injury, and it’s still unclear when he will be able to do so. The 76ers were fined $100,000 by the NBA for incorrect public statements they’ve made about his health.
Embiid also allegedly got into an altercation with and shoved Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Marcus Hayes on Saturday night. The incident came after a column Hayes wrote about Embiid’s injury issues where he referenced Embiid’s son and late brother. Embiid ripped Hayes while speaking with reporters on Friday, and then the incident on Saturday happened after the two “got into a verbal back-and-forth.” Embiid will not play on Monday night.
George signed a four-year, $212 million deal with the 76ers this past offseason. He averaged 22.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he picked up his second straight All-Star nod.
The 76ers enter Monday’s contest with a 1-4 record. Their lone win came in overtime against the Indiana Pacers, where Embiid actually was hit with a technical foul for waving a towel on the bench area during a free throw attempt. After Monday’s game in Arizona, the 76ers will wrap their three-game road trip with games against both the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers in Southern California.