Paul George had slowly started to crawl back to form after his return to action earlier this month. He averaged more than 13 points in the 76ers’ last three games before the Brooklyn Nets matchup on Wednesday. So fans had their hopes up for the veteran Wing.
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However, his 2-point showing in the 76ers’ loss against the Nets at Barclays Center really deflated the Philly faithful. PG shot 1-for-7 from the field and 0-for-5 from distance to indicate that his pinky finger injury is far from recovery.
But the 34-year-old provided a positive update on the injury during the latest episode of his show, Podcast P with Paul George. The 76ers star claimed that the finger is in a much better condition.
“The pinky is better. I’m getting more confident with the pinky. The tolerance is getting higher for it. The last two games I felt I was starting to come into my own, feeling my touch when the ball was in my hands,” PG said.
The nine-time All-Star also added that he is feeling much more comfortable driving the basketball and making plays, which is allowing him to be more aggressive on the court. He can anticipate that the finger would soon allow him to completely shift gears and go back to where he was before the injury.
There might be a good chance that the podcast episode was recorded before the Nets game because PG mentioned feeling good about his past two games. However, the video was uploaded earlier today without any edits or cuts, so we can trust his testimony for now.
Meanwhile, co-host Dallas Rutherford asked George if he can bend his pinky at the moment.
“It’s still gotta be straight. I gotta keep it straight for another four-five weeks…That sucks, but again, it’s starting to become normal to me now,” PG added.
The Philly forward still has a brace over his left pinky. His extensor tendon damage in the finger has played a big part in the 76ers’ pitiful state in the Eastern Conference. They are at the 11th spot right now with a 20-34 record.
Fans would hope that PG13 can recover quickly and take the Sixers closer to a play-in spot.
