UPDATE: Paul George will be out for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Celtics, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. With George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey out, the 76ers are a 13.5-point underdog vs. Boston on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tyrese Maxey (back) will miss his second game in a row Thursday vs. the Celtics, while Paul George (groin) and Justin Edwards (ankle) are questionable. George played after initially being listed as questionable on Tuesday vs. the Timberwolves, but the veteran only logged 29 minutes in the 14-point loss. George didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter, while all four of the 76ers’ other starters did, so George was presumably under a minutes limit or they simply didn’t want to overwork him as he deals with the groin ailment.
In his first season with Philadelphia, George is averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4..3 assists per game. Given Joel Embiid (knee) is out for the season, George will handle a large usage rate if he plays Thursday, but it is not guaranteed he sees a full workload, especially with the chance of a blowout against the defending champion Celtics. With Embiid and Maxey off the court this season, George’s usage rises 4.1 percentage points to a team-high 28.2%.
If George sits, Quentin Grimes ($6,100) and Kelly Oubre Jr. ($6,200) will be the 76ers’ primary options. With Embiid and Maxey off the floor in 2024-25, Grimes has handled a 27.3% usage rate, while Oubre Jr. has seen a 23.7% usage rate.
The 76ers are 1-5 with both Embiid and Maxey inactive this season and they will be a large underdog vs. Boston once the lines for this game are released on DraftKings Sportsbook.
