Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Somewhere in the unwritten rule book of Philadelphia sports, it states that all highly-compensated free agent signings brought in from other teams have to play poorly in their first year with the team.
Trea Turner needed an ovation from the Phillies’ faithful in August of 2023 and has been one of the team’s better players since then. Bryce Huff was a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl and proceeded to pack his bags for San Francisco before he saw the second year of his contract. With the Sixers, Paul George‘s first year saw everything go wrong that could. But how will he fare going forward?
George’s first year in the City of Brotherly Love could not have gone much worse. Expectations were rightfully high amongst the fanbase, who thought they were looking at the most talented and best-fitting team of the Joel Embiid era. The excitement and anticipation came crashing down just as quickly as they had built once George signed his contract, and now the expectations for him and the team have to shift.
Paul George can no longer be considered the player who will put the Sixers over the top, but that does not mean he cannot play significantly better than he did last season and be a key contributor to a much better basketball team.
Here are three ways Paul George can improve heading into his second year with the Sixers:
Make shots
Jan 12, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) shoots during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Easy enough, right?
Throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy 15-year career, Paul George has been one of the most lethal jump shooters in the NBA. He has shot over 40% from distance in a season five times. He has a very smooth release at a nearly unblockable release point.
So what did he do once he got to Philadelphia? Log his least amount of 3-point shots taken per game in a decade- all the way back to the season where he played only six games after breaking his leg. He also shot the third-worst percentage from behind the arch in a single season in his career at just 35.8-percent. The only seasons he shot the long ball worse was his rookie season and in 2021-22 season where he played only 31 games.
Expect both of those numbers to tick up this year. The Sixers figure to have Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain handling the ball for the majority of the minutes. VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre can be the main ones flying around the perimeter on defense and using their athleticism to get to the hole on offense. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey can set the table via pick-and-roll with George providing necessary spacing behind the arch, and stretching the opposing defense in the process because he still cannot be left unguarded.
Paul George does not have the energy to wear as many hats on the basketball court as he once did. But he did not forget how to shoot a basketball overnight, either. Shooting usually regresses to the mean, even after a startlingly poor season the year before. He has to make his open shots.
Mentor the young guys
Feb 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Justin Edwards (19) reacts with forward Paul George (8) against the Miami Heat in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
When Paul George arrived in Philadelphia last summer, he was viewed as the missing piece to put an already good team over the top in pursuit of an NBA Championship. Heading into year two, that narrative is completely different.
While the Sixers are still going to try to win—especially with the Celtics, Pacers, and Bucks dealing with their own demons this season—George’s role on the team has to shift towards being the best veteran he can be to the young guys like Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards, who represent the future of the franchise.
Paul George’s career and life experiences can prove to be very instructive to the guys trying to carve out a role and make a name for themselves. George can speak to what it means to be a young star on a very good team with title aspirations, giving LeBron James his toughest intra-conference tests during his reign of the East. He has also suffered a major injury and been through all the emotional turmoil of rehab and recovery- something he probably helped Jared McCain navigate last season.
Another way Paul George can help to mentor the young guys on the team- especially Edgecombe and Edwards in this case- is to show them the value of having a prototypical NBA body for this era. George is taller than both Edgecombe and Edwards, but they all have a very similar athletic profile and with the right fine tuning, can be just as good at all the connective and high-IQ parts to the game that George excelled at in his prime: defense, cutting, attacking mismatches in transition, etc.
Paul George is entering his sixteenth year in the NBA. He did not make it this far by accident. There is a wealth of information about Paul George, the person and the basketball player. He needs to put the onus on himself to help guide his young and impressionable teammates along, and it is also on his teammates to apply that knowledge and advice.
Fitting into his role
(L-R) Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, center Joel Embiid and small forward Paul George pose for photos during the 76ers media day ahead of the NBA season at the 76ers Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey, September 30, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Paul George signed a four-year, $212 million contract to fit in next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and raise the floor and ceiling of the Sixers. Too often George tried to improvise in hunting for his own shot, tried too hard to show he was in fact the missing piece for the team, and he stymied the rhythm of the Sixers’ offense in the process.
This upcoming season, Paul George needs to revert back to the ultra off-ball threat he was in OKC and LA. George is at his best when he is flanking on offense and taking advantage of open shots created by others.
Given health, the gravity that Joel Embiid commands from the paint to the midrange, coupled with Maxey’s ability to get defenses in rotation off the dribble, is theoretically the perfect setup for George to utilize his skillset.
Of course, the same thing was said last summer when George originally signed in Philadelphia, but after a year’s worth of evidence, the delegation of everyone’s role should be clearer and more defined heading into this upcoming season.
Tyrese Maxey was too passive last year while trying to integrate George into the offense, and it often ended with George dribbling the air out of the ball and wasting the possession. Not having a James Harden or Russell Westbrook to create primary actions every time down the court is part of the reason George struggled so hard to fit in last year.