Despite having a turbulent campaign in his first year as a Philadelphia 76ers player, Paul George has created a phenomenal resume during his 15-year stint in the NBA. However, Statitudes writer, Justin Kubatko, predicted in his latest article that the 35-year-old forward would not reach an unbelievable milestone due to his recent woeful injury record.
George is currently 151 shy of reaching 2,500 career 3-point shots made -- a total that only seven players have achieved in the history of the NBA, with LeBron James being the most recent star to reach that tally.
Paul George may have to wait to hit milestone
It cannot be denied that George can attain this remarkable feat with the offensive ability he possesses. Still, Kubatko highlights that his availability for selection over recent campaigns has hindered the numbers he has been able to record.
During the 76ers' 2024-25 campaign, the former Los Angeles Clippers wing only played in 41 of their regular-season matchups. In which he sank 96 of his 268 attempts from deep. If these statistics were replicated in the upcoming campaign, then George would require at least another year to hit this prestigious milestone.
Philadelphia's fan base will feel a sense of disinterest in George's individual accolades and will rather focus on the aspect of his fitness issues, as last season was far from an anomaly when referring to this subject.
The Fresno State graduate has only featured in 60+ games during one of the last six seasons. To make matters worse, George has already undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in an attempt to be fully fit for the start of the Sixers' campaign; however, the franchise has yet to set a date for his return.
PG can still play a key role for Philadelphia
Injuries may have limited the influence that George could have on the court, but in the hypothetical reality that the 76ers often find themselves in, he still has the opportunity to play a vital role in the offense, alongside franchise star Joel Embiid and the energetic Tyrese Maxey.
Teething issues and becoming accustomed to his less prominent role in the offensive game plan stunted the impact George was having during his first year in a Sixers uniform, yet he still recorded respectable statistics. Throughout the 2024-25 season, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
If Embiid returns to the court for a high percentage of the season at a similar level to his devastating best and Tyrese Maxey can take another leap in his development, then similar numbers from George can transform this Philadelphia roster into Eastern Conference competitors.
Of course, when you speak about the Philadelphia 76ers, 'if' is a word that is used more commonly than it should be -- something that is highly evident in Justin Kabatko's article.