PHILADELPHIA — As Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George gets older, his game is going to change. It’s natural for every player to eventually have to change the way they play as they age in this league.

George, 35, has had to battle through a ton of injuries that have limited him on the floor during his time with the Sixers. He has not been the same explosive player he was with the Los Angeles Clippers and in his younger days in the league, but George is still a helpful player for this group out on the floor.

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His mere presence makes the Sixers a better defensive team. Per Cleaning the Glass, George is ranked in the 97th percentile in defensive points allowed per 100 possessions which shows his defensive impact. He has also played a number of different roles on the offensive end from catch-and-shoot option (43.2% on C&S 3s per NBA Stats) to ball-handler as something of a point forward option for this group as he did in Friday’s win over the Indiana Pacers.

“I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said after the win. “I think more than anything, it’s just continuing to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body, gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. It’s just adding to the confidence and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for the season. I felt good down the stretch. I felt good tonight. Just trying to piggyback off that.”

George recently had a message for his critics and all of the people who think he’s “washed”. It’s fair to wonder if he’s ever going to be that ruthless scorer he once was, but the 9-time All-Star still has so much he can offer and help the Sixers get back on the path toward title contention. He brings a lot to the table and Philadelphia will look to benefit off it.

The goal for George and the Sixers now has to be to build off all of this. Obviously, he isn’t the same athlete he once was, but he still has a ton of skill and can give the Sixers some serious production on the wing.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Paul George morphing into a jack of all trades for Sixers on the floor