Can Paul George build on his strong finish to 2025-26?

We saw quite the rise in impact from Paul George through 2025-26. The season started in typical Sixers fashion, with their star wing sidelined due to injury for the first 12 games. His play from mid November to the end of January was solid, yet he only averaged 16.0 points per game in this 27-game span. Even with the arrival of VJ Edgecombe to give the team’s offense a major uplift, that’s simply not the kind of production the Sixers expect or pay for from George.

Then came the startling, embarrassing moment: George being suspended 25 games for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug policy. It left him just 10 games of availability at the end of the regular season to get back into form and ramp up for the playoffs.

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Yet sure enough, he did. He used the time to get right physically and came back with a clear extra spring in his step. From his first game post suspension putting up 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting with six made threes (a scoring tally he’d reached just twice in the previous 27 games), George suddenly hit a higher level than probably anyone saw coming. And he maintained it, putting together the kind of play that showed why the Sixers wanted him — and wanted to pay him star money.

George got started with 10 games to close the regular season after his return. In this stretch, he averaged 21.0 points on 47.2 percent shooting (including 41.5 from three, with his 8.2 attempts being the more notable number), 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and a highly disruptive 2.2 steals per game.

The epitome of George’s performance — and what makes him more important if he can replicate it enough moving forward — was his first-round series against the Celtics. He was phenomenal at both ends of the floor, showcasing his varied offensive skillset and stellar defense against a tough Celtics squad. Like the Sixers as a whole, the steam ran out in the second round against the eventual champion Knicks. But the Celtics series was a perfect example of what George is still capable of.

Through the first round, George averaged 17.4 points on 48.9/55.0/77.8 shooting splits, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per…

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Publish date : 2026-06-17 13:03:00

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