Once one of the NBA’s premier wings, Paul George has faced early challenges in Philadelphia after signing a four-year, $212 million deal in 2024. The nine-time All-Star played only 41 games last season, averaging 16.2 points, renewing concerns about his availability. However, since returning from offseason knee surgery in mid-November, George has shown signs of regaining his form.
Paul George’s Big Game Proves He’s On the Right Path to Stardom
George scored a season high of 35 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday on an efficient 11-21 from the field and 7-10 from three-point range. The numbers came in a 120-117 loss, but George’s ability to get a shot off on the perimeter and closer to the hoop has been one of his most significant assets and should help the Sixers in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. He is more than pleased with his increased productivity and has a few things to say to his detractors who think he has nothing left to offer.
“Just been healthier. Last year was a lot going on. I was just trying to patch up stuff. This year, I’m a lot healthier. I feel like I can play my game. I feel like I can be myself. There’s still some things I got to come back. I’m not all the way 100, but I’m more myself than I was last year. So that’s the positive that I can take, and everything else is with time, I’m just going to continue to get better.”
PG-13 went on to explain how a clean slate during the offseason has helped him get back to his old ways.
“I mean, prior to coming here, I was coming off one of my most efficient seasons. All-Star that year. I didn’t see myself being washed that fast, but I knew. I knew that this league is about what you can do now, and they tend to forget everything that I have done. So, it was a bit of motivation going into the summer to just get healthy and kind of let everything else take care of itself.”
Philadelphia entered the 2025-2026 season with tempered expectations following last season’s disappointment. Joel Embiid’s downturn and George’s age and health put a lot on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey, but if these two former stars can flash even a fraction of their former selves consistently, the Sixers could just become a dark horse in a wide-open East. Embiid had a great game of his own on Friday against the Pacers, scoring 39 points in a 115-105 win.
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Philadelphia sits at 14-11 after 25 games and is in 6th in the conference. This is good for the first spot in the play-in tournament in April, but they sit only one win behind the fourth-place Boston Celtics. Philly has the talent and the experience to gain ground in the standings and compete on any given night with the top contenders, such as Detroit and New York.
