‘Go be Paul George’: The Sixers’ newest star is starting to look like the player Philly expected
George signed a four-year, $211.5 million deal this summer to star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. He's finally starting to do that.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Paul George needed this.
The attention, the scrutiny, and the spotlight that come with having a starring role for the 76ers were visible Monday night. And his ability to play with a me-first mentality and perform under those circumstances is the reason the Sixers gave him a four-year, $211.5 million, maximum-salary contract this summer.
They wanted him to play like the Paul George who is a six-time All-NBA selection. Not someone content with playing third fiddle to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers wanted the Paul George who is in attack mode. Not a 6-foot-8, 220-pounder relegated to standing in the corner and watching Maxey and Embiid thrive.
“I’ve talked to Nick,” George said of coach Nick Nurse. “I talked to Tyrese and Joel. They all want me to be myself.”
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He definitely was himself Monday during the Sixers’ 121-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center.
The 34-year-old finished with a season-high 33 points on 13-for-20 shooting — including 6 of 9 three-pointers — along with five rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block in a season-high 39 minutes, 47 seconds. George, who is in his 15th NBA season, tallied 15 of his points in the first quarter.
George also looked more like himself, since this was his first game without a knee brace after he hyperextended his left knee for a second time this season on Nov. 20. No longer restricted by the brace, George moved well and displayed more explosiveness.
This wasn’t his first dominant performance of the season.
George had 29 points while also making 6 of 9 three-pointers in the Sixers’ 110-104 victory over the Hornets on Dec. 3 in Charlotte. He averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 50% on three-pointers in three straight games from Nov. 30-Dec. 6.
In games with Embiid, however, George’s usage rate has suffered. The 7-foot-2 center had missed 17 of the first 21 games before returning against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 8 at the United Center. Before then, Embiid, Maxey, and George had played together for only about six minutes. George was relegated to bystander status when he finally got extended minutes alongside the other All-Stars against the Bulls and Friday against the Indiana Pacers.
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Monday’s victory over the Hornets was first of at least three contests that Embiid will miss with a right sinus fracture. As a result, the earliest we’ll see if George’s involvement has improved will be next Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Center.
But George now has a better sense of his role and how to impactfully coexist with Embiid in the offense.
“I’m finally getting comfortable,” George said.
That was obvious to Maxey on Monday.
“It’s hard, man,” the point guard said. “New team. New system. Guys in and out. He was in and out. Got hurt. Came back and got hurt again. That’s tough, man. But he’s been resilient, man.
“I think the biggest thing that he’s done for us is just talk and be vocal and be confident in every single huddle and he trusts you.”
George’s teammates also have total trust in him.
“He’s a player that can create mismatches,” Eric Gordon said, “because he has good size and his shooting ability. He’s always going to create for himself, number one. But I still think they are still figuring things out, trying to make the game a little bit easier for him.”
» READ MORE: Sixers takeaways: Paul George's knee looks healthy, bench comes alive in win
As Gordon noted, the Sixers remain a work in progress at 8-16. He believes they have yet to hit their stride, despite having won five of their last seven games.
“With this type of team, we can’t be where we are ranked on offense,” Gordon said of the Sixers, who entered Tuesday ranked 27th in offensive efficiency at 107.3 points per 100 possessions. “We’ve got to be more fluid.”
And George deciding not to defer to teammates on Monday was a good start.
“I’ve been telling him, ‘Dude, go be Paul George,’” Maxey said. “‘Go off. Get off. Whatever shot you feel like you need to shoot, shoot it and be aggressive.’”