After two weeks of waiting, Paul George finally played his first match of the season and in the colors of the Sixers. It was in Phoenix and he finished with 15 points on 4/14 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 loose balls, in 31 minutes. An unexpected total since, before the meeting, Nick Nurse had told him that he was going to monitor his playing time.
“As the meeting progressed, I felt good,” relates the Philadelphia winger. “My physical condition was better than expected. I was tired. There were times when I was exhausted. But I wanted to play despite that, to test my endurance. This will help me for the next matches in terms of rhythm. I wasn't supposed to play 31 minutes but I wanted to play those minutes. »
The proof of this fatigue is the lack of lucidity of Paul George (who played the entire last quarter) on the last possession. While the Suns are two points ahead and he has the match point, he attempts a mid-range shot…
“I misjudged the situation. I thought we were down by one point after Kevin Durant's layup. It was necessary to attempt a 3-pointer to win the match rather than a 2-point basket to tie the game. So looking back at the images, it was a bad choice”he concedes.
More balance and less pressure on Tyrese Maxey
The lack of rhythm and fatigue therefore partly explain the waste in shooting and in Paul George's game. Nevertheless, Nick Nurse saw good things on a collective level.
“There are positives. The most important thing is the 27 assists. This is a big number for us this season,” remarks the coach. “It’s obvious that an offensive creator like him also changes a lot of things. There are more spaces, more opportunities to move the ball. »
Tyrese Maxey also wants to emphasize the positive aspects of his teammate's return. “It takes pressure off everyone. It shows. We are much more balanced,” believes the playmaker. “I have less to do so I’m fresher. It helps to have him with us. The main thing is that it is present. »
| Paul George | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2010-11 | IND | 61 | 21 | 45.3 | 29.7 | 76.2 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 7.8 |
| 2011-12 | IND | 66 | 30 | 44.0 | 38.5 | 80.2 | 0.8 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 12.1 |
| 2012-13 | IND | 79 | 38 | 41.9 | 36.2 | 80.7 | 1.1 | 6.5 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 17.4 |
| 2013-14 | IND | 80 | 36 | 42.4 | 36.4 | 86.4 | 0.8 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 21.7 |
| 2014-15 | IND | 6 | 15 | 36.7 | 40.9 | 72.7 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 8.8 |
| 2015-16 | IND | 81 | 35 | 41.8 | 37.2 | 86.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 23.1 |
| 2016-17 | IND | 75 | 36 | 46.2 | 39.4 | 89.8 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 23.7 |
| 2017-18 | OKC | 79 | 37 | 43.0 | 40.1 | 82.2 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 21.9 |
| 2018-19 | OKC | 77 | 37 | 43.8 | 38.6 | 83.9 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 8.2 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 28.0 |
| 2019-20 | LAKE | 48 | 30 | 43.9 | 41.2 | 87.6 | 0.5 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2020-21 | LAKE | 54 | 34 | 46.7 | 41.1 | 86.8 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 23.3 |
| 2021-22 | LAKE | 31 | 35 | 42.1 | 35.4 | 85.8 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 6.9 | 5.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 24.3 |
| 2022-23 | LAKE | 56 | 35 | 45.7 | 37.1 | 87.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 23.8 |
| 2023-24 | LAKE | 74 | 34 | 47.1 | 41.3 | 90.7 | 0.5 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 22.6 |
| 2024-25 | PHL | 1 | 32 | 28.6 | 14.3 | 85.7 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 15.0 |
| Total | 867 | 34 | 44.0 | 38.5 | 85.4 | 0.8 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 20.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
