MILWAUKEE — The Philadelphia 76ers have their eyes on contending for a championship in 2025-26, but it’s also about developing their younger pieces as well. Paul George, a 16-year veteran and 9-time All-Star, is an important piece to both goals at the moment.

George getting back to his older self will go a long way in helping the Sixers contend in the Eastern Conference, but his presence also helps the younger players grow. He has a wealth of knowledge to pass down and coach Nick Nurse knows it.

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“He’s been great,” Nurse said of George. “Two things that I’ve asked him to do, or continually ask him to do, is to teach these guys how to anticipate as well as he does on the defensive end. I keep saying, he’s a really good defensive player. I think our numbers are showing that when he’s on the floor defensively, too, and it comes from–he can guard his guy. That always helps, but he’s really good at all the other parts, too, so I keep trying to ask him to teach those guys a little bit about off-ball defense.”

George has been a real big help to Philadelphia on the defensive end. Per Cleaning the Glass, he’s in the 96th percentile in defensive net rating. When considering how long he’s been in the league, he knows how to study tendencies and that’s something he wants to pass down to the youngsters.

“I know it’s tough for younger guys, but me, I’ve been in the league a long time. I’ve seen a lot of guys,” George explained. “I know tendencies, I know players’ cadence. I know players’ play style. I know who I can help a little bit more off of. I know who has a slower jump shot, who likes to shoot out a which pocket, who’s a bad passer. So I got time. All of that stuff is kind of going on in my head, and I’m processing all of that as the game is going on. So that’s the defensive side.”

As far as the offensive end is concerned, Nurse and the Sixers want him to teach the younger pieces how to get open on that end of the floor and contribute in ways without the basketball.

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“The other, to me, interesting, smaller thing is that he’s great at getting open,” Nurse added. “Like, he really has a great sense of when the ball is getting swung around and when to be open for the reversal pass. He has great footwork. He has great—head and shoulders move. He has great push off moves. That’s the other thing I’ve asked him to teach these guys a little bit and he’s been very good at that and also been really solid as far as just his overall positivity lately.”

As far as that end of the floor is concerned, the Sixers want George to teach those tricks of the trade to the younger players. While George is able to produce on the floor to help the Sixers right now, he can also help the young players develop and grow for the future.

“Offensively, it’s just seeing, again, when I’m at my best, is allowing the game to come to me, and then I react off that,” George finished after the win in Milwaukee on Friday. “So, I think in that fourth quarter, seeing the switching, being patient, and then at that point, they’re playing one-on-one, and me just taking my time, get to my spots, rising up, and shooting over whoever was in front of me.”

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 76ers asking Paul George of a couple of things to help youngsters grow