Despite acquiring Paul George last summer, the Philadelphia 76ers endured a treacherous season. The Sixers’ struggles were primarily due to injury issues and a lack of high-level depth.
George was disappointing in his debut season in Philadelphia. The veteran wing participated in 41 games. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 43% from the field.
In a recent appearance on “The Mike Missanelli Show” on 97.5 The Fanatic, Sixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, shared his thoughts on George’s first season with the franchise.
“That, obviously, wasn’t his best year,” Morey said. “He would come out and say that himself. I think he may have done that. We believe he’ll bounce back. He was an elite defender. Offensively, he was brought in to be part of a unit with elite play on the wing defensively, space the floor on offense, with Joel and Tyrese, and we believe that can still work. Obviously, we haven’t really had much of a look at that. Even when they were healthy guys, certain guys would leave the game, or Joel was not 100% where he needed to be. So we have not seen that at this point.”
George was supposed to be the missing piece to the Sixers’ championship puzzle. However, the Sixers’ injury issues likely played a part in his tough year with the team.
Morey Provides Positive Joel Embiid Update
During the same radio appearance, Morey provided an update on Joel Embiid. The former MVP underwent surgery in April due to a persistent knee issue.
“Look it looks optimistic,” Morey said. “He’s with the doctor who did Kawhi (Leonard). He was up in New York, working with him this week. He’s working every day at the facility. I was with him yesterday, working with his folks. So he’s working hard, doing whatever he can to get back out on the floor. This is, you know, I mentioned this before. His issues are not, you know, I break my arm, it heals, and you come back. This is more of a complex case where these things can trend in a good direction over time, and we believe they will.”
Embiid has undergone two knee surgeries in the past 12 months. It’s fair for fans to be concerned about his longevity. Furthermore, it’s logical to have some question marks surrounding Embiid’s ability to compete at an elite level moving forward. Unfortunately, fans must wait for him to return to the basketball court before getting those answers.
Sixers Stars Have Low Trade Value
According to Tyrone Johnson of 97.5 The Fanatic, both Embiid and George likely have low trade value around the NBA. The radio host pointed to their growing injury histories as a reason why teams would be apprehensive to trade for either star.
“Any conversation that’s about changing this roster, that involves trading people and getting something back with value, is crazy,” Johnson said. “…Paul George won’t get you a stack of phonebooks. And no one cares about phonebooks anymore. Joel Embiid right now would get you a broken-down car with no engine.”
George and Embiid must prove their injury struggles are behind them. If they can both stay healthy next season, then the Sixers will have a chance to contend in the Eastern Conference. If not, Morey must consider changing direction and looking for ways to rebuild the roster.
Daryl Morey Breaks Silence on Paul George’s Debut Season With Sixers