The jewel of the 2024 offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers was signing Paul George to a four-year deal. In addition, getting George to come to Philly fulfilled the promise of getting a third superstar that Daryl Morey and the rest of Philly’s front office assured everyone would come in the offseason. There is now less than a month until Philly’s first preseason game. The only question left is, can George be the missing piece in the championship puzzle for Philly?
How Paul George Can Level Up His Game
Create Great Chemistry with Embiid and Maxey
This might be the most talented roster George has ever been a part of. As a result of that, he will have to fit his game around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Additionally, George has never played with a big man as talented as Embiid. Also, it may take them some time to really figure out the spacing on the floor. However, once they figure that out, the Sixers offense should be one of the most explosive in the association.
If George, Maxey, and Embiid can use the rest of the offseason, preseason, and some of the early regular season games to improve their chemistry, then there will be nothing opposing teams can do to stop the trio, and the Sixers will contend for a title this season.
Become A Three-Point Sniper
With the amount of defensive attention Embiid and Maxey attract, there will be plenty of three-point opportunities for their teammates. Last season, George made 41.3% of his three-pointers. That was a new career-high for one of the most prolific scorers in the league.
As a result of the number of high percentage three-point opportunities that will be available in Philly, George should be able to increase his three-point percentage this season. If he becomes a three-point sniper combined with his shot creation ability, George will be the best superstar/complimentary piece Philly has had in the Embiid era.
If that happens, opposing teams will have to pick their poison when it comes to defending them. Also, that should keep Embiid and Maxey healthy and fresh for the playoffs.
Improve Playmaking Skills
George is one of the best scorers in the game, especially in the fourth quarter. Last season, he averaged 22.6 points per game and scored 465 points in the fourth quarter last season. That made him the eighth-best fourth quarter scorer in the league. George will probably experience a decrease in his point total this season.
However, if he can improve his passing skills, he could create high-percentage shots for his teammates. George averaged 3.5 assists per game last season. If he can increase his assists numbers to five- six per game during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, Philly should be able to compete with any team in the association.
Improving his playmaking skills should also help him create even more great chemistry with his teammates. If the role players on the team see one of the team’s prized offseason pick-ups improving his game, it should make them want to work even harder to improve their games.
Additionally, that could help in cementing George as one of the leaders on the team and make the transition from the Los Angeles Clippers to Philly even smoother. If George can implement these things into his game this season, that should help him improve his play style and take Philly to the next level.
