After Disastrous 2024-25 Campaign, Paul George Is Back to Playing at High Level for 76ers

Absolutely nothing went right for Paul George in the 2024-25 season, his first in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform. Injuries limited him to just 41 games played. His production took a nosedive, leading to questions about whether the nine-time All-Star had anything left in the tank.

George, prior to signing a four-year, $211.6 million contract with the Sixers, was coming off one of the most efficient seasons in his career. He scored 22.6 points per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and a career-high 41.3% from 3-point range. Those numbers were good enough to earn him an All-Star appearance.

The Sixers received a vastly different version of George than the player he was for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2023-24 season. In his debut season in Philadelphia, George averaged just 16.2 points while shooting 43.0% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. Injuries piled up, beginning with knee issues before the regular season even started that haunted him for the remainder of the season. He was eventually ruled out for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign in early March with knee and groin injuries.

“Oh, my God. I mean, it was rough, man,” George said to reporters about last season, via Keith Pompey of The Inquirer, on Sunday after the Sixers’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “It was brutal. And when you play for Philly, it’s brutal, man. I had an expectation coming into the year, and for me, me alone, like not even the noise outside and whatever people said, you know? It was just me, the expectation I had, and my first year playing with these guys, and the expectation they had of me. And it was just a lot that physically, I just couldn’t do, so, yeah, mentally, man, it broke me down. It was rough and hard times just because it was like, ‘Man, I know what I’m capable of, but my body’s just not allowing it.’ So it was a rough one last year.”

Poor health continued to haunt George coming into this season. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee during the offseason. It took George time to ramp up, causing him to miss the first month of this season. Upon making his season debut, George’s minutes have gradually increased along with his production and confidence on the floor.

After his first 10 games this season, the numbers clearly show George is back to playing at a high level. He is averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals while playing 26.2 minutes per game. His shooting efficiency, particularly from 3-point range, is particularly noteworthy. After shooting 35.8% on 6.5 long-distance attempts per game last season, George has improved to 43.3% on 6.0 attempts per contest so far this season.

While George’s outside shooting has taken a leap, he is also playing with a level of explosiveness he simply did not possess last season. That increased explosiveness is allowing George to be more than just a 3-point shooter. He has rediscovered the ability to drive inside and finish around the basket.

TOUGH BUCKET! 💪 pic.twitter.com/6jTOBj7AAL

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 13, 2025

After showing flashes of his old self, George put everything together against the Hawks. He scored 35 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including connecting on seven of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc. His 35 points were the most he scored in a game since signing with the Sixers in the 2024 offseason. Head coach Nick Nurse spoke to reporters on Sunday about the multitude of ways George is able to impact the game.

“Obviously, the 35 [points scored] is great,” Nurse said. “The seven threes are amazing, all that stuff. But to me, I like the way he’s getting by people. He’s getting by people down in the paint. He’s holding off post-ups. He’s getting to spots. He’s getting clearance on a lot of things. That’s probably the most encouraging. Obviously, that’s awesome that he made a bunch of shots tonight. But he looks like he’s creating a lot of opportunities. And he’s also a pretty good passer when he gets down the lane, too.”

George’s production offensively has been a welcome sight for the Sixers. However, he has arguably made a bigger impact this season on the other end of the floor. The Sixers struggled defensively early this season, giving up an average of 116.6 points per game over their first 12 contests.

It has been a different story over the past several weeks since George returned to the lineup. In their past eight games, the Sixers are allowing the second fewest points per 100 possessions in the league (106.8). George’s length and ability to defend multiple positions have been a major reason behind the Sixers going from one of the worst defenses in basketball to a top-five unit in recent weeks.

Things looked bad for George last season. However, he is back to producing at or near All-Star levels now that he is fully healthy. The 35-year old is proving to everyone he has some good basketball left in the tank.