Throwing Joel Embiid Under the Bus, Ex-Champ Gives Paul George Small Leeway After Draymond Green’s Remark

Philly fans are passionate. Some would even say too passionate. It is all amazing and full of flowers if their team is winning, but could quickly turn into a nightmare for players if the outcome is not in their favor. Sure enough, Paul George is going to get a taste of that pressure now that he has joined the Sixers. And Draymond Green had a message for him before he starts the new journey, “Good luck Paul George. He better play well now.” But NBA legend Kendrick Perkins has given PG a little bit of breathing room by claiming that it’s Joel Embiid who will be burdened by the pressure of winning more than anyone else.

Addressing Draymond’s remarks, the ESPN analyst claimed it was not Paul George in the brightest spotlight, “Look, 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.” As great as he performs during the regular season, the Olympian has never led the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs. And now that he is ten years into his career, many believe this has begun tainting his legacy.

Sure, there are multiple reasons for the Sixers not winning in the past, be it their lack of a championship-caliber roster or Joel Embiid’s frequent injuries. But Philly fans might no longer accept that as an excuse now that they have the Big 3 of Embiid, Maxey, and PG. While Big Perk does not think that George is under more pressure than the former MVP, he did not leave the new Sixer too far behind during his take on NBA Today, “You know who is second or third on that list, its Paul George.”

Highlighting his journey from Indiana to underachieving for several years in LA with Kawhi Leonard, Perk claimed it was time for PG to finally get to the “promised land.”

Is it a ‘now or never’ for Paul George and Joel Embiid?

“They gonna crush Paul George if he don’t play well.” Draymond Green has put PG under a lot of pressure with his latest comments. But the clock has already begun ticking and the Sixers fans are looking for results. Especially after facing constant failure, first with the Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons experiment and then last year with the James Harden situation. But this year could turn things around for the franchise as Joel Embiid seems hyped about sharing the court with PG and Maxey.

“It makes me excited because I think that actually might keep me healthy. I don’t have to exert myself and make sure I have to have 30 40 every single night for us to win,” the former MVP said.

Yes, with an elite scorer like Paul George by his side and Tyrese Maxey playing like he did last season, Joel Embiid finally has a shot at staying healthy for an entire year and helping the Sixers reach the top. Moreover, The Process has his eyes set on the prize and is willing to work for it, “On paper, looks like a pretty good team… The goal is always to win a Championship, but it just doesn’t happen overnight.”

Even PG believes that the Sixers style of play fits his game and he was excited to play with an MVP-caliber big man for the first time in his career. While there will be a lot of pressure on both superstars to win instantly, Paul George and Joel Embiid must figure out a way to turn it into motivation and finally get the job done. Do you think they can win it all next season?

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.