Sixers Await Paul George’s Clearance; Injury Updates on Barlow and McCain, Strong Start for Grimes
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Philadelphia forward Paul George is scheduled to meet with team doctors this weekend, head coach Nick Nurse said Friday. If the evaluation goes well, the nine-time All-Star could appear in his first game of the 2025/26 season shortly afterward. George, in the second year of a four-year maximum contract, has taken part in full practices for more than two weeks but has yet to play after offseason knee surgery.
Nurse also reported that two-way forward Dominick Barlow will sit out the upcoming back-to-back set. Barlow has missed six straight contests after a right elbow laceration required a procedure; he will revisit his surgeon on Monday.
McCain Eases Back After Long Layoff
Second-year guard Jared McCain will miss one of the weekend games and remains on a minutes restriction following thumb surgery that delayed his season debut. The 2024 first-round pick lost most of his rookie campaign to a torn meniscus and wore a knee brace in Tuesday’s loss at Chicago, where he went scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting with two assists and one rebound in 15 minutes. McCain expects to continue using the brace for at least a month until his next evaluation.
Grimes Thriving in Sixth-Man Role
Guard Quentin Grimes, who accepted his $8.7 million qualifying offer in the offseason and will reach unrestricted free agency next summer, has impressed off the bench. Through eight games, the 25-year-old is averaging 18.3 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three in 31.6 minutes per night. “The opportunity that coach is giving me provides a lot of freedom out there on the court,” Grimes said.
Source: Hoops Rumors
