Former 76ers Big Theo Ratliff Takes Shot At James Harden While Praising Paul George Addition: Harden Didn’t Play Defense

Former Philadelphia 76ers big man Theo Ratliff took a shot at James Harden while praising Paul George, who signed with the Sixers this NBA offseason. 

Harden used to play for the Sixers before requesting a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers last season.

George and Harden were teammates on the Clippers in 2023-24. 

“One thing Paul George does that James Harden didn’t do is play defense,” Ratliff said. “So with the dynamics of having a scorer that has played in an All-Star role for a long time, and also knows how to defer to other All-Stars, I think it’s a great acquisition because he’s one of those guys that he wasn’t the All-American, the All-Star guy coming into the league. He came from a smaller program like myself out of college and had to build himself up to be the player that he is today.

“So he understands the whole totality. He’s not overly I would say needs to ball. Like most stars—the McDonald All-Americans that had the ball their whole career need—those types of guys. So he’s the guy that, he does the utility work along with being able to get buckets.”

How will Paul George fit on the Philadelphia 76ers?

Former NBA Center @shotblocker42 tells @Jumpshot8 and @Mitch_Lawrence PG13 has the exact mindset and skills the Sixers need. pic.twitter.com/V5i6OGIVWa

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 24, 2024

One of the top players in the NBA, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks for the Clippers in 2023-24 while shooting 47.1% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc and 90.7% from the free-throw line.

George has career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocks with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers. 

George has made nine All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams and four All-Defensive teams in his career. He signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers after declining his 2024-25 player option with the Clippers. 

The Sixers now have a “Big 3” of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.