Philadelphia 76ers All-Star's Honest Assessment of Paul George So Far

Tyrese Maxey talked about Paul George's 76ers stint so far on Monday night.

Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) shoots a foul shot against the Indiana Pacersduring the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

It’s safe to say the Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George era has not gotten off to a hot start. With multiple injuries sidelining the nine-time All-Star throughout the first stretch of the year, it’s been a steady uphill climb for George to live up to the early expectations his contract brings.

Monday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets was a promising sight. In a 40-minute shift, George had his best scoring outing as a member of the 76ers.

After the game, Sixers All-Star Tyrese Maxey assessed George’s big night, and revealed what he would like to see from his co-star moving forward.

“Paul is good,” Maxey told reporters “I think he’s trying to get in—how do I say this—comfortable and rhythm. It’s hard, man. New team, new system, guys are in and out. He was in and out, got hurt, came back, got hurt again. That’s tough, man. I think the biggest thing that he’s done for us is just like, talk, and be vocal, be confident in every single huddle, and he trusts. I’ve been telling him, dude, go be Paul George. Go off—get off—like whatever shots you feel like you need to shoot, shoot and be aggressive.”

Tyrese Maxey on Paul George's impact on him and the Sixers:

"Paul's [George] good. I think he's finally getting comfortable, rhythm, it's hard man. New team, new system, guys in and out, he was in and out, got hurt, came back, got hurt again... He's been resilient, man."

(via… pic.twitter.com/vmI0euzYtA

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 17, 2024

The Sixers signed Paul George after his five-year run on the Los Angeles Clippers. While out West, George averaged 23 points per game on nearly 40 percent shooting from three.

Before Monday’s matchup in Charlotte, George was averaging just under 16 points per game while shooting 32 percent from three.

When the Sixers battled it out against the Hornets, George produced 33 points. He made 65 percent of his field goals and knocked down six of his nine threes. It was precisely the performance the Sixers expect to get from the All-Star, especially when the team is shorthanded.

THIS PHILLY DUO 🔥

TYRESE MAXEY AND PAUL GEORGE COMBINE FOR 7️⃣3️⃣ IN THE SIXERS WIN VS. HORNETS‼️ pic.twitter.com/vYrka4piuR

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 17, 2024

For the time being, the Sixers are playing without the seven-time All-Star center Joel Embiid as he deals with a sinus fracture. The Rookie of the Year favorite guard Jared McCain is also out of the lineup as he underwent surgery on Tuesday.

George was already assumed to have a large role on the Sixers, but the expectations are certainly higher now that they are in an 8-16 hole to start the year.