Paul George holds the key to the 76ers’ stretch run and playoff success
Mar 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) shoots in front of Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
When the 76ers signed Paul George in the 2024 offseason, the 6-foot-8 forward’s style of play was well-known league-wide. George’s smooth, silky jumper and use of strategic bumps, side steps, and step-backs created a reputation for his seemingly effortless shot creation. The hope was that the veteran could bring that play style to Philly to act as a third option behind Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, looking to catapult the 76ers into contention.
Rather than taking Philadelphia to that next level, George’s first season with the Sixers was riddled with mishaps. A mixture of injuries to George, Maxey, and Embiid led the team to its worst performance in a season since the early Process days, winning just 24 games. Luckily, this loss of a season turned into the 3rd pick in the NBA Draft, where Philadelphia selected rising star, VJ Edgecombe.
The addition of Edgecombe to the lineup helped rejuvenate the team, as the Sixers have now pushed themselves all the way to the cusp of a playoff spot. Much of that success is due to the four players being able to share the load and not having to rely on one or two players.
George has benefited from this tremendously. Most of this season, George has been able to put up respectable numbers of around 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, but out of nowhere has caught fire at the end of the season, and in the midst of a playoff push, couldn’t have come at a better time.
George came back from his 25-game suspension on fire, dropping a 28-point performance in an electrifying win against Chicago on March 25. He immediately followed up this game with a 19-point game, but then went on to put up the most points in a single game in his Sixers career with a 39-point game in a win against the Wizards. George then led the team in scoring with 23 in a win against Minnesota, and had another 20-point game against Detroit. Most recently, George only had 16 points against San Antonio, but this was mainly due to letting Embiid get to work as he finished with 34.
With the Sixers 1 game back from the 6-seeded Toronto Raptors and avoiding the Play-In tournament, it has become evident that George’s production is uber-important. In George’s 16-point game against San Antonio, Philadelphia looked off. While Embiid’s 34 was excellent, the rest of the team couldn’t seem to mesh and get anything going offensively, scoring just 102 points as a team. George’s impact is huge on the offensive end, and when he plays well, the team plays well.
Maxey, Embiid, and Edgecombe carried the load when George was out with his suspension, and the Sixers went 13-12 during that time period. Since his return, George has helped lead the team to 4 wins, with him playing his best basketball in those wins, averaging 29 points. In the 3 losses since his return, George went back to his pre-suspension ways, averaging about 18 points. Clearly, there is a correlation between George’s contributions to the scoring column and wins for Philly with the season winding down.
The Sixers know how valuable George is, especially with him turning it up a notch going into the postseason, but the rest of the guys need to help him. While George is playing like his vintage self, Maxey has scored less than 20 points multiple times as of late, and Edgecombe has sometimes looked like a non-factor. Yet despite all of this, when George is able to make up in scoring what his teammates can’t, the team has been able to come out on top.
This Philadelphia team, for what seems like the first time in years, is fully healthy and gearing up for the postseason. This team has the potential to make a run, but it all comes down to whether George can produce on the offensive end. As seen since his suspension, wins and losses are directly a result of how George plays, and with the team making this final push, he needs to come up big more than ever.
Evan Hartenstein
Evan has been a member of the Philly Sports Reports team since March 2023. He is covering the 76ers and wants to pursue a long-lasting career in Sports Journalism.
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