Paul George announced himself to Philadelphia fans with a spectacular performance against the Timberwolves, even though the 76ers lost. The 9x All-Star showed everyone why the Philadelphia 76ers wanted to sign him as he carried the team forward, especially in Joel Embiid’s absence. George scored 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists before exiting in the 3rd quarter of the game.

Regardless of the fact of Embiid’s absence, George led the team like a leader. It was not just words, his performance reflected his leadership potential as well. George laid out his plans for himself and the team. “I got to be aggressive. Regardless if it’s preseason or not, I’m trying to just build habits. These guys have to get used to me. I got to get used to them.” Spoken like a true leader, George’s demand reflected his vision for the team: playing aggressive basketball. He’s also not taking the preseason games lightly. The game against the Timberwolves was a trailer of sorts for what we can expect from George going forward.

“So I think I had to be myself. You know everybody has to be themselves for this to work,” he added. “I think the main thing for me was to get my wind up and try to just try to find some rhythm.”

When he joined the 76ers it was clear that he was not going to just be a third option in the team. Paul’s presence in the team helps take the pressure off their other two stars Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Paul is also well and truly capable of taking over and closing out games if called upon. During their recent game against the Timberwolves, Paul and Tyrese were both playing well together and took turns in the backseat according to each other’s scoring streak. This is exactly what the 76ers want—the trio of George, Embiid, and Maxey playing together in sync.

The Sixers have yet to see their three stars play together, and only then will we know how well they can complement one another. Joel Embiid sat out the game against the Timberwolves, and Coach Nick Nurse is uncertain if the star will join the team for their preseason trip. Despite this, Nurse expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance that night.

“Doesn’t matter” – Joel Embiid is comfortable taking the backseat for the team

Before the preseason began, during media day, Joel Embiid shared his thoughts on playing alongside Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. When asked about supporting them, especially after a similar role at the Olympics, Embiid responded, “I don’t say it’s great, but I don’t think it was anything I didn’t know before. Even before the Olympics, that was my mindset anyways.” He emphasized that this situation isn’t new for him, and he’s clear on what his role is and what he needs to do moving forward.

He added: “In the past, I felt like I had to do it and this year I don’t think I’m gonna have to do it unless I have to do it.” Embiid feels that this season he won’t be required to play the supporting role but if there’s a requirement he’ll do it. Also, the fact that he has a lot of confidence in his teammates and his words “For me to be the decoy and allow them to you know just be themselves and allow them to do what they do best.” he is confident in his teammates and if he has to play decoy for Paul and Tyrese to play their natural game he’s ready to be the supporting guy.

“So, as long as we win, it doesn’t matter what the role is,” Embiid emphasized, making it clear that the team’s success takes precedence over individual roles. His focus on winning underscores what matters most to him. It will be exciting to watch how the Sixers perform this season and how well their three stars will mesh on the court.