There's no denying it now that the move to sign Paul George was probably a huge mistake for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Looking to take a big swing during the offseason, it was difficult to criticize the Philadelphia 76ers for signing Paul George. In theory, it was a move that was going to help unlock this team's championship potential alongside emerging star Tyrese Maxey and perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid. However, especially now that PG is slated to miss the remainder of the season due to injury, it's hard to look at that big move as anything other than a mistake.
For the most part, this season was quite the struggle for both the Sixers and PG. While it would be simple to blame injuries, there was so much more at play for the team this season. Even when PG and Embiid shared the floor together, it never looked all that seamless.
Sure, injuries have played a big part in the struggles of the Sixers this season. However, considering PG had one of the least productive and least efficient seasons of his career is not a great sign for this team moving forward. So much of what the Sixers have planned for the foreseeable future revolves around PG. The fact that he was a huge disappointment this season threw a huge wrench in this team's future.
Will the Philadelphia 76ers just run in back next season?
Heading into the future, the Sixers may not have many options to improve their roster. At this point, they may be stuck with their decision to go all-in with PG. The hope would be that a full bill of health could go a long way in making all the difference for the Sixers next season. After all, while PG did have his struggles this season, he was also never completely healthy. As much as Embiid struggled with injuries for much of this year, so did PG.
Maybe a full offseason of recover is exactly what both PG and Embiid need. Could it also be considered fool's gold? Sure. However, there's not much the Sixers can do during the offseason to help offset this potential misplay. The Sixers have to hope that this season was an abberation. If their title hopes are going to remain alive heading into next season, there's going to have to be another narrative change surrounding PG. His first year in Philly was an epic disaster. The question is, will this year be considered a sign of things to come or was it simply just a rocky year?