After finally landing Paul George — a player they’d been openly coveting for some time — the Philadelphia 76ers seem primed to jump into
the elite ranks of the Eastern Conference. But, adding a veteran like George to a team
with an established core of players isn’t without its risks.
For the better part of the last decade, the cornerstone of
the Sixers has been center Joel Embiid. With the addition of players like
Tobias Harris, Kelly Oubre Jr. and especially Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia has been
a perpetual playoff team. While the high-caliber George will certainly have a
major effect on his teammates, it might not be completely positive.
The player who could most be affected by the arrival of
George is Maxey. The guard had a career year in the 2023-2024 season, averaging
nearly 26 points per game in the regular season and almost 30 in the playoffs.
His coming-out party was Game 5 against the Knicks in which he scored 46 and
also tallied nine rebounds and five assists.
In nearly every statistical category, Maxey has improved
each year he’s been in the league. But with George now on the team, it’s very possible
that the growth of this budding star gets impeded.
As long as Embiid is still standing, he’ll be the
first option for the Sixers. George is now potentially No. 2, which would relegate Maxey to No. 3. George has proven that he needs the ball in his hands in
order to be the most effective, so his addition probably means fewer touches
for Maxey.
For his part, Maxey doesn’t seem to be fazed by the arrival of George, as he agreed to a five-year contract extension shortly after the Sixers signed George. It should be noted, however, that the Sixers were the only team in position to give Maxey a max contract.
Maxey also heaped praise on George, and touted his shooting, rebounding and
passing abilities. As for how he’ll fit into the lineup, Maxey said it will be
up to head coach Nick Nurse “to figure out how we’re going to play.”
Maxey stressed the importance of playing off the ball with
someone like Embiid. And while he believes that George can adapt his game and
be versatile, he also added this potentially telling nugget: “I think he could
play with the second unit and lead those units as well.”
If
George helps the Sixers win a championship, nobody – including Maxey – is going
to care about who took how many shots or whether or not somebody was a second
or third option. But if they come up short again, many will be questioning
whether George was the right fit in the first place and perhaps why Maxey
wasn’t given the proper chance to shine.
