<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-paul-george-heavy-day-hope');   ga('set', 'title', 'Joel Embiid, Paul George’s ‘heavy’ day brings 76ers new hope');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/76ers-stars-Joel-Embiid-and-Paul-George-in-Grizzlies-game.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Joel Embiid, Paul George’s ‘heavy’ day brings 76ers new hope</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-19T11:20:55-07:00">October 19th, 11:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-19T11:20:55-07:00">October 19th, 11:20am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-most-happy-preseason-debut">76ers star Joel Embiid made his long-awaited return in the NBA preseason</a>. His presence gave the 76ers a major boost heading into the NBA regular season. Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-why-paul-george-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-regular-season-opener">Paul George will reportedly miss the season opener</a> as the team continues to manage his recovery. Even so, both stars joined what head coach Nick Nurse described as a “pretty heavy day” of practice. The demanding session signaled <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-hottest-bold-prediction-2025-26-nba-season">positive momentum for the 76ers’ upcoming NBA season</a>.</p><p>PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck <a href="https://x.com/KyleNeubeck/status/1979950703691927749" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Embiid and George were full participants in Monday’s session, which included intense five-on-five drills. During practice, Nurse said the two veterans “went all the way through” a physically demanding workout that pushed the team to test its chemistry and conditioning. For the first time this preseason, both of the 76ers’ top players practiced together at full strength.</p><p>Both Embiid and George handled the session without restrictions, completing every segment of the heavy workout. Their full participation marked a key step in building rhythm and continuity for the group. The 76ers continue to manage workloads carefully, keeping long-term durability and team health as top priorities heading into the regular season.</p><p>In his post-practice comments, Nurse emphasized the importance of steady progress instead of rushing players back too soon. The heavy practice day, however, showed that the group is beginning to find its rhythm. Meanwhile, forward Trendon Watford <a href="https://x.com/KyleNeubeck/status/1979949914542018614" rel="noopener">served</a> as a partial participant, while the rest of the roster took part in competitive scrimmages to strengthen team cohesion before the final tune-ups.</p><p>So far, the 76ers have not released official status updates for Wednesday’s game, but the mood around the facility remains optimistic. With Joel Embiid back in rhythm and Paul George nearing readiness, Nick Nurse’s system continues to take shape. The “heavy day” might be the spark that propels the 76ers toward a strong start to the season.</p><p>After last year’s disappointing 24-58 record, can the 76ers flip the script and rise back into contention this time around?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Joel Embiid, Paul George’s ‘heavy’ day brings 76ers new hope

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/paul-george-among-stars-slipping-clutchpoints-nba-top-100-rankings');   ga('set', 'title', 'Paul George among stars making biggest tumble in ClutchPoints’ NBA Top 100 rankings');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Paul-George-among-stars-making-biggest-tumble-in-ClutchPoints-NBA-Top-100-rankings.jpg"><figcaption>Paul George, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert</figcaption></figure><h1>Paul George among stars making biggest tumble in ClutchPoints’ NBA Top 100 rankings</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-16T12:34:59-07:00">October 16th, 12:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-16T12:34:59-07:00">October 16th, 12:34pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA regular season looming, ClutchPoints took the time to rank the league’s top 100 players. The list saw some young stars take leaps up the board. However, veteran players and former All-Stars saw their ranking slip dramatically. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/clutchpoints-nba-top-100-player-rankings-for-2025-26-season-the-full-list">Anfernee Simons, Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Paul George, and Rudy Gobert all fell more than 20 spots</a>.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-why-paul-george-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-regular-season-opener">George is unlikely to play for the Philadelphia 76ers in their regular season opener</a>. Regardless of if he is on the court or not for game 1 of 82, the pressure is on him to rebound. However, the 35-year-old did not inspire a lot of faith from ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-top-100-player-rankings-2025-26-season-50-11">George was comfortable at No. 20 last season, and the forward fell all the way to No. 49 in 2025</a>.</p><p>The 76ers forward is not the only aging star to see his rank fall. Gobert figures to be a key piece of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ season as they try to return to the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season. However, the former Defensive Player of the Year slipped all the way to No. 75 on this year’s list.</p><p>Simons, Beal, and Porzingis all changed teams this offseason. Porzingis was a part of a big trade that sent him to the Atlanta Hawks. He, along with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, are one of the popular dark horse picks in a wide open Eastern Conference. Simons and Beal also have a chance to contribute to playoff contenders, but the belief in them has been shaken.</p><p>Beal has a chance for a new start with the Los Angeles Clippers this season. Simons does as well, joining the Boston Celtics to help fill the hole left by Jayson Tatum. Despite the opportunities before them, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-top-100-player-rankings-2025-26-season-100-51" rel="noopener">both stars slipped</a> in ClutchPoints’ rankings.</p><p>All five stars have a chance to bounce back this season. However, if their struggles continue, they could fall outside of the top 100 by this time next year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Paul George among stars making biggest tumble in ClutchPoints’ NBA Top 100 rankings

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-why-paul-george-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-regular-season-opener');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Paul George is ‘unlikely’ to be ready for 76ers regular-season opener');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Philadelphia-76ers-forward-Paul-George.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Paul George is ‘unlikely’ to be ready for 76ers regular-season opener</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-16T11:50:01-07:00">October 16th, 11:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-16T11:50:01-07:00">October 16th, 11:50am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Paul George is <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/derekbodner.bsky.social/post/3m3daiwen3s2h" rel="noopener">unlikely to be ready</a> when the Philadelphia 76ers open their 2025‑26 season, head coach Nick Nurse said Thursday.</p><p>George has just begun participating in full-contact practices after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-paul-george-progress-injury">undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in July</a>, and Nurse indicated the timeline is tight for the forward to be available in either the preseason finale or the regular-season opener.</p><p>Derek Bodner of PHLY reported on Bluesky, “Nick Nurse said that Paul George only played a little bit of 5-on-5 today, and indicated that George playing in the preseason finale, or even the regular season opener next week, was unlikely given he just started playing in live portions of practice yesterday.”</p><p>Bodner also noted earlier in the day that George was a full participant in Thursday’s practice, including 5-on-5 segments, though that progress has been cautious. He contrasted George’s return with Joel Embiid, who was a planned non-participant for that session.</p><h2><b>Nick Nurse signals Paul George’s return unlikely as Sixers weigh recovery timeline</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/76ers-veteran-Paul-George1.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At 35, George is navigating the recovery process after suffering a knee injury during an offseason workout. He underwent surgery on July 14 to address damage to his left knee and has dealt with injuries throughout recent seasons. In March of last season, the 76ers ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign and administered injections to his left adductor and knee.</p><p>In the 2024‑25 season, persistent injuries limited George to just 41 games. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 43% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range.</p><p>Philadelphia closes out its preseason Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:00 p.m. ET. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-fans-hope-blue-white-scrimmage">76ers will open the regular season on Wednesday, October 22, in Boston</a> — a match that now looms uncertain for George.</p><p>If George is unavailable, Philadelphia may need to rely more heavily on Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Kelly Oubre Jr. early in the season. Nick Nurse has also spoken previously about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-nick-nurse-demands-paul-george-take-teaching-role-young-76ers">George’s potential role as mentor to younger players</a>, but that development influence may be delayed depending on his health.</p><p>No exact timeline has been confirmed for George’s return, but his limited 5-on-5 workload suggests he may miss multiple early games. His status is likely to be monitored closely by the organization as the Sixers attempt to balance competitive goals with caution in managing his recovery.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Paul George is ‘unlikely’ to be ready for 76ers regular-season opener

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-paul-george-progress-injury');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Joel Embiid, Paul George making progress from injury, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Nick-Nurse-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers’ Joel Embiid, Paul George making progress from injury, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-09T17:26:19-07:00">October 9th, 5:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-09T17:26:19-07:00">October 9th, 5:26pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With less than two weeks remaining before the Philadelphia 76ers open the 2025-26 season on Oct. 22 against the Boston Celtics, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-nick-nurse-encouraged-joel-embiid-health-compared-last-preseason">the focus remains squarely on the health of Joel Embiid</a> and Paul George. Both stars are picking up steam in their recovery from left knee surgeries, but the clock on their full return is still ticking without answers.</p><p>Head coach Nick Nurse confirmed that both Embiid and George <a href="https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/sixers/2025/10/09/nick-nurse-gives-injury-updates-on-sixers-stars-paul-george-joel-embiid/86605301007/" rel="noopener">have ramped up their activity</a> in recent practices. On Wednesday, Embiid participated in five-on-five scrimmages and continues to be evaluated daily as the team carefully manages his workload.</p><p>“I just think he’s got to get to a point where they’re happy with the amount of load he can take and the recovery part as well on top of it, and keep progressing that way,” Nurse said of Embiid. “I’m sure there’s strength issues, and all that kind of stuff, just to make sure that it’s responding to everything well. He did do 5-on-5. I think that’s what they told you yesterday, yeah, so again, progressing.”</p><p>On Thursday, the 2023 NBA MVP was limited to five-on-zero drills, a slight reduction from the previous day’s activity but still part of a deliberate ramp-up process. He played just 19 games last season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on April 9, and the Sixers have reiterated that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/3-joel-embiid-bold-predictions-for-2025-26-76ers-season">he will not be rushed back</a>. The 31-year-old center also participated in practices during the team’s preseason trip to Abu Dhabi, which Nurse described as another positive sign.</p><p>As for Paul George, Wednesday’s update from the 76ers indicated that he remained in the individual workout phase but would be integrated into team activities soon. Then on Thursday, the nine-time All-Star took part in limited early practice drills before engaging in spirited post-practice one-on-one sessions against Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Justin Edwards, while Embiid watched from the sidelines.</p><p>“Yeah, he is progressing,” Nurse explained. “They’re still working out some things. He did do some of the stuff early in practice as well today for the first time. So that’s also progression. So we’ll just keep on going.”</p><p>“Like, early stuff,” Nurse added. “Early stuff. Just with the team. Like 5-on-0 stuff, yeah, 5-on-0 stuff, but it’s been the first time for that. So, there’ll be boxes to check to keep it going.”</p><p>The 35-year-old forward had arthroscopic surgery on July 14 after injuring his left knee during an offseason workout. He was previously ruled out for the remainder of last season on March 17, the same day he received injections in both his left adductor and left knee. Persistent injuries limited him to 41 games in 2024-25, continuing an unfortunate pattern since joining Philadelphia.</p><p>When asked about George’s availability for the Sixers’ final two preseason games, Friday against the Orlando Magic and Oct. 17 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nurse refused to make any guarantees.</p><p>“I wouldn’t say yes or no to any of that,” he stated. “I just don’t know. I think this [Thursday] was a step in the right direction and we’ll see how fast it comes along.”</p><p>Last season, the projected Big Three of Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey shared the court for only 15 games.</p><p>While Embiid and George are moving in the right direction as the regular season approaches, their limited live action and cautious ramp-up schedules suggest that even though the progress is real, the 76ers’ stars aren’t quite ready for takeoff just yet.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Joel Embiid, Paul George making progress from injury, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-nick-nurse-demands-paul-george-take-teaching-role-young-76ers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nick Nurse demands Paul George to take on teaching role with young 76ers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/76ers-veteran-Paul-George1.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nick Nurse demands Paul George to take on teaching role with young 76ers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-01T09:24:33-07:00">October 1st, 9:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-01T09:24:33-07:00">October 1st, 9:24am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-jared-mccain-miss-start-of-season-thumb-surgery">Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the 2025-26 NBA season</a>, head coach Nick Nurse is calling on Paul George to serve not only as a contributor on the court but also as a <a href="https://youtu.be/x2ZYlO-yfJI?t=188" rel="noopener">mentor for the team’s younger talent</a>.</p><p>Speaking on the latest episode of PHLY Sports, Nurse emphasized the importance of veteran leadership during a transitional period for the franchise. With rookie VJ Edgecombe and second-year forward Justin Edwards in the fold, Nurse is urging established players — particularly George — to take a proactive role in guiding their development.</p><p>“Let’s start with the vets. First of all, I think that they are here, especially with so many young guys, in a capacity to teach, right?” Nurse said. “They need to teach these guys how to be pros, kind of some ins and outs of the league. I sat down with Paul George for a long time the other day and I was like listen, you are a great like defensive player and there’s a lot of tricks, anticipation things, like you need to teach these guys this like quick. Teach them how to, you know, the cheat codes or whatever they are to get them up to speed quicker.”</p><h2><b>Nick Nurse sees Paul George as vital mentor for developing 76ers core</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Paul-George-in-action-against-the-Charlotte-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>George, 35, is entering his second season with Philadelphia after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-philly-makes-paul-george-splash-free-agency">signing a four-year, $212 million deal in the 2024 offseason</a>. The nine-time All-Star was the team’s marquee acquisition last summer but endured an underwhelming debut campaign due to injuries. He appeared in just 41 games, posting averages of 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 43% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc.</p><p>With the 76ers continuing to retool around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the franchise is integrating promising young talent into its rotation. Edgecombe and Edwards are expected to compete for meaningful minutes as the team looks to develop a sustainable core beyond its veteran pillars.</p><p>Nurse’s comments signal a strategic push to utilize George’s experience as a tool for acceleration, especially on the defensive end. The coach’s emphasis on teaching “cheat codes” and habits reflects a broader shift in the organization’s development model as it balances win-now expectations with long-term growth.</p><p>Philadelphia is set to open the 2025-26 regular season on Wednesday, October 22, with a road matchup against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The game marks the start of a critical campaign in which George’s impact, both on and off the floor, may be just as significant as his stat line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.2	5.3	4.3	0.5	1.8

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.2	5.3	4.3	0.5	1.8

Paul George

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