Sixers’ Paul George Admits He’s Struggling, But Team Remains Optimistic

Paul George’s tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers has been anything but smooth sailing so far.

Despite the high expectations surrounding his arrival this offseason, the star forward star has struggled to find his role within the offense, with the team sitting at a disappointing 7-16 record.

George, who missed time early in the season due to injury, has yet to find a consistent rhythm alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. As the team battles to turn things around, George himself acknowledged the need to better adjust to the flow of the offense.

“I think just moving a little more, just finding my way of moving,” George said when asked about improving his production, via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Running the floor a little bit better. I think we got to allow each other to create space.

“So I have to cut to the nail sometimes to allow Tyrese to play in the open court, then I got to do it. But I think for sure, just more clarity for myself.”

His struggles were evident in Friday’s loss to Indiana, where George finished the first half with just three points on three shots. Coach Nick Nurse recognized the issue, noting that the team’s execution was disrupted by Indiana’s full-court pressure.

“We weren’t very good in the first half,” Nurse said. “Some of the up-court pressure took us out of better execution, right? We really got to look at that and get better. It’s just full-court man-to-man, pick-up pressure. It’s not like it’s a trapping thing. It’s just you still got to be able to ball down the first and get into our stuff and execute stuff.”

Despite their struggles, the 76ers haven’t lost all hope. Kelly Oubre, who has been a steady presence for the team, remains optimistic about their future.

“We’ve been taking strides in the right direction,” Oubre said after their two-game win streak was snapped. “I think tonight was a little step back. But at the end of the day, we cannot define or determine us because we are getting better.

“Our last 10 games have been really good for us. We just have to learn from this one. I wouldn’t say forget it or wash it at all because, obviously, we have enough of those losses that we can do that with, but every game is more and more important.”

For George and the Sixers, it’s about finding that missing clarity — both individually and as a team. With more time and adjustments, the hope is that they can turn their season around, but for now, it’s still a matter of working through the kinks.

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