Amid Daryl Morey’s ‘risk’, Paul George makes a glazing debut for the City of Brotherly Love. After sitting out in the first preseason game, PG laced for the clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves, without his new big man, Joel Embiid. Without a doubt, all eyes were on the forward, and it’s safe to say that he has won their hearts with his all-round performance. However, things didn’t go as well as planned, and PG’s defensive play might raise some eyebrows.

The Athletic described Daryl Morey, the owner of the 76ers, as a “Maximalist”. Someone who is always on the move to build the team. Especially with James Harden requesting a trade out ahead of the 2023-24 season, Morey definitely needed a replacement. According to reports, the Sixers owner had expressed interest in trading their point guard for Harden, but the trade didn’t unfold as expected. Nevertheless, the 9x All-Star’s acquisition was always on the cards. And, it finally got through this summer when they a whopping 4-year max contract worth $211 million.

Speaking of the blockbuster trade, Morey himself said, “We were taking what we thought was the best plan to keep ourselves in title contention, but it definitely was a risky plan.” It’s indeed a risky plan to roll the dice on someone who hasn’t been at his best in the last 5 seasons, dealing with injuries.

However, Paul George didn’t seem to have any of this running in the back of his head. The 34-year-old stood on business, playing a game-high of 26 minutes, dropping 23 points with 6 rebounds. Importantly, he held an impressive 8-15 FG and 44.4% from the arc.

Truly, a promising addition. Well, what to expect from a superstar who replaced Tobias Harris? Nevertheless, there were instances of PG struggling at the defensive, especially in a play, trying to guard Donte DiVincenzo’s layup. Notably, fans can let that slide since it’s a preseason.

Will Paul George beat Daryl Morey’s risk?

“First of all, get better. Get some chemistry… Just get conditioning like trying to blow out of lungs, try to really run the floor,” said Paul George hours before his preseason debut. Moreover, he also added, “The talent will make its imprint as the season goes on.” While he has already impressed the lot with his preseason debut, fans might expect more from him in the coming weeks, going by his words.

What’s Dary Morey’s risk? The 52-year-old owner of a traditional NBA side looks to win his first title and also the team’s first since 1983. Especially with a generational talent, Joel Embiid, by his side, this exactly is the right moment to run for the title. When things didn’t go well with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey stepped in and took some responsibility, but it wasn’t enough. With time running out and tax aprons hanging over their head, Paul George’s indeed a last roll of dice.

In the last two seasons, the star took a dip in his performance, averaging 2 points short of what he generated in 2021-22. Moreover, in the 2024 playoff, he put on an underwhelming performance, averaging 19.5 ppg in 6 games. Nevertheless, it’s about the risk that Morey is willing to take to accomplish his goal. Will the Sixers lift the trophy this season? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.