Paul George shut down for rest of the season has social media feeling bad for Sixers’ fans: “Biggest flop of year!”

Philadelphia 76ers hoped they would battle for an NBA title when they signed Paul George to a massive contract.

Paul George shut down for rest of the season has social media feeling bad for Sixers’ fans: “Biggest flop of year!”

Philadelphia 76ers will not have Paul George active for rest of season

The Philadelphia 76ers started the season with major optimism that they could fight for the NBA title. Signing Paul George to team up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the improved bench was tantalizing. Now, they have their hands on their heads after the season turned out to be a disaster.

Early season injuries set them back pretty hard. Those injuries to Embiid and George saw them lose a lot of games and questions started to rise if they can get back to playoff positions. But once the two returned, their form suggested all was going to be fine.

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That is until the injury report started piling up. Embiid missed a lot more games and Paul George followed him. Along with injuries to other players, fans had started to give up. Now suddenly a team that looked good on paper, was struggling to stay within the reach of other playoff teams.

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They shut Embiid down after it became risky for him to continue playing. He needs a procedure, and his future is dependent on a full recovery. A while later, George too was asking doctors questions. Now his questions are answered.

Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George received injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee on Monday and has been ruled out for the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN. George is expected to be out at least six weeks.

Shams Charania wrote

With just four weeks of regular season basketball left, it was sensible to shut Paul George down. The team rather have both their leaders healthy ahead of next season than add to the risk. Now the 76ers will continue playing with the players available.

Basketball community feels for Philadelphia 76ers fans

The basketball world knew the Philadelphia 76ers were no longer in the playoff hunt. But as a fan of that franchise, it would hurt to know that the two players their team paid that much money to are not healthy enough.

The concerns are now regarding their future, as if these injuries keep piling, the team will struggle to be competitive for a while. That does not bode well for fans who spend their hard-earned money on season tickets and merchandise. Knowing this is a concern they have to live with, social media was flooded with comments.

Basketball fans believe that injuries will define how this team performs in the next few seasons. If Joel Embiid and Paul George can stay healthy, they have a chance. Otherwise, owner Josh Harris will have to start thinking differently.

Paul George’s massive contract is a stumbling block

Whenever a team thinks a player is not helping them attain their goals, they will look to trade that player away. But Paul George signed a four-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. The final year is essentially a player option, and no one walks away from $56 million unless their life is at risk.

There is a high chance that Paul George will exercise that option considering he left the Los Angeles Clippers and his hometown for that specific reason. On the flip side, this makes it difficult for the franchise.

If his injury issues continue, they will struggle to find a trade partner. That trade partner might not want to pay a 37-year-old George $56 million. This means, the 76ers are essentially stuck up until the 2027-28 season. Their only solace can come if he does get healthy and powers them to a title.