Subscribe
Follow Us
Kendrick Perkins did not hold back on Paul George after the 76ers forward's brutal showing in the 100-96 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Perkins is joining a chorus of fans roasting PG-13 for scoring just two points on Wednesday night. Overall, George has had a very underwhelming season in Philadelphia so far, in a position that head coach Nick Nurse's team needs significantly more production out of.
In the absence of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes dragged a lackluster 76ers offense with 30 points each throughout the night. Unfortunately, George never got it going against Philly's Eastern Conference rival, shooting one out of seven from the field. As the 34-year-old is seeing a significant drop in scoring this season, Perkins questioned the nine-time All-Star's motivation with his new team.
“Do PG even wants to play basketball?! I would think no Joel Embiid or Maxey that he would give the 76ers more than Perk Stat Line.”
After showing some signs of life, Paul George is struggling to find a rhythm with the 76ers
Perkins' self-deprecating roast of the star small forward is funny, to say the least. And it's important to note that while George was abysmal from a scoring standpoint, he did record three blocks and two steals. Still, tonight's stat line and PG-13's overall numbers this year are not living up to the lucrative contract he signed with Philadelphia over the offseason.
George is averaging just 16.6 points per game on low efficiency. That's incredibly disappointing, considering the need Philadelphia has for scoring this season with Joel Embiid's inconsistent health. To compare, 76ers' fans were exceptionally critical of Tobias Harris during his time with the franchise. Last year, Harris averaged more points and rebounds on higher efficiency from the field than Paul George is currently putting up.
The small forward also hasn't endeared himself to the Philly fanbase, especially with his comments about getting “bored” playing the center position. The 76ers are currently 20-34 overall and eleventh in the Eastern Conference.
While things seem bleak right now, this team is only a game and a half out of a Play-In spot right now. And the Chicago Bulls, the team with the No. 10 seed right now, are clearly tanking after their trade deadline moves. Therefore, Philadelphia still has a lot to play for over these next 28 games.
However, the franchise must also consider that it has a top-six protected pick going to Oklahoma City in the 2025 NBA Draft. So, this organization will need to weigh a lot in the coming weeks.
Regardless of what's to come for Philadelphia, this team needs more from its star-free agent signing. Even at 34 years old, Paul George is way better than the performance he put forth tonight. With fans and the media questioning his motivation, how PG-13 plays in the 76ers' next game against the Boston Celtics will say a lot about whether he can ever regain the elite form he had last year.
