Paul George Finds His Rhythm as Sixers Look Ahead to Grueling Stretch
PHILADELPHIA - Five games into his return, Paul George is starting to look more like, well, Paul George. The nine-time All-Star logged a season-high 28 minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and while the Sixers didn’t come away with the win, they did see something they’ve been waiting for: a more active, more confident version of their newest star.
George filled the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and five steals - a little bit of everything. And that’s exactly what Philadelphia needs from him.
In today’s NBA, versatile wings are the engine that drives both ends of the floor. George has long been one of the league’s best at doing just that, and now, after working his way back from injury, he’s starting to show flashes of the two-way impact that could elevate the Sixers in a crowded Eastern Conference.
The key now? Managing the ramp-up.
At 35, George knows his body better than anyone, and he’s not trying to sprint through the marathon that is an NBA season. But after Sunday’s performance, he sounded encouraged by how things are trending.
“I feel good,” George said postgame. “I asked for more minutes out there.
Just how the game was going, how my body was feeling. Back got a little tight, but that’s gonna happen.
That was the most minutes I’ve kind of played consecutively.”
That tightness? Not unexpected.
When you haven’t played extended minutes in a while, your body reminds you. But George was quick to downplay any concern, emphasizing that it’s all part of the process.
“It’s nothing to be concerned with,” he added. “I feel good being back on the floor.”
For the Sixers, the mission is simple: keep him healthy, keep him progressing. That means treatment on off days - like Monday - and a focus on building toward the moments that really matter later in the season. Because while December basketball doesn’t make or break a season, it does lay the foundation for what’s to come.
And George knows that rhythm is the next piece of the puzzle.
“Now, just try to get rhythm,” he said. “The biggest thing is just trying to find rhythm, and trying to keep rhythm, and seeing where shots will come, and just put the work in now. I think I’m kind of the bird leaving the nest, getting to fly, flap my wings a little bit more, so it feels good to kind of be on the healthy side.”
That metaphor might be a little poetic, but the message is clear: he’s getting his legs under him. And with a brutal stretch of games on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be more important.
Philadelphia hosts the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, then dives straight into a back-to-back starting Thursday - first the Golden State Warriors at home, then a quick turnaround on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s three games in four nights, a stretch that will test not only George’s conditioning but the Sixers’ depth and ability to manage minutes smartly.
After that, though, there’s a bit of breathing room - a short break from December 8 through December 11. That window could be crucial for George to recover, recalibrate, and continue building toward full form.
For now, the Sixers will take what they saw on Sunday: an encouraging step forward from a player whose presence changes the ceiling of this team. George isn’t all the way back yet, but he’s getting closer - and that’s a big win for Philadelphia, regardless of the scoreboard.