Paul George Getting Healthy And Finally Finding His Footing In A 76ers Uniform
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 14: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena on December 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
It’s been an uphill battle for Paul George to get going in Philadelphia, as the nine-time All-Star hasn’t exactly been the player 76ers fans had hoped he’d be when he signed a four-year, $212 million contract.
Back in 2023, the 76ers made a tough but reasonable decision to trade James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers for draft capital and multiple expiring contracts. This move, while hurting them that season, set them up financially for that upcoming summer’s loaded free agency class.
By trading Harden, they opened up their roster for another max contract on top of their former MVP, Joel Embiid, and rising star guard Tyrese Maxey. This allowed them to form a new “Big Three” that could compete for a title in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately for them, the majority of the stars they expected to hit the open market that offseason resigned with their previous teams, forcing them to scramble to sign anyone who could help them form their “Superteam.” So, who did that leave them with? Enter one 34-year-old Paul George.
George was coming off an impressive five-year stretch in Los Angeles, averaging at least 21 points a game every season, and was named to three All-Star teams. His ultimate goal of winning a championship with Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Clippers fell short on multiple occasions, and a contract dispute in his final year with the club smelled a divorce that eventually came.
The Clippers let George walk in free agency, and being the only “star” left for the 76ers to sign, they paid George a huge max contract to pair him with Maxey and Embiid. In his first season in Philadelphia, things didn’t exactly go the way the 76ers were hoping things would go when they paid George over $52 million a season.
George struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness throughout the 2024-25 season. It started before the season even started, as he missed the first five games of the season after being diagnosed with a bone bruise from a knee injury during a preseason game. Eventually, George worked his way back into the rotation, but his time on the court was inconsistent at best, posting one game of 30-plus points, and then the next night posting a 10-point game where he shot less than 20% from the field.
The team also wasn’t seeing any success, as heading into the end of January, the 76ers were 12 games under .500 and were. nowhere close to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. To make matters worse with George, right after hitting the midway point of the season, George was shut down for the remainder of the season due to adductor and knee injuries. He finished his first year in Philadelphia, averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
So, heading into year two with the 76ers, what could George do to salvage the remaining three years on his deal? Well, for one, he had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee to help solve that problem, and after rehabbing it, he made his season debut 13 games into the year.
The start of the season wasn’t the best start for PG as he acclimated back to being on an NBA floor, averaging 14 points a game. However, as of late, the old Paul George seemed to have finally broken out.
George has posted three 20-plus point performances over his past five games, including a dominant 35-point performance in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Now, obviously, Maxey, in the past few games, has allowed George to do more of the scoring, but the vibe from the veteran has changed from an aging player out of his prime to a reliable closer who can heavily contribute.
The 76ers don’t need George to be the former top 10 player that he was in his heyday, but this version of George is someone who can be a solid option assisting the dominance of Maxey. This team runs through Maxey as he is by far their best player, but he can’t always be the hero of the team, and some nights he’s going to struggle to put up the 32 points a game he’s averaging. That’s where a guy like George comes in, someone who can pick up the slack and contribute when needed.
The season is still young, and this is just one small stretch from George, but if he can continue to play at a level like this the rest of the year, the 76ers may just get their money’s worth.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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