The Sixers offered a $212 million contract this summer to pair a superstar with Joel Embiid. There is no doubt that the former Clipper, Paul George, is worth what he signed for. However, this puts him under a lot of pressure to get things done in Philadelphia. But why is that? Well, most of it has to do with PG’s history. Right from his days in Indiana, George made the case for one of the most lethal scorers in the league. A few years later, PG announced his move to the Thunder.

Teaming up with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, George was expected to take the Thunder to the promise land. But apart from his individual dominance, his two seasons in Oklahoma did not bring any fruit. Nevertheless, PG’s next stop was LA. In the last five years as a Clipper, George couldn’t lead the team past the Conference Finals. Not to mention, the Clippers were the favorites to make it out of the West during PG’s first season in LA. In the end, the move to Clippers, also, did not work.

Well, George is now in Philly alongside the former MVP, Joel Embiid. Now, as much as PG is under pressure to win it all, so is the Process. Kendrick Perkins recently shared his thoughts on the two players having a lot of expectations on their shoulders. “Joel Embiid is under the most pressure, for as anybody in the NBA to get it done this year at a high level when it matters the most. And you know who is second or third on that list? It’s Paul George… Pairing up with Joel Embiid, former MVP, Tyrese Maxey, a young superstar on the rise, he’s for sure top three in the league when it comes down to guys under pressure.”, said Perkins.

Now, at the end of the day, the Sixers have built their roster around Embiid. And they have been doing so for the past seven years. The franchise tried with Ben Simmons, James Harden, and even other notable players such as Danny Green, Jimmy Butler, and others. It is safe to say that there hasn’t been any progress by the Process. Chiney Ogwumike, the former WNBA player, also weighed in on Embiid’s situation.

Their objective for the next season is quite simple. Going as close as possible to winning the championship. Realistically, it would be tough to get things done in the very first year. But with the given roster, the Sixers can definitely make it to the Conference Finals, a feat, they haven’t achieved since 2001.

Joel Embiid and the Sixers are on the right track

At this point, the Sixers might have found the missing piece of the puzzle. While PG is an elite scorer, he isn’t someone who has been after individual accolades. Also, George is 34 years old. As a veteran, PG is looking to finally win a championship after years of adjusting and struggling. This does go on to tell that George will be willing to give Maxey the green light while coming in second to the youngster when it comes to the scoring part. Maxey is on the rise, and the veteran wouldn’t mind having the young superstar take care of business in certain situations.

Besides, PG played alongside Kawhi Leonard for five seasons. But apart from these three, the Sixers have Kelly Oubre who brings the energy on the floor, and Caleb Martin. These two have also been phenomenal in the past few seasons. Oubre has been quite productive in Philly, whereas Martin showed up for the Heat when it mattered the most. It will be interesting to see whether the Sixers manage to make a deep postseason run next summer.

What are your thoughts on Paul  George and Joel Embiid being under the most pressure this upcoming season? Do you think they can live up to the expectations? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.