How badly is the Philadelphia 76ers' season going? Paul George just suspended his podcast.
Amid an eight-game losing streak for the Sixers, the All-Star announced he was taking a hiatus from "Podcast P with Paul George" to focus more on improving his physical and mental conditioning as the team tries to salvage its season.
George made the announcement at the end of an episode published Wednesday after an interview with Dwight Howard:
“It's no secret this season is, up to this point, man, it hasn't been what we envisioned. I know my goal when I first signed with Philadelphia was to bring a championship to these amazing fans here. I still remain positive about that and that is still the case and where I'm coming from.
"With that being said, though, I want to let the 'Podcast P' family know that after today's episode with Dwight, I plan to take a break from the pod just to focus on getting my body right, getting mentally right, and help this squad make a push towards our goal to finish the season and give ourselves a chance to be in contention to compete for a championship.
"I won't front, the desire to get back to shooting in person with my guys as well is the forefront of, you know, this hiatus as well. I look forward to us three being back together and doing this as we once started this, so we'll be back on that note. Be sure to lock in with us because we got some big things in store in our future. In the meantime, y'all be easy ,from 'Podcast P.'"
George has been doing "Podcast P" since 2023, when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, making him one of many athletes to jump on the personal podcast train.
Since then, George has moved from the Clippers to the Sixers, and the results so far have been discouraging. Through 38 games, George is averaging his worst numbers in points, rebounds and free-throw percentage since 2015, the year he returned from a horrific leg injury. He has also missed time with knee and finger injuries.
Those struggles are in parallel with the rest of the Sixers organization, which is 20-37 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Despite what was supposed to be a top-tier trio of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the team is behind the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets in the standings.
Injuries have been a major reason for that, most notably with Embiid. The former MVP has played only 19 games this season and is still undergoing testing on his knee, which hasn't healed as hope from a lingering injury. It's possible he doesn't play again this season.
Paul George likely hasn't been what the Sixers were hoping for, and vice versa. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Despite the apparent hopelessness of the situation, the Sixers do have a very real path into the playoffs. They're only 2.5 games behind the Bulls for 10th place in the East and the final play-in spot. However, being able to do anything with that opportunity would require some massive improvements.
Will George giving up the mic help matters? It probably won't hurt, though this is the point where we should note players having a hobby for their off time isn't an immediate invalidation of their commitment to winning. If George did this because it made him feel better, it was worth it. It just seems like he desires a clearer schedule for the rest of the season.
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