Paul George was actually playing better after Podcast P Show episodes
02/27/2025 12:27 PM
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George announced on Wednesday's episode of Podcast P that he will be taking a break from releasing new episodes for the remainder of the season. The 34-year-old veteran cited his focus on helping the team make a postseason push as the primary reason for the decision.
"I know my goal when I first signed with Philadelphia was to bring a championship to these amazing fans here. I still remain positive about that and that is still the case and where I’m coming from," George said.
"With that being said, though, I want to let the Podcast P family know that after today’s episode with Dwight, I plan to take a break from the pod just to focus on getting my body right, getting mentally right, and help this squad make a push towards our goal to finish the season out, give ourselves a chance to be in contentions to compete for a championship."
However, data suggests that George has actually performed better in games that directly follow the release of a Podcast P episode. According to Steph Noh of The Sporting News, George is averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 43.6% shooting from the field and 42.9% from three-point range in games immediately following a podcast release. His average game score in those matchups is 12.6. When no episode is released, his numbers drop to 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and four assists per game on 43% shooting from the field and just 31.9% from three, with a game score of 12.1.
76ers struggle despite Paul George's contributions in Knicks loss as Podcast P break looms
Through 39 games this season, George is averaging 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 35.8% from deep.
Despite adding George on a four-year, $211.5 million contract in the offseason, the 76ers have struggled to remain competitive. Philadelphia is currently 20-38, sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference and trailing the Chicago Bulls (23-36) by 2.5 games for the final play-in tournament spot. The team is in the midst of a nine-game losing streak after falling 110-105 to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
George delivered one of his strongest performances of the season in the loss, finishing with 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. His near triple-double effort kept the 76ers within striking distance, but the team was unable to snap its skid.
With the season slipping away, George's decision to step away from his podcast and focus on basketball comes at a critical juncture for the struggling 76ers. Whether it leads to improved results remains to be seen, but statistical trends suggest that his best performances may have come when balancing both his on-court duties and podcast responsibilities.
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