Sixers 3 goals: Paul George needs to get healthy, jell with stars

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The new season begins on Oct. 22, and training camp is right around the corner--beginning on Saturday. Now is the time to begin previewing the new season of adventure that is Sixers basketball.

Up next in this series is star forward Paul George. The Sixers brought George in on a 4-year $212 million deal after a terrific 2023-24 season with the Los Angeles Clippers when he was named an All-Star. His first season in Philadelphia didn't go as planned as he was limited to only 41 games due to a variety of injuries.

For George, his three goals are as follows:

This is the No. 1 goal and most paramount issue for the Sixers going forward. If they can get a healthy George, then that makes life easier for everybody involved. He was unable to make that big impact with the Sixers that many were expecting because he was limited by injuries. His attempts at the basket were down, he was unable to have the same type of explosion on his drives, and it limited his overall offensive game. He has got to focus on getting healthy in the coming season in order to help this Sixers team.

Due to the injuries, George was unable to build much chemistry with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The trio played only 18 games together--finishing only 15 of them--and it reflected on the floor as the Sixers went 7-8 in those 15. If Philadelphia is going to make that jump back into contention in a wide-open Eastern Conference, it will need George to jell with Embiid and Maxey. It shouldn't be hard for George when considering he has played with stars in the past such as Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden. Obviously, there were some brief moments with Embiid and Maxey that he can bank on as well.

The Sixers, obviously, build everything around Embiid and Maxey, but George has to get his shots as well. His efficiency was down in the 2024-25 season as he was unable to get much comfortability, but that should change in the coming season with a little bit of injury luck. The more he plays with his new teammate, the easier that will become. The Sixers will be looking for him to be that efficient scorer and clutch player he has been throughout his career. He just needs some time.