On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the Brooklyn Nets. And with it being the second night of a back-to-back, the 76ers held out Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — thrusting Paul George, their marquee offseason signing, into first-option duties. However, it's becoming more apparent with each passing game that George is no longer the player he once was, and this game against the Nets is pushing him further towards washed-up territory.

George's passiveness was ever so apparent against the Nets; while he's been doing his part as a defense-first wing, the 76ers did not acquire him to be a one-note player. He was supposed to be a shot-creator on the wings who can reliably space the floor, but instead, all he could muster through the first 45 minutes of action was two points on 1-6 shooting from the field — a downright inexcusable performance.

Perhaps the decline in George's athleticism is preventing him from gaining separation on the perimeter, which, in turn, is not allowing him to get up as many shots as he used to. But still, the 76ers needed a lot more from him on a night where they're shorthanded, and instead, it's Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes, and Justin Edwards taking the bulk of the shots, which isn't exactly a recipe for success.

George has never been the most popular among fans in social media, as he's long been clowned for not being able to back up his words. So it was no surprise at all to see the 76ers veteran be on the receiving end yet again of some clowning on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Paul George should be ashamed of himself. This is nasty,” @YTklaythompson wrote.

“Paul George need to take his a** to the Shanghai sharks,” @t_hall83 added.

“Paul George just played 37 minutes and scored 2 points. No foul trouble, no blowout, just straight cardio. he is straight robbing the 76ers😅,” @grimybets furthered.

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76ers may have made a mistake with that Paul George contract

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) passes the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Paul George is 34 years of age, so some decline was to be expected. But last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, George was excellent as ever, putting up 22.6 points per game on a career-best true shooting percentage while still being one of the best defensive players in the league.

However, George hasn't seemed to get into a rhythm with the 76ers. Hyperextending his knee prior to the start of the season set the tone for the 34-year-old wing's campaign, and at this point, it's not looking like George will be able to play his way out of putting up the worst season of his career since his sophomore campaign.