Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George had a down year in 2024-25 as he battled through a multitude of injuries. The 9-time All-Star struggled to find his niche in Philadelphia and averaged only 16.2 points while shooting 43% from the floor and his shot attempts at the rim dropped.
When considering how tough George’s season went combined with the team’s overall struggles, it makes sense to see why he has dropped in the top 100 players list.
The Ringer put out an updated top 100 players in the NBA list and George comes in ranked only No. 90 in the league:
There were signs last year that George’s game was starting to show the wear and tear of his injury-marred Clippers era—namely, a noticeable lack of aggression in getting to the basket—but that was offset by career-best shooting efficiency. But this season, with Embiid persistently (and often mysteriously) absent and the Sixers forced to rely on a supporting cast of veteran minimums and young fliers, George’s flaws were exposed. To be fair, George was thrust into some difficult circumstances, including having to play backup center for a spell, but Philly needed its max player to perform like it, and the nine-time All-Star simply didn’t deliver. And if that weren’t enough, his unique brand of commentary only made the groans induced by his play more guttural.
One has to believe that with a healthy George, the Sixers will be able to bounce back in 2025-26. This is still a supremely talented group, again *if* healthy, and should be able to contend again when all of their pieces are on the floor. There is no questioning a trio of George, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid can win in the East. It all comes down to whether the group will be healthy enough to do it.