Philadelphia 76ers swingman Paul George joined the starting lineup in Philadelphia to make his long-awaited season debut during Monday’s 110-108 victory over the LA Clippers. He finished the game with nine points (2-9 FGs), seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

As expected, it was a modest season debut for the six-time All-NBA performer. On a minutes restriction, George scored nine points on just 2-of-9 from the field, but stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a little over 21 minutes.

This is the biggest reason why Philadelphia needs George back. The Sixers are running Maxey into the ground, and they need George to take some of the playmaking pressure off his plate. To be clear, the Sixers don’t have much recourse besides playing Maxey big minutes.

The Sixers will aim for a tougher, more complete effort Monday when they host the Los Angeles Clippers. Philadelphia was hoping to notch its third win in four games Friday against the Detroit Pistons,