Paul George has a history of doing exactly what the 76ers signed him for

If you let his critics tell his story, Paul George is a career under-achiever whose résumé pales in comparison to his peers. Few measure up to LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant, but the criticism George faces would imply that he's just another player who's come up short.

Thankfully, George will have every opportunity to silence the critics once and for all during his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers—by doing what he's done several times before.

George joining the 76ers was the marquee move of the 2024 NBA offseason. He'll soon join forces with former MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey as they look to deliver Philadelphia's first championship since 1983.

It's a tall task that carries an even heavier burden of expectation based on how the past seven seasons have gone with Embiid leading the charge.

Philadelphia hasn't reached the Conference Finals since 2001, when Allen Iverson famously led the team to the NBA Finals. That includes the current string of seven consecutive postseason appearances, during which time the 76ers have lost five second-round series and made two first-round exits.

Despite his reputation as a player who routinely comes up short in the postseason, George is actually the perfect fit for what the 76ers are hoping to first accomplish: Escaping the second round.

76ers star Paul George knows how to end a drought

The bigger goal is winning a championship, regardless of what kind of history the 76ers have with the second round of the playoffs. That much is clear, and is likely a thought that's shared at every level of the organization.

Before the 76ers can get to the point of truly contending, however, they'll need to climb the mountain they've thus far been unable to scale: Winning a second-round series.

Thankfully, George has a history of taking on a task of this nature and magnitude. It's a fact that's often ignored by his critics, but there's a decent chance it's something Daryl Morey was well aware of when he executed the signing.

Between his Indiana Pacers and LA Clippers careers, George has made a habit out of ending Conference Finals droughts.

In 2012-13, George led Indiana in scoring, minutes, and field goal attempts as the franchise reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in nine seasons. The next year, Indiana was back in the Conference Finals, marking its first string of back-to-back appearances since 1999 and 2000.

Fast forward to 2020-21 and George led the Clippers, without an injured Kawhi Leonard, to the first Western Conference Finals appearance in franchise history—51 years after its inception.

In 2024-25, the 76ers will turn to George to continue his trend of helping franchises escape second-round limbo. That may not sound as appealing as winning a championship, but it's an essential step that the Embiid-era 76ers have been unable to take toward contending.

For all of the talk about the shortcomings of Playoff P, many have seemingly forgotten how much more George has achieved than a vast majority of his peers.

Thankfully, the 76ers are well aware of the fact that he's exactly what they've been needing alongside Embiid.