{"id":112699,"date":"2024-12-17T13:53:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T18:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=112699"},"modified":"2024-12-17T13:53:14","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T18:53:14","slug":"paul-george-safety-net-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/17\/paul-george-safety-net-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul George is Being Used in Last-Resort Safety Net Role"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> made bold moves in the offseason, headlined by acquiring<\/a> Paul George<\/a> on a max contract.<\/a> Daryl Morey, the Sixers\u2019 President of Basketball Operations, orchestrated a complex plan that began last summer. The team traded James Harden<\/a> to gain flexibility, acquired expiring contracts, and secured draft picks. Morey aimed to pair George with Joel Embiid<\/a> and Tyrese Maxey,<\/a> creating a formidable trio to compete for an NBA championship. Knowing<\/a> the injury history of Embiid, Paul George was also signed as a safety net by the 76ers front office, a last-resort move when things are going south.<\/p>\n

Paul George is Being Used in Last-Resort Safety Net Role<\/h2>\n

George<\/a> represented the Sixers\u2019 vision of an elite two-way wing who could step up in crucial moments. The plan was risky, but Morey embraced the challenge, believing it was the best way forward.<\/p>\n

“A risky plan doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a bad plan,” Morey said<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A New Role for Paul George Without Embiid<\/h3>\n

Injuries<\/a> have tested the Sixers\u2019 aspirations. Embiid\u2019s health has remained a concern since he tore his left meniscus last season. Adding to the challenge, rookie Jared McCain<\/a>, a bright spot this season, is now out indefinitely with a torn lateral meniscus.<\/p>\n

George has stepped into a pivotal safety net role in Embiid\u2019s absence. Across eight games without Embiid this season, George is averaging<\/a> 18.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. Initially, George struggled to adapt to his new team, posting<\/a>\u00a014.8 points and 6.2 assists on 39.4 shooting from the field in the first five games with Embiid.<\/p>\n

However, George has elevated his play in the last three games without Embiid, averaging<\/a> 27.7 points and 8.3 assists. A key factor in this surge is his improved three-point shooting. Over these games, he has hit 14-of-25 from beyond the arc, a blistering 56%.<\/p>\n

George\u2019s Shot Creation Keeps Sixers Afloat<\/h3>\n

The Sixers\u2019 success without Embiid<\/a> hinges on George\u2019s ability<\/a> to create offense. Morey prioritized acquiring a player who could take on this responsibility. George\u2019s shot creation, particularly from deep, allows Philadelphia to remain competitive during Embiid\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n

Maxey has also stepped up, but George\u2019s experience and versatility provide a stabilizing presence. His ability to play within any system has proven essential. George himself acknowledged his evolving approach to the game.<\/p>\n

“I know what I can do and what I\u2019m capable of, and I can play off any player,” he said<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Road Ahead Without Embiid and McCain<\/h3>\n

With Embiid and McCain sidelined<\/a>, the Sixers face a critical stretch. Embiid\u2019s history of injuries has made his availability unpredictable, and the team must prepare to win without him. Last season, Philadelphia went 31-8<\/a> with Embiid but faltered without him, eventually landing in the Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n

George\u2019s role becomes even more crucial now. The Sixers will need his scoring, playmaking, and leadership to stay competitive. Alongside Maxey, George must shoulder the load to keep the team afloat during this challenging period.<\/p>\n

The 76ers are Using Paul George as a Safety Net as Predicted<\/h3>\n

The Sixers\u2019 gamble on George is paying off, especially in Embiid\u2019s absence. George\u2019s ability to adapt and elevate his play has provided the team with a much-needed safety net. As the Sixers navigate injuries and build chemistry, George\u2019s performance could determine their fate in the regular season. Philadelphia\u2019s bold offseason plan may still bear fruit, but for now, it\u2019s George keeping the team\u2019s hopes alive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia 76ers made bold moves in the offseason, headlined by acquiring Paul George on a max contract. Daryl Morey, the Sixers\u2019 President of Basketball Operations, orchestrated a complex plan that began last summer. The team traded James Harden to gain flexibility, acquired expiring contracts, and secured draft picks. Morey aimed to pair George with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":112727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,13],"tags":[4945,49059,49979,1107,444,49067,267,4975,4745,49183,50,2478],"class_list":["post-112699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-76ers","tag-2023-2024-season","tag-2024-nba-free-agents","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-daryl-morey","tag-james-harden","tag-jared-mccain","tag-joel-embiid","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-injuries","tag-nba-play-in","tag-paul-george","tag-tyrese-maxey"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112699"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112728,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112699\/revisions\/112728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}