Paul George was the Philadelphia 76ers marquee addition this summer. The veteran forward reportedly turned down $150 million from the LA Clippers to sign the four-year $212 million contract Daryl Morey had put on offer to join the Sixers.
Since arriving in Philadelphia, George has been unable to showcase why he’s worth such a significant contract. Injury issues have kept him from building any rhythm or momentum. In 41 outings, George is averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
According to Gilbert Arenas, George’s struggles are because he chose to chase the money, rather than remain where he was settled and happy.
“What went wrong? Preseason, maybe an emotional departure,” Arenas said. “$160 million to lose in the Western Conference Finals or $212 million to not make the playoffs? When you start off with bad energy, it ends with bad energy.”
The Sixers need George to bounce back from a poor debut season with the franchise. Morey rolled the dice on bringing the veteran forward to the City of Brotherly Love and will be keen on seeing a return on that investment. Otherwise, Morey could potentially look to cut bait in the summer by trading George and admitting his mistake.
Former Sixers Sharpshooter Expects Another Run
Both Joel Embiid and George have been shut down for the remainder of the season. For Philadelphia fans, the loss of the Sixers’ two biggest stars is exactly what they were worried about during the summer. Both Embiid and George have struggled to stay healthy in recent years.
Nevertheless, former sharpshooter Danny Green believes Morey will show patience with his core trio, which also includes Tyrese Maxey.
“I think we will (see a healthy trio) early in the season next year,” Green said. “If they don’t get it right, there will be something. But I think they have a lot of time from now to the beginning of next season where Joel can get right, PG can get right.”
Assuming that Morey does stick with his current big three throughout the summer, it’s likely George could be moved before the trade deadline if he doesn’t show significant improvements, both on the court and in terms of health.
Sixers Must Improve Front Court
According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Morey must improve the Sixers front court during the upcoming offseason.
“Although depth wasn’t the primary reason for Philadelphia’s failure, it disappointed nonetheless,” Pelton wrote on March 2. “Backup centers Andre Drummond and Adem Bona haven’t provided the cover the 76ers expected behind Embiid, and Caleb Martin wasn’t the strong role player Philadelphia expected. As a result, the Sixers have given more than 3,500 minutes to players my metric rates below replacement level this season, the league’s eighth-highest total.”
Outside of Guerschon Yabusele, the frontcourt has been disappointing this season. Once Morey has made a decision regarding Embiid and George, he must rebuild the supporting cast. That starts with re-signing Quentin Grimes. After that, giving Nick Nurse a more dynamic rotation is essential. Otherwise, the struggles of this season could carry over to the next one.
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