Paul George says the 25-game suspension that kept him off the floor this season did more than interrupt his rhythm. It gave him time to recover, and by the end of it he felt sharper, freer and more willing to attack.
The 35-year-old returned to the lineup against the Chicago Bulls on March 25 and looked rusty at first, missing eight of his first 10 shots and finishing with five points at halftime. He settled in after the break, scoring three consecutive shots in the second half as the night turned for him and the 76ers.
George said after an April 3 win over Minnesota that the time away had unlocked something in his game. “The time off has really unlocked me and allowed me to play free and to be able to play aggressively,” he said, adding that he is on the floor because he wants “to do something special and do something big” and that he can only do that if he feels good and capable. He said the long stretch away from games let him feel more like himself again.
“Everybody’s noticed it. I’m happier at home. My family, my parents notice it. My teammates notice it,” George said, describing a lift that teammates have seen too. Kelly Oubre Jr. said George has stayed composed through the rough stretches, adding that he “does a really good job of remaining poised even when things aren’t going his way, per se,” and that he is “finally starting to just spread his wings a little bit in Philly and fly.”
The suspension arrived after a difficult stretch for George, who had already dealt with left knee injuries before the 2024-25 season, saw his season end last March after injections in his left groin and knee, and then had arthroscopic surgery in the offseason after reinjuring his left knee in a workout. He was suspended for taking improper medication, a punishment that kept him away from games but not from the team facility, where he worked out regularly and spent time on scout team assignments that included mimicking Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He also worked extensively with rookie VJ Edgecombe.
That arrangement mattered because George was not simply sitting idle. He said the break helped his body heal after he had been trying to play through issues and felt limited, describing himself as “a shell, almost” when the games were coming too fast and his body was not responding quickly enough. He said he wanted to keep playing, but understood that his body needed time. Since returning, he has said he feels healthy enough to have played both of the Sixers’ remaining back-to-backs, a sign that the forced pause may have left him in better shape for the stretch run than he was when the suspension began.
For the 76ers, that is the part that matters most now. George’s return was never going to erase the lost games, but if his own assessment holds up, the suspension may have ended up giving Philadelphia a more explosive version of a player it badly needs to finish the season strong.
