In the aftermath of the 76ers’ loss to the Pelicans on Friday, star swingman Paul George opened up on his time playing center for the team. In a blunt response, George admitted that he was “bored” in the role and hinted at a desire to stick to his natural position at small forward.
“It’s different,” said George. “I’m used to scrapping and running around and chasing and fighting through screens. To be honest, I’m bored playing on a five. It just don’t do enough for me. But I think being mindful of my ability to clog the middle and help cut off passing lanes and driving lanes and battle with the bigs. But, again, I enjoy chasing the little guys and matching up against wing offensive players.”
Veteran NBA All-Star Paul George (34) signed with the 76ers this summer after five years with the Clippers. Across various stints in the NBA, George has found success mostly as a 3-and-D player on the wing but his size, skills, and mobility make him a capable defender at every position. Currently, amid a difficult situation in Philadelphia, George has been given a lot of responsibility guarding bigs and it’s actively testing his patience.
Right on queue, star big man Joel Embiid has already missed the last three games with a foot injury, forcing head coach Nick Nurse to rely on small ball to survive. Against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, George was tasked to defend the paint and was matched up against bigs like Yves Missi and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
While Paul George was able to finish the night with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, the 76ers lost the game at home, to the worst team in the Western Conference (115-123). As George was keeping the frontcourt in check, the Pelicans backcourt went off to combine for 55 points and 9 assists.
To his credit, George has been a wing player for the entirety of his career and it’s the position he thrives in as a quick and versatile athlete who can dominate on both sides of the court. In the past, George has routinely been cited as one of the top two-way wing players in the NBA and he’s got the track record to prove it as a 9x All-Star, 6x All-NBA player, and 4x All-Defensive star.
But after 15 years of failed playoff attempts, and a sharp decline in his stats across the board, George isn’t really in a position right now to be making that kind of call. To put it bluntly, George has not lived up to his lucrative contract this season and he needs to be willing to do whatever it takes to help the 76ers win.
So far, he’s complied with the instructions of coach Nick Nurse but how much longer will George endure this role if he’s so “bored” by what he’s been assigned to do? For the 76ers to reach their peak this season, they’ll not only need all of their players healthy, but they’ll also need them to be fully bought into Coach Nurse’s vision. Clearly, there is some work to be done on that front.
For now, the 76ers must focus on their next opponent: the Orlando Magic on January 12th at Kia Center. The 76ers return home after that for a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 14th at 7:00 PM EST. Finally, the 76ers host the Knicks on Wednesday, January 15th at 7:30 PM EST.
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