“Paul George is cooked”: Former Pacers guard ruthlessly predicts 76ers falling to play-in spot in upcoming season 

Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers want to avenge their mediocre 2024-25 NBA season as the 76ers finished with a 24-58 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The team signed George to a four-year, $212 million contract in July last year, creating excitement before the season.

There was a lot of hype about him forming a Big 3 with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. However, the team struggled due to injuries to the three stars. George was only permitted to play 41 games. After 52 games, the team shut down Maxey and Embiid only appeared in 19 games.

As the start of the 2025-26 season approaches, many are looking forward to how the 76ers will perform in their second season with the star trio.

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Former Indiana Pacers guard Jeff Teague predicted that the 76ers will be a Play-In team and highlighted that George will likely be hurt next season. Teague spoke about it on the recent episode of his show, "Club 520 Podcast."

"Play-In, man," Teague predicted. "Paul George is cooked.

"It's a great chance he's gonna be hurt this year. For real, how often is this n***a not hurt?

His brother, Marquis, argued that the 76ers will be at full strength next season. However, the former Atlanta Hawks point guard shut down the argument and joked that Philly's Big 3 will only be at full strength in the first game of the year:

"They're gonna be at full strength the first game of the season. In game two, they gon' be out."

Matt Barnes gives an update on Paul George's knee

This summer, the 76ers stars used most of their time recovering and rehabbing their bodies to prepare for the 2025-26 season. Paul George addressed the knee issues that had bothered him last season. It was reported in July that George underwent knee surgery after suffering an injury during an offseason workout.

On "The Underground Lounge," former NBA player Matt Barnes gave an update on George's knee.

“I think it’s up to Embiid if he going to show up. Is PG’s knee going to be all right? I just talked to P the other day. He said he’s feeling a lot better,” Barnes said (54:01). “They found something they should have found a long time ago in his knee that they got done.”

The 76ers fans are looking forward to seeing Paul George flourish with Embiid and the team next season.

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Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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