What was widely believed to be a manifestation of a steep decline may actually just be an act of cruise control — at least, that is what it looks like for the Philadelphia 76ers as of late when it comes to Paul George. The nine-time All-Star has been firing on all cylinders since making his return from a league suspension, and it is bound to raise this group’s collective ceiling in the postseason.
Against the Bulls, George tallied 28 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals while draining six three-pointers in just 26 minutes. Against the Hornets, he finished with 26 markers, 13 boards, and four steals. Both of those outings ended up in crucial dubs for the 76ers, and he was at the core of it all with his timely shot-making and all-around production.
No one is picking the 76ers to make a deep playoff run, which is frankly understandable. After all, they are still in the play-in tournament picture, although they are only a hair below the No. 5 seed given the tight race in the standings. But if George keeps this resurgent act up, this team might just be able to surprise everyone come April and May.
The 76ers can make a deep playoff run if Paul George continues playing like this
George is probably the most battle-tested player the 76ers have in the postseason. He has 114 playoff games under his belt, and while he has yet to make the Finals, he has extensive experience being at the crux of things for his squad, having led Indiana and Oklahoma City as the best player for his squads and co-leading LA with Kawhi Leonard when he was still with the Clippers.
This season, the veteran has averaged just 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a night, which are good (but not great) numbers for a third option. However, he is clearly still capable of taking over games when he wants to, so it is simply a matter of him recognizing that there is a “need” for him to be as aggressive as he has been over the last couple of games on a consistent basis.
George is still the best forward the 76ers have — and it is not even close. Defenses panic when he is roaming in the perimeter, and he remains a skillful shot creator on all three levels. Even better, he is one of the better playmaking forwards in the league who can also get the job done on the defensive end. Hopefully, he stays this aggressive moving forward as the team inches closer to the postseason.