A handful of Philadelphia 76ers players along with coach Nick Nurse reacted to the suspension of star forward Paul George.
It was shockingly announced late Saturday morning that Philadelphia 76ers star forward Paul George will be suspended for the next 25 games due to violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.
Prior to the first game of George's suspension, a clash against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans, 76ers coach Nick Nurse reacted to the news.
"Obviously, disappointed for sure," Nurse said pregame, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Those guys that have been playing this year, there’s a bunch of them, we gotta figure out who’s gonna replace some of the things he does positionally and defensively, and shots and all that kind of stuff."
Nurse continued, "But there are a number of guys there to do it. that’s where we are. We’ve been in this, kind of, next man up mentality for quite a while, and we’re gonna have to dig in and do it again."
76ers superstar center Joel Embiid had this to say after scoring 40 points in the win over the Pelicans Saturday:
“I know people have mixed feelings about what he [George] brings to the table, but you can't replace it," Embiid said, per Ky Carlin.
George was operating as the No. 3 option for the 76ers, impacting the game at a high level mainly on the defensive end. His offensive production has certainly regressed in recent seasons, but he is still averaging 16.0 points on 42.4% shooting.
Now, V.J. Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes will be called upon to step up their production with George sidelined.
All-Star Tyrese Maxey also spoke on the suspension, sharing, "First of all, we stand with Paul. We appreciate him, and as a team, we’re gonna rally behind and make sure that he’s good and gets whatever he needs."
76ers backup center Andre Drummond sent a similar message to George, taking to social media Saturday afternoon to address the situation:
"I stand with you @Yg_Trece," Drummond posted to X.
It's clear George has plenty of support from his teammates regarding this suspension, but nonetheless, his absence could greatly impact the team's chances of reaching the postseason.
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