How Paul George’s presence affects the 76ers

The 76ers’ season last year was riddled with injuries, and Paul George was at the center of it all. Spending over $200 million for George, who couldn’t even touch the floor, felt somehow worse than our time dealing with Tobias Harris and his bad contract. This season, George began the season on the injury report, still recovering from surgery on his left knee in July.

But yet, without George, the Sixers were winning.

Philadelphia started the year 7-5 after a 2-10 start last year. The pure dominance by Tyrese Maxey has been the story of the season so far, as we as Sixers fans have to finally admit that this is Maxey’s team, not Joel Embiid‘s. But even the Big Fella has had his fair share of valuable minutes, scoring with efficiency in his time on the floor. The guard play alongside Maxey has been elite, with Quentin Grimes becoming an early candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award due to his average of around 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s scrappiness and ability to score have been important to Philly’s wins thus far, and the rookie season of VJ Edgecombe has been a sight to see. Edgecome’s authority when driving to the rack has been a major part of the Philadelphia offense. Additionally, the return of Jared McCain further shows the depth of the backcourt.

In the frontcourt, Embiid has had the help of Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, who both have had big contributions early in the season. When Embiid is injured, Bona has filled in for him with a whole new array of skills. Bona’s shot-blocking and rebounding are vital parts of Nick Nurse’s defensive system. Drummond, on the other hand, has also continued to dominate on the boards.

But a clear issue in the Philadelphia roster is the lack of starter-worthy forwards.

The Sixers have had to settle for putting their two-way players in the starting lineup. Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker have been consistent starters for Philly, which is not a long-term recipe for success. While they each have had their moments where they seem to be serviceable, they have not shown repetitive success.

In Philadelphia’s losses, they seem to always come up short in the 3rd quarter and late in games because they run out of options.

George can fix that.

While he only played 41 games last season, George was able to average just over 16 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists in his time on the court. That may not be worth his expensive contract, but it’s a stat line that can be serviceable for Philly this season. His experience and basketball IQ are overlooked because of his not living up to his contract, but it is a very important part of Nurse’s system. George, who stands at 6’8″, can defend the ball and fill the role that Barlow and Walker had been in before.

George shot 36% from three last year, and his shooting ability could be more relied on this year. With Maxey having the ability to score at will, George could be used as a catch-and-shoot man in the corner. His mid-range shot could be heavily relied on this year as well.

There are many different ways that George could be implemented into the Philadelphia offense and defense, and his return to the lineup is a massive addition for the Sixers.

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