Paul George reacts to 'rusty' return for Philadelphia 76ers

Paul George made his long-awaited season debut for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night after missing the first few weeks while recovering from offseason knee surgery.

In 21 minutes of action, George did a little bit of everything for Philly as he tallied 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Philadelphia pulled out a 110-108 victory over the Clippers in the contest thanks, in part, to George’s contributions.

Just moments into the game, he knocked down his first shot attempt of the season from long range and his shot looked as smooth as ever.

However, he struggled the rest of the way and finished just 2 of 9 from the floor and 1 of 4 from beyond the arc. It wasn’t necessarily a notable performance statistically, but it was very memorable for George since it represented his first game action in nine months.

"It felt great," George said of his return, via ESPN. "It felt great to finally play basketball again. Been like eight months since I played, so it was a long journey. A lot of ups and downs, a lot of hiccups ... but felt good to finally get out there, and I felt good. … Rusty, but I felt good."

Knocking down his first shot attempt early on helped George ease back into the swing of things.

"I watched it and there were so many emotions inside,” George said. “There was zero emotions outside ... honestly. I was just trying to focus on just the game, staying locked in and engaged, but it felt great to make the first shot."

George will knock some of that rust off as he continues to play more games, but his return was a welcome sight for the Sixers, who could use his length and athleticism on the perimeter defensively.

Plus, he provides the team with another capable scorer and an experienced veteran voice. Even if he’s not able to attack the rim with the same fervor that he once had, George can still be very impactful offensively as a floor-spacer. He's a career 38 percent shooter from long range and is well known for his ability to knock down shots. 

Philadelphia has some legitimate offensive firepower this season, so it doesn’t necessarily need George to score 20-plus points on a nightly basis, which is ideal at this point in his career. If he can operate as a high-level 3-and-D wing, he’ll be a valuable addition to the team. Plus, who knows, maybe he’ll be able to turn back the clock on occasion.