Paul George starred in his Sixers preseason debut, scoring 13 of his team-high 23 points in the second quarter. But, Philadelphia fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Iowa, 121-111.
Here's what I saw.
Likes
- Hard to know when an entire quarter was not shown because of League Pass' "technical difficulties".
- On a more serious note, George was the one shining light that made your head turn despite the team being down 17 points at halftime.
He got off to a slow start, missing his first two attempts in a Sixers uniform. But, he got one to go on a reverse layup, wrapping around the rim to finish with his inside hand on the opposite side of the basket.
From there, it was fairly easy work for the prize of the Sixers' offseason. His comfort shooting off the dribble stood out the most. George laced a pull-up three in transition in the second quarter. A short while later, George called for an Andre Drummond ball screen, shedding Edwards on the pick and snaking back to string out Naz Reid before burying a three off the dribble:
George led Philadelphia in the first half with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting and six rebounds.
- George attempted eight triples in the first half. Remember when it was notable if Tobias Harris attempted eight threes in a game?
- Multiple Sixers can credibly bring the ball up the floor and dribble in small spaces without getting flustered. A new era.
- I think I took for granted just how much pure strength Drummond has when he played his first stint in Philadelphia. That guy does not have great hands, but, man, is he a force on both sides of the glass. He doesn't just vacuum them up from one angle, either. He inserts himself into the play from any spot, emerging from the floor and beating opposing hands to the ball as it hangs in the air or doing what it takes to get position for a tap-out. Sometimes, he'll just use his shoulders to bang his way inside for position.
He used that tactic to generate points on offense, too. The Sixers let him play bully ball, using his bruising nature to force his way to the rim and get fouled in the act.
- Somehow, Maxey got faster. No, not sprint speed or downhill burst off the dribble. I'm talking refined moves. He's much quicker to get to his shot, removing wasted motion to get to his shooting pocket off the dribble. His off-the-dribble game seems more sharp than blunt now, and he cut through defenders to get the space he wanted all night long.
Dislikes
- Look at the lead photo. What a joke that first quarter was. There was about 20 seconds of game action for every five minutes of "technical difficulties".
Spare thoughts
- Hard to real care with a passion in preseason, but if you're force-feeding Drummond post-ups in the regular season, that's going to make the "Dislikes" category.
- Neither team offered much in the way of defense as this game went on, but George had some good moments in the team context:
The Sixers (1-1) will visit the Boston Celtics (2-0) on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m., Eastern time. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus.
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