After an embarrassing start to the season, you can't help but wonder if the Philadelphia 76ers made a huge mistake by signing Paul George during the offseason.
With the way the Philadelphia 76ers operated during the offseason, there was an expectation that this was a team that was putting the finishing touches on a championship-worthy roster. And on paper, it's hard to aggressively push back against that. On paper, the Sixers are considered to have one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference. However, Philadelphia has been everything but that to start the season.
Through the first month of the regular season, the Sixers are 2-11 with their only two wins of the season coming in overtime. The Sixers have the worst-ranked offensive rating in the league and a below-average defense. That's the perfect mix for the worst record in the league. My mistake, the Sixers are TIED with the Washington Wizards for the worst record in the league.
It'd be easy to blame the early-season struggles on injuries. After all, Joel Embiid did miss the first nine games of the season because of load management. Paul George also missed the first six games due to injury. Tyrese Maxey has missed the last six for the same reasons. But that's also part of what this team has been over the last few years. The Sixers can't be surprised by injuries since it's something they've had to sidestep and learn to live with recently. Especially to start the year, the Sixers should've had a better plan in place.
But even when they've been relatively healthy, the Sixers have left much to be desired. The Sixers are 0-3 with a healthy Embiid and PG in the lineup. In the two-man lineup of Embiid and PG, the Sixers have a plus-minus of -10. Sure, it's only been three games but the early-season struggles have to be concerning. Specifically, the team's big offseason move for PG has been everything but a roaring success so far.
In seven games played so far, PG is averaging 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 40 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent shooting from 3-point range. For a player who was supposed to come in and raise the team's ceiling, he's done anything but that this year. If anything, you can question whether or not it's a move the team will end up regretting if they continue to flounder as an afterthought in the Eastern Conference.
Will Tyrese Maxey save the Philadelphia 76ers?
At this point, the team's only saving grace may revolve around the idea of Tyres Maxey coming in to save the day. And with all due respect to the Sixers, I'm not sure if anything in the NBA is ever that simple. Will the Sixers be a better team when Maxey does return from injury, sure. But, at best, there's still a learning curve that will continue to take place even when the Sixers are at full strength.
The question remains, can PG shake off the cold start to the season and find a seamless - and effective - way to fit next to Maxey and Embiid? When it comes to the Sixers' championship chances, that's always been the biggest question. Can PG be the player to take this team over the top in the East? Right now, through his first few games with the team, that's far from a certainty. And if not, there's a good chance the bold offseason move for PG could end up being a big mistake.