The Philadelphia 76ers played against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The game wasn’t competitive, yet the Sixers lost by a 10-point margin (111-121). The game’s highlight was Paul George because he would debut in the Sixers jersey. How was his performance?
Paul George’s Performance
Paul George’s performance on the court was stellar. Though the Sixers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the nine-time All-Star led the team by example. The Sixers played without Joel Embiid, so Paul George and Tyrese Maxey shared the court.
This isn’t the first time the six-time All-NBA played in the NBA. However, what the Sixers fans needed was how well George fit into the team. The starting lineup comprised Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George. This starting five painted a picture of how the team would be without Embiid.
George’s integration with this first unit was seamless. Though he started the game slow, the six-time All-NBA dropped 18 points in the first half. Also, PG 8 went 6-for-12 in field goals and 4-for-8 from downtown with six rebounds. After the first half, the Sixers lost with a 17-point margin to the Wolves (53-70).
After a good first-half performance, Paul George played for seven minutes in the second half. The Sixers forward added five points and an assist to summarize his game. At the end of the game, the Minnesota Timberwolves won with a 10-point margin to go 2-for-0 in two preseason games. Also, George finished with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal. The All-Star forward went 8-of-15 in the field with 4-of-9 three-pointers.
Paul George’s Integration With Tyrese Maxey
Since it’s a preseason game, being less dominant on the court can be tolerated. However, this debut allowed Paul George to bond with the team on the court. Players in this first unit did well, aside from Caleb Martin. Despite that, the Sixers team looked good on the field. Before the game, Paul George expressed what he intended to achieve in his debut game for the Sixers.
“But I think more so just get some conditioning,” he said. “Try to really blow out my lungs, run the floor, all the intangible stuff. I think the talent, it will make its imprint as the season goes on and we get out of preseason. More so, I’ll be in my game. But it’s keeping up with [Tyrese Maxey], running the floor, giving him space. But like I said, it’s more so the intangibles this preseason”
The Tyrese Maxey and Paul George’s combo complemented each other. Whenever the Wolves’ defense overwhelmed Maxey, PG was there to assist. Thus, the Sixers forward was good on-ball and off-ball to amplify Maxey’s performance. The Sixers guard finished with 21 points, two assists, and a steal. The 23-year-old went 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep.
Final Thoughts
The Philadelphia 76ers felt the All-NBA player’s presence. Aside from Maxey, Oubre Jr. and Drummond displayed good court performances. Guerschon Yabusele came up as a backup five for Drummond and made an impact by bringing the Sixers close to the lead. Thus, Yabusele should make the starting five in place of Caleb Martin. This scenario should help test Yabusele’s performance against elite basketball teams. The Sixers will play against the NBA defending champions in their next preseason match-up.
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