Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

76ers Receive Tough Paul George Update Before Celtics Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The 76ers are in a much better place to start this season than they were last year.
The roster is nearing full health and the team seems aligned on their culture.
Paul George will miss the team’s season opener against the Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers will begin this season in a much better position than they were in a year ago. Former MVP Joel Embiid and nine-time All-Star Paul George were both ruled out for opening night in 2024 and things never got much better from there.

Their injuries forced each player to miss at least half the season, which led to a disastrous campaign where the 76ers received the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft and selected high-flying guard V.J. Edgecombe.

Now, the energy to start this season is totally different as Embiid will play in the opening game against the Boston Celtics and the roster is nearing full health.

Apr 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and guard Tyrese Maxey (0) stand together during a break in action in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, George is still nursing a knee injury that kept him out of 41 games last season and will miss the opener.

The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow’s game @ Boston:

Paul George (knee): OUT

Trendon Watford (hamstring): OUT

Jared McCain (thumb): OUT

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid is not listed on the injury report in any capacity. Embiid is full go for opening night.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 21, 2025

Obviously, Philadelphia hoped that he could play, but this isn’t much of a shock as George was held out of team activities for much of the summer and just recently began practicing in full.

The vibes around the city are much better as Embiid will be on the court to start the year and dazzling second-year guard Jared McCain is inching toward a return.

Jared McCain spoke about his return from the torn ligament in his thumb: "I think I'm being reevaluated in like 2 weeks, so I'll get this [brace] off and then I'll have a playing brace, and start passing, dribbling...and then we'll see from there when they let me play." pic.twitter.com/39p8fOkJvj
— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) October 15, 2025

Head coach Nick Nurse has publicly acknowledged that things didn’t turn out the way they had hoped last year and he wants that to change this season.

Nick Nurse: "My main goal is when two people get up from their seats and they're walking out the door, they're saying 'Man, those guys played their asses off tonight'."

"We didn't do that a year ago. That's what I'm striving for, and I think that's what this fan base deserves." pic.twitter.com/HK9EwjnPqm
— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) October 20, 2025

George won’t be able to contribute to that culture change to start the year, but there is hope that his recovery won’t sideline him for too long.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: