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The Philadelphia 76ers are setting themselves up for yet another attempt at winning the title next season due to star forward Paul George joining the team. This summer, the Sixers agreed to a four-year contract worth $212 million with George, making him one of the key pillars of their title ambitions.
George is projected to join Tyrese Maxey and last season's MVP, Joel Embiid, to create a lethal Big Three. Many people believe that this trio is the most powerful in the region because each player excels at a different position.
Embiid is still the backbone of the organization, dominating both offense and defense, while George provides more than just encouraging words and sound defense. On the other hand, Maxey seems to be an emerging superstar in the making after a splash season.
George Chooses Banchero
Maxey's numbers last season showcase that he had 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, with 45 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from the three-point range. However, Paul George surprised many critics in an episode of his podcast "Podcast P." When a fan asked the player who is a franchise player for him among the players below 25, excluding Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Anthony Edwards, George pointed to the player of the Orlando Magic, Paolo Banchero.
Banchero is arguably the next superstar in the making. However, no one expected George to make such a choice, especially with his expected combination with Maxey in Philadelphia. It is further highlighted that Maxey, already performing at a much more advanced level than Banchero, is at the All-Star level, making it more surprising that George didn’t have the latter on his lists.
There are suggestions that George may have omitted Maxey on purpose so that he can make a more significant effort. Others question whether it is a simple case of George forgetting Maxey's age or his preference for Banchero over Maxey appearing entrenched.
Nevertheless, this makes the situation very interesting as the Philadelphia 76ers watch a liable and pressure-filled season, hoping to make it far into the post-season and win the championship.
English (US)