Paul George
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Paul George has yet to make his season debut for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers are still working on getting several core players back from injury, but they have a key player set to make his return from suspension this week in Paul George.
After the final buzzer sounds in South Philly on Monday, March 23, the nine-time All-Star will be eligible to return to the court for the Sixers for the first time in over one month.
Typically, when players suffer an injury that takes them off the court for a while, there’s a ramp-up phase before they get back to playing full-time again.
For George, his situation is different. The Sixers aren’t anticipating a long ramp-up period, if they even have one for him at all.
76ers Coach Has Major Paul George Update Before Thunder Game
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 17: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Nicolas Batum #33 of the LA Clippers during the second half of a game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 17, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
via Derek Bodner, PHLY: “He’s worked hard, he’s conditioned hard,” Nick Nurse says on Paul George, noting that he doesn’t expect any ramp-up concerns when he comes off of his 25 game suspension for Wednesday’s game.
The last time Paul George was on the court for the Sixers was back on January 29 for the matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
At the time, he checked in for 36 minutes. The veteran made seven of his 15 shot attempts from the field to produce 15 points. He also produced five assists, while coming down with two rebounds and coming up with two steals. The Sixers won that game 113-111.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 23: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against Jaime Jaquez Jr. #11 of the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 23, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
Before the following game against the New Orleans Pelicans, George landed some bad news, which hit the Sixers in a big way.
The NBA announced on January 31 that Paul George had been suspended for 25 games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. There was no pushback from George’s camp and the 76ers. The veteran forward apologized for his wrongdoing and moved on to serve his suspension.
The Sixers Are Fighting For The Playoffs
Paul George, Paul George drug test, Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers
GettyPaul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up ahead of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on January 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Since George has been out, the Sixers have suffered several other setbacks. Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Tyrese Maxey are all out with setbacks. The positive news is that nobody seems to be dealing with anything season-ending at the moment.
The Sixers could get most of their core players back right as they are fighting for a spot in the NBA Playoffs. Heading into the Thunder matchup, the Sixers are 39-32, which places them seventh in the Eastern Conference.
The sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks hold the same record, while the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors are less than one game ahead of Philly and Atlanta.
Following the Oklahoma City matchup, the Sixers are set to take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, March 25.