NBA
Paul George’s leg injury update: How long will the Sixers’ star be out?
While playing the preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, the new Philadelphia Sixers player awkwardly hyper-extended his knee on a defense play.
Following last night’s game against the Hawks, Paul George’s status generally became a concern in Philadelphia due to a misfortunate knee injury that could affect his preseason availability.
While the best-case scenario suggests he could be ready for the regular season opener (October 23, against Milwaukee Bucks), there are fears it could be more serious.
In his second preseason game with the 76ers following the signing of the four-year max contract as a free agent this offseason, George found himself defending Hawks forward Jalen Johnson. With over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, George’s left leg planted awkwardly, causing it to bend at an odd angle.
Subsequently, he promptly exited the game and was unable to return.
“I felt that it hyperextended, and immediately it was, all right, I need to get taken out and (looked at), but if you ask me, I’m not too concerned about it,” George told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Interestingly, the incident went unnoticed at first, with only limited footage of the misstep circulating. Even fans, including those on social media, were left puzzled when George disappeared from the game, sparking conversations about whether he had been hurt. As updates remain scarce, everyone hopes the injury isn’t as serious as feared.
What are the prospects of seeing Paul George again on the court?
Considering the type of injury, where the ligaments of the knee suffered hyperextension, the resting time for the ligaments to return to full fitness shouldn’t be more than two to three weeks in the mid-case scenario.
PG may be out for a few weeks and potentially miss the first few games. However, fans and the team are hopeful for the best, as the Sixers will provide more details after their medical team conducts further tests on his left knee.
The Sixers’ injury scare last night with George came after Philadelphia ruled out Joel Embiid for the rest of the preseason as he continues to work on his conditioning and activity levels. This is also in line with the 76ers’ plan to be cautious with the health of both Embiid and George this season.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey stated that both stars will “probably not play many back-to-backs, if any.”