It is certainly difficult to envision Paul George ever playing well enough to make his max contract feel justified. However, from an objective standpoint, he has played much better so far this season compared to the previous campaign, which is relatively impressove given that he had also missed a lot of time to start the year.
While he if stilling trying to get his mojo back, George has averaged 16 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per outing while draining 41.6 percent of his three-point shots. He has also turned it up on the defensive end, reminding everyone that he can still be an impactful defender who can leverage his size and length to help bolster the team on that front. However, strangely enough, the nine-time All-Star has struggled inside the arc.
George is converting on just 40 percent of his two-point shot attempts, which ranks 12th on the team among all rotation players. To make matters worse, he is attempting the fourth-most two-pointers on the team, so it has definitely been a problem area so far this season.
Paul George is weirdly struggling to finish inside for the 76ers
Unless one is deemed a three-point specialist whose efficiency wanes inside the arc, players often shoot more accurately inside the arc, especially since it includes those attempts inside the paint and above the rim. Well, George is not just an exclusive operator at the three-point line, so it is out of the normal for him to struggle with his shot the closer he is to the rim.
This cannot be quantified with precision, but this is likely a sign of his declining physical tools. After all, George is almost 36 years old with an extensive track record of injuries.
If this keeps up, the 76ers will definitely have a grim issue on their hands. The team needs George to be a reliable scorer inside, especially since teams are chasing him off the three-point line due to his prowess in the perimeter. If he continues to struggle inside the arc, opposing defenses will be more than happy to let him take at least one step inside the line and play with the percentages.
Hopefully, George can solve this problem as he regains his rhythm. He should no longer be expected to be able to return to his All-NBA form, but being a more well-rounded scorer as he was in the not-so-distant past will be crucial for him to remain effective enough for defenses to commit a lot of attention to him.