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Paul George delivered his best outing of the year and says he’s feeling strong as the Sixers carefully increase his minutes.
The Philadelphia 76ers have some hope for a strong season by remaining in the playoff race, despite dealing with many injuries. Paul George missed the first month of the season recovering from an injury after a terrible first 76ers season. Many have lost faith in George and started to call him “washed” for no longer being an All-Star caliber player.
George recently had his best game of the season so far against the Atlanta Hawks and made some comments about his critics:
“I mean, prior to coming here, I was coming off one of my most efficient seasons. All-Star that year. I didn’t see myself being washed that fast, but I knew. I knew that this league is about what you can do now, and they tend to forget everything that I have done. So, it was a bit of motivation going into the summer to just get healthy and kind of let everything else take care of itself.”
The 76ers have a 14-11 record behind the All-Star play of Tyrese Maxey. George is going to be needed to continue playing consistently strong basketball for the overall depth. Philadelphia hopes to have one or two more playoff runs with contracts like George and Joel Embiid putting them under fire.
Paul George Finally Playing Good Basketball
Philadelphia managed George’s minutes for the first few weeks and sat him out of the second half of back-to-back games to limit him. George’s minutes have increased to help him get more comfortable. Three of the past four games have seen George scoring 20+ points to prove he still has a lot to contribute.
Maxey’s rise into a 30 point per game scorer so far helps take pressure off George and Embiid. However, both injury prone question marks are needed to have big ascensions for true contention in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe looked like a star player early, but he’s fallen back to earth with opposing defenses figuring him out. More time is needed before a player that young is expected to make a big jump. George must help the 76ers raise their ceiling until the younger players can carry without him and Embiid.
How Much Can Paul George Help?
Maxey missing a couple of games to injury could have destroyed Philadelphia’s momentum. However, the positive of George having a larger role and having great games means the team can start to rely on a more well-rounded offense for the betterment of everyone.
George looking like a good NBA player would raise the ceiling of the 76ers, especially if Embiid can progress anywhere near his previous MVP level. Both names are such variables who could either destroy the season with one brutal injury or give the fans hope for contending at best.
The East being a weaker conference this season gives Philadelphia pipe dreams of making noise if they can get to a top four seed. George’s improved play and his confidence in making such a statement is only good news for the 76ers’ chances of success this season.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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