Dec 30, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Paul George (8) high-five during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images

'Paul George is Cooked' – Philadelphia 76ers Predicted to Only Qualify for the Play-In Tournament in 2025-26

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 9:22 PM ET

Jeff Teague doesn’t expect the Philadelphia 76ers to do much better this upcoming season. According to the one-time NBA champion and All-Star, the team’s best-case scenario this year is to qualify for the play-in tournament.

During a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast, Teague also expressed his doubts about whether Paul George can regain his old form with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Paul George is cooked, PG is cooked bro… He’s one of the coldest players I have ever seen play basketball… He was a third option last year, bro… There’s a great chance he’s going to be hurt this year. Which is for real, cause how often is this n**** not hurt?” Teague said.

Feb 12, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (8) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“They’re going to be at full strength for the first game of the season, in game two, they’re going to be out… Come on, y’all, they are done!” he added.

Philadelphia 76ers News: Paul George drops confident outlook on the team’s overall health

The Philadelphia 76ers continue to be hounded by their injury concerns, but Paul George strongly believes the team is ready to contend this upcoming season.

Jan 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) high-fives guard Tyrese Maxey (0) after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“We look good bro. Yeah, we look straight, we healthy,” George said on IShowSpeed’s stream.

The team retooled its roster this offseason by re-signing Justin Edwards, Eric Gordon, and Kyle Lowry, while adding free agent Trendon Watford and drafting VJ Edgecombe using the third overall pick. All that’s left for them to do is to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.