The Philadelphia 76ers were declared the offseason winners after signing Paul George and building a Big 3. Many believed they would finally be serious title contenders, but the Sixers have the worst record in the NBA after 14 games. Tyrese Maxey called out Joel Embiid in a recent team meeting, and their three stars cannot stay healthy. They played just a few minutes together before George was injured again.
Nothing is going right in Philadelphia. George, Embiid, and Maxey have all missed time, and there is zero chemistry on a virtually brand-new roster. Rookie Jared McCain has been arguably the lone bright spot as the Sixers sit 27th in net rating and have the worst offense in the league. They need better health, but that alone won’t do it.
George signed a four-year $211.5 million max contract this offseason, but he is not playing like a superstar. His abysmal numbers and two knee injuries have fans questioning the signing. He was the best available free agent, but that does not mean things work out in Philly.
The Paul George signing keeps getting worse for the 76ers
George hyperextended his knee in the preseason and missed the first five regular season games. The Sixers won just one of those contests and now he is injured again. He has been ruled out for two games, but there is no guarantee he will return after that. This could be another multiple-week absence for a struggling franchise.
In the eight games he played, George did not look like a superstar. He averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.3 steals in 28.9 minutes per game. PG shot just 38.3 percent from the field and 27.8 percent on his 3-point attempts. The 76ers have been outscored by 63 points in his first 231 minutes on the floor and the team has an abysmal negative-13.9 net rating.
George has scored over 20 points per game in every season since 2016. He will improve, but how much? This is a 34-year-old with a lengthy injury history. He has already hyperextended his knee twice on two common basketball plays. George played 74 games last season, but he averaged just 52.6 per year over the last five. The 76ers do not plan to play him on the second night of back-to-backs. At what point does the hole become too big to overcome?
The Clippers were only willing to offer George a three-year contract, so he chose the Sixers in free agency. PG spent five seasons in Los Angeles. They knew the downside of his career was coming, and it looks like Philly may have acquired him at the wrong time.
Paul George will be better. He is an elite scorer and stout defender when healthy. The missed games will keep adding up, but no franchise will want to face a healthy Sixers roster in the playoffs.
Philadelphia must worry about getting there with their three stars on the floor. The George fans saw in his first eight games is not good enough to strike fear into any team. Embiid is off to a rough start of his own, and Maxey missed six games. This may be a team that is better on paper than in reality. Things are not going well so far, and George’s play isn’t improving while sidelined.
The Philadelphia 76ers have elite talent but are far from making it work on the floor. Hopefully, Paul George only misses a few games and returns to his All-Star form. If not, things may get worse in the City of Brotherly Love as crazy as that sounds.