After making the difficult decision to leave the Los Angeles Clippers, many expected that the acquisition of Paul George would enhance the Philadelphia 76ers' roster and propel them into contention at the summit of the Eastern Conference -- a prediction that never came to fruition.
To say that George had an underwhelming season would be an understatement. When analyzing his statistics, many would assume that the 35-year-old performed admirably for a team that was plagued by an endless list of injuries, including the Sixers' superstar, Joel Embiid. Ending the season scoring an average of 16.2 points per game while shooting around 43% from the floor, George's numbers did not tell the whole story.
Being dubbed as the final piece of Philadelphia's intricate puzzle, the former Clippers wing was largely inconsistent during the brief period of the season when he was available for selection. It was obvious that a player of George's calibre struggled to adjust to the smaller role in the offense that head coach Nick Nurse was asking him to play -- and now, many Sixers fanatics are calling for the star to be traded.
However, despite all the negatives that persisted throughout the veteran's inaugural campaign in the 'City of Brotherly Love', it seems that fans and analysts alike have overlooked one resounding positive that the 76ers could benefit from this year.
Paul George impressed on defense for the 76ers
When Philadelphia's general manager Daryl Morey pursued George throughout the 2023/24 offseason and tied him down to a lucrative $212 million, four-year contract, he would have expected to land a player who added another dimension to the team's offense, while elevating Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to an absurd level of performance.
Nevertheless, Morey's controversial decision did not pay the dividends that many thought it would. Franchises do not commit a large portion of their salary cap for a defensive stalwart, but it appears that is the hand that the Sixers were dealt.
Paul George may have drifted in and out of games on the offensive end of the court, but on defense, the 2019 All-NBA star was dialed in. He resembled a pest when his opponents handled the ball around the perimeter, displaying fast hands that resulted in forcing the opposition into numerous turnovers and averaged an impressive 1.8 steals per game.
NBA purists will be quick to remind Sixers supporters that this is far from an anomaly, as George has been regarded as an elite defender on several occasions during his 15-year career. The Fresno State graduate has been placed on the All-Defensive first team on two occasions, while also topping the league in steals in 2019.
It may not be an attribute that the Philadelphia 76ers were hoping to stand out in a star that they have committed such a large portion of their salary cap towards; nevertheless, this is a terrific quality that Nick Nurse should look to build on if his primary offensive options -- Embiid and Maxey -- can stay healthy for longer periods of the schedule, which Paul George is already hinting this could be the case.