Paul George’s return won’t be the drama the Sixers hoped for, at least not on opening night of the 2025-26 season. The 35-year-old looked like a near-miss for a fast comeback after his arthroscopic knee surgery in July. Then reality checked in as live minutes are just beginning. Philly’s blueprint for a quick ‘Big 3’ rollout now officially has a pause button! 

“No,” Nurse said when asked if George could suit up. “Yesterday was his first day of live, and today was a short amount of 5-on-5. We have to just keep waiting.”

That short sentence from head coach Nick Nurse landed heavily, to say the least. It confirms what the tape suggested. George has cleared rehab hurdles, but he hasn’t cleared the readiness test. Medical progress is one thing, but game rhythm is another. The Sixers will not rush it.

George had arthroscopic knee surgery in July after a setback in an offseason workout. He’s been practicing and even joining limited 5-on-5 work this week. Still, his availability for Wednesday’s opener is off the table for now. That forces Philadelphia to open the season without the promised perimeter scorer-and-defender who was supposed to add to the late-game rotations.

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid, ever the Philly’s season-defining center, remains in the background of this storyline.

Embiid’s preseason usage has always been conservative. The team prefers to protect its MVP candidate rather than chase meaningless minutes. Even so, Nurse allowed a sliver of hope, saying that Embiid has “a chance” to appear in the preseason finale. If and only if Joel steps on the floor, expect a tightly managed cameo, not a heavy workload.

But George’s absence reshapes the minutes immediately. Last season, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 43.0% shooting across 41 games. Tyrese Maxey will carry more of the offensive creation early on. The team’s defensive matchups shift, too. Paul is a switch-capable wing who would normally absorb tough perimeter assignments.

Without him, Nurse must lean on lineup variability, playing small in spots or inserting larger wing defenders to cover ground. Rotation clarity will be a gradual thing. The Philadelphia Sixers signed George to a four-year, $211.6 million deal to add scoring and defensive strength. That contract was a statement of the win-now intent.

The flip side, though, is that when a new acquisition needs time, expectation management becomes the practical task. Fans bought the tickets to see Embiid, George, and Maxey mesh. They’ll get a different opening act. George’s injury history casts a long shadow here, too.

What Paul George’s absence means in the 76ers’ 2025-26 season-opener

Throughout his career, he has averaged about 60.5 games per season. This statistic prompts coaches to strategize around managed minutes and alternative lineups. However, when he is healthy, he is a high-usage player capable of disrupting possessions with a defensive stop and then generating offense.

For the coaching staff, it’s a balance. You want to integrate him early so that the sets and chemistry form. You also don’t want to trigger a backslide in the process. Nurse’s conservative read is the safer bet, at least in October. Joel Embiid’s preseason record, on the other hand, is a study in risk itself.

He typically logs minimal preseason minutes because the Sixers prioritize availability for the crucial stretch of the season, from February onwards. Last season’s 19 appearances underscore this strategy. If he plays in the preseason this year, it will mainly be to test his feel for the game rather than to focus on conditioning.

If Embiid does take the court, we can reasonably expect him to play between 10 and 15 minutes. This amount of playing time would be sufficient to evaluate in-game decision-making and lineups without putting too much strain on his body. How Nurse manages the minutes for Maxey and the backup wings will provide insight into the team’s contingency plan. We can anticipate more zone defense, increased switching, and possibly a greater reliance on bench scoring until the Big Three is fully integrated.

This is a Sixers campaign that will test patience. Paul George’s comeback timeline stretches past opening night. The subtext is more interesting in how the team adapts, how Embiid’s minutes are managed, and whether that patience pays off when the calendar narrows toward playoff time.

Philadelphia is opting for some early-season certainty in exchange for the hope of a stronger, healthier mid-season. Check back in a few weeks to see if this trade-off was wise planning or costly caution.