Paul George. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Paul George envisions a shared responsibility between 'elite' Sixers teammates

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Sep 30, 2024 1:49 PM ET

Paul George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of free agency. He agreed to a four-year $211.5 million deal with the franchise. His arrival has given Nick Nurse an elite big three, along with Tyrse Maxey and Joel Embiid.

During a news conference on Tuesday as part of the Sixers' media day, George noted that this is the first time in his career he will be playing with an elite guard and center simultaneously. He envisions the three of them playing off each other and ensuring no individual carries too much of the offensive or defensive load.

"I think this is the first time that I've played with an elite point guard and big man all at once," George said. "So, for us, it's kind of just countering off each other. Nothing's forced for just one person to take that load alone. We can share that responsibility."

Well bc people are aggregating this now and taking it out of context, here’s the video of PG giving that quote.

Was answering a question about how he’ll fit on the court next to Maxey and Embiid. https://t.co/AQJmUCGfsI pic.twitter.com/4Wx5717bMC
— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) September 30, 2024

Finding ways to keep both Embiid and George healthy throughout the season will be integral to the Sixers' chances of success. Both veterans have dealt with injury issues in recent seasons. Philadelphia's best chance of making a deep playoff run is with both Embiid and George on the floor. As such, having the star trio take turns shouldering the offensive and defensive burden would be ideal.

When healthy, George is still one of the best two-way forwards in the NBA. Last season, he enjoyed one of his most productive campaigns in years, playing in 74 games and averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 41.3% shooting from three-point range and 47.1% shooting from the field.

Philadelphia have been building and re-tooling around Embiid for years. Now, he has arguably the strongest guard and forward pairing of his career. He will need it as he looks to dislodge the Boston Celtics from the top spot in the Eastern Conference while also dealing with the threat of the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.

Nurse has an elite big three at his disposal. If he can keep them healthy, and they all gel together, the Sixers will be a serious threat next season.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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