The 2024-25 season is officially over for the Philadelphia 76ers. The squad endured so much in this campaign, and finally, the team can simply look forward to what’s ahead of them while putting this disappointing season on their back pockets.
Still, the ghosts from this season will continue to haunt them for quite some time. After all, the drastic decline was induced by a myriad of factors, most notable of which was the steep decline in production on the part of Paul George, whom the team signed under the belief that he is the one who can get them over the hump in the playoffs.
Ultimately, the team did not even get any closer to making the postseason and ended up having the fifth-worst record in the NBA. While that has, in turn, given them a solid chance at nabbing the top prize in this year’s draft, it does not erase the fact that this club is now in a state of flux, especially when it comes to the nine-time All-Star.
To recover his value, the 76ers could resort to doing what was once unthinkable.
The 76ers should bench Paul George next season
At this point, it would take a miracle for another team to trade for Paul George, who undoubtedly has one of the worst contracts in the league. Thus, the coaching staff will have no other choice but to find the perfect role for him next season.
Someone of George’s pedigree, even factoring in his decline, would be an undisputed starter. However, the team should seriously toy with the idea of bringing him off the bench as a super-sub next season.
The 76ers starting unit is already littered with shot creators such as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and even Jared McCain. All three need the ball in their hands to set the table for themselves or for others. To strike a better balance, having George lead the second unit while still playing heavy minutes should help boost his numbers up.
Philadelphia’s bench has ranked among the least-scoring second units in the NBA for the last couple of seasons, and adding someone of George’s caliber to that group should give the 76ers a bigger chance of protecting leads, if not extending them, when facing their counterparts.
This may not be the role the Philadelphia 76ers envisioned when they signed Paul George to that maximum deal, but at this point, they have to try everything not only to raise the team’s collective ceiling, but also to help him regain his value.