Paul George reveals new mindset that shined in 76ers' win vs. Pistons
12/01/2024 01:18 PM
Paul George returned to action in the Philadelphia 76ers in a wire-to-wire victory over the Detroit Pistons. He shot the ball poorly but passed it very well. It was a rare performance where a star player shooting poorly didn't derail his team — and the mindset of setting up teammates is not something George is moving away from.
George said after the 111-96 win that he's shifting his mindset more toward playmaking.
#Sixers star Paul George on his playmaking ability against the Pistons last night: pic.twitter.com/A7ZAiJ5r4u
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) December 1, 2024
"I mean, that’s just the mindset I’m shifting to: just be a playmaker," the 76ers star said. "Scoring will happen. Shots will fall. I just want to make winning plays and I think the way we want to play is [to] attack, create, open the floor up, everybody make plays for one another. That’s what I was able to do, get to the paint. I saw they were collapsing a lot and from there, it was [my goal to] find the open man."
Paul George looking to improve 76ers offense with playmaking
Nick Nurse said that George had a great game despite his inefficient shooting. The way George got the ball moving helped the Sixers’ offense get good shots. He tallied five assists in his 26 minutes.
George has shot the ball way, way below his usual standard through his first nine games with the 76ers. He has made only 28.6 percent of his threes, contributing to his 37.8 field-goal percentage. Even his free throw percentage is just 80.0 percent, five points below his career average. A lot of his field goals are tough shots that he has to settle for because he’s in the late stages of his career. That's something Philly should have some concern about.
However, he’s contributing 8.3 assists per 100 possessions, the most of his career. His per-game average of 4.8 is impressive considering he is playing fewer than 29 minutes per contest. In the three seasons where he has averaged over five assists per game, he played at least 33 minutes per contest. George adapting to what his body is now is a sign that he can remain a good player despite aging deeper into his 30s.
George’s tendencies will shift when Embiid comes back and probably change again as the Sixers experience further lineup changes for the rest of the season. However, the old dog has shown a willingness to learn new tricks to help his team, which is a very promising development in what has otherwise been a nightmare season.
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