Unfortunate news for the Philly fans. Paul George ends up on the wrong side of a freak accident. The 76ers almost emerged as the favorites for the upcoming season after the blockbuster off-season trade. However, their championship dream might go down the drain now. With Joel Embiid yet to make his preseason debut, struggling with a knee injury, his new on-court partner, PG has also joined him on the list, leaving the rest of the Sixers stranded, with only days left for the season opener.

The Sixers locked horns with the Hawks. The star forward picked up from where he left off in his last outing, pressing the gas pedal on the offensive end. PG scored 8 points in 12 minutes, going 3 of 5 from the field. However, in the second quarter, the hooper ‘hyper-extended’ his left knee in an attempt to guard Jalen Johnson. The 34-year-old left the court and didn’t return for the rest of the game.

The team immediately listed Paul George in Day-to-Day and hasn’t provided any timeline for his return. Injuries have become a major concern for the Philly side. Last year, Joel Embiid missed a major chunk of regular season games (29 consecutively) with a knee injury that almost kicked the Sixers out of playoff contention.

However, before even making his preseason debut, the Cameroonian big man made a dismaying statement. Speaking to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Joel Embiid said, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.” This really isn’t something a fan would want to listen to from his favorite team’s centerpiece, whether injury-prone or not. While fans begin to make up their minds to expect the hooper to feature on and off this season, they have Paul George already down with an injury…

When will Paul George recover from the hyper-extension injury?

Without a doubt, it’s a major concern for the Philly side. The team hasn’t played a single game with a fully healthy roster, leaving Coach Nurse in darkness. While other teams have already worked out several rotations and starting line-up simulations, the Sixers, despite having a strong roster, haven’t really taken off.

Speaking of the timing of the injury, Nurse said, “Certainly trying to work him into things, and he wants to work into things too. So this doesn’t give him a chance to do that. Hopefully, it’ll be OK, so he’s back with us right away.” So, this statement gives us the impression that the team hasn’t really prepared a backup plan for the imposing regular season ahead.

However, on the other end, the fans certainly have a positive update regarding Paul George’s injury. Gina Mizell, a beat reporter for Philly Inquirer, did the noble job of sneaking a word from PG post the injury. And, the latest update isn’t as concerning as it was expected. Mizell had a chat with George in the locker room and the star apparently wasn’t “too concerned” about the prognosis!

Notably, the hooper had a sleeve on his left knee, but he walked by himself without any support. So, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the hyper-extension might not hammer the star’s regular opener. Anyway, watch this space for more updates.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.