“Play-Off P to Prescription Drug P,” NBA Veteran Trolls Paul George for Getting Banned

Charlie Villanueva joked about Paul George's situation after the suspension.

“Play-Off P to Prescription Drug P,” NBA Veteran Trolls Paul George for Getting Banned

Charlie Villanueva on Paul George (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a major blow after Paul George was recently suspended for 25 games by the NBA for violating the league’s Anti-Doping Program. The news was a huge surprise to the NBA world. The 76ers came out on top on Monday night in their second game without George. They recorded a 128-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome.

With the “Big Three” of the 76ers finding their form and chemistry more than halfway into the 2025-26 campaign, a suspension to a player of Paul George‘s caliber was least expected. The win on Monday extended their winning streak to four games. With that, they improved their record to 28-21, sitting in sixth place and remaining in strong contention for a direct playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

George has battled through injuries since his move to the 76ers and was coming off a knee surgery during the offseason. Being the number three option behind Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, George has gone through some ups and downs this season, especially on the offensive end. Prior to the suspension, the forward was averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 27 appearances.

NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on Saturday. George issued a statement citing improper medication for a “mental health-related issue” as the cause of his suspension. Mental health is a serious issue and needs to be taken seriously. However, his statements did raise a few eyebrows, and some appeared skeptical about George’s claim.

Former NBA player Charlie Villanueva joked about the whole situation and took a jibe at the 76ers star.

He [Paul George] went from playoff P, to pandemic P, to podcaster P, to prescription drug P. It cost him 12 mil.

It is an unfortunate moment for both the club and player, just when they began to look like contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Nick Nurse speaks on the Paul George suspension

Losing a player of PG’s calibre is a tough moment for the franchise. It is never a pleasing sight to see a star player being suspended for violating the rules of the league, especially when it comes to drugs. While there may be more to what happened, it remains to be seen if further details emerge in the coming days.

Nick Nurse and Paul George
Nick Nurse and Paul George (Image credits – The Philadelphia Inquirer)

76ers head coach Nick Nurse spoke about how he and the franchise were standing with the 35-year-old during this difficult period.

He’s still a part of the team. He can’t play in the games, but he’s still allowed at the facility and practice and all that stuff. We need to make sure those things continue to happen and get him back. We’re here to help him, the organization is, in any way possible, and try to get past it as soon as we can, but get through it the best way we can and then go from there.

With George suspended for 25 games, he is expected to return to court against the Chicago Bulls on March 25. He should be back in time for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs.

Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to carry the torch after Paul George got suspended

When at full strength, the 76ers will fancy their chances in the postseason in a wide-open Eastern Conference. As George serves his suspension, it will be up to former MVP Embiid and Maxey to carry the extra burden.

With Embiid finding his rhythm and Maxey playing at an MVP level this season, they do have what it takes to carry the workload as they continue to fight for a playoff berth. On Monday, the two stars combined to score 53 points, with Maxey scoring 29 points and Embiid scoring 24. They got some extra help from Dominick Barlow who scored a career-high 26 points to go along with 16 rebounds.

However, they are just an Embiid or a Maxey injury away from it all being taken away. Hence, they will hope that their promising rookie VJ Edgecombe, role players such as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Barlow step up and play a bigger role. It remains to be seen if the team has enough to stay in the playoff positions till George’s return. But the start has been promising with two wins in two games.

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