The Philadelphia 76ers fans had a still image when they heard Paul George was coming to town. They envisioned a golden trio of all-star caliber players in George, Maxey, and Embiid. It also signified a championship core that could hang in there with the star-studded East. But before the first game itself, Joel Embiid had shockingly announced, “I would probably never play in back-to-backs the rest of my career,” and now The Process’ old scoring partner is also injured.

The franchise, who are yet to see the debut of Joel Embiid because of an injury and his suspension sit 12th in the East. With Maxey out a few weeks, it leaves Paul George as the lone commander on some nights with the daunting center opting out of back-to-backs.

Essentially, it has drained the Sixers of their star power that was supposed to spur them into an anticipated deep postseason run. Now, their regular season is marred by complexities.

So is there a silver lining at all?

According to Ma$e, there is. The rapper believes George could benefit from the periodic absences by getting himself into some momentum. “For some strange reason, I think the injury of Tyrese Maxey will actually benefit them in a way because you will get to see Paul George play and Paul George get in a rhythm that he would not get into with Tyrese Maxey there,” he said on Come And Talk 2 Me.

So far, Paul George has been unable to find his scoring groove, only averaging 14.2 points and shooting 16% on his three-point attempts. That is drastically down from his 41% in his last season with the LA Clippers. With him only just making a return after recovering from a bone bruise, it may take some time before PG13 actually finds his footing.

With a greater onus resting on his shoulders, Ma$e believes, “By the time they bring Tyrese Maxey back which won’t be a long wait, but he will be in there scoring with the Sixers and then they will know how to play with Joel Embiid a little bit better.”

The good and the bad with Paul George

The current scenario poses several complications for the Philadelphia 76ers. In some way, Ma$e does make a pressing case. George, who’s yet to acclimatize to the Sixers, will have a chance to find ways to be impactful in Nick Nurse’s system. With his first time playing as a third option, he must regain his efficiency. A way of doing so is through building confidence and taking as many shots as possible.

In the weeks that Tyrese Maxey is out, if Paul George develops his offense within the Philly infrastructure, that will also ensure synergy. So for his personal momentum, not having the blistering scorer, who averages over 20 shots, frees up space for the former Clipper to polish his game once again.

But it can’t all be good.

While it could empower George to become a lethal scorer and identify his true role for the 76ers, it does create hurdles for their synergy. It goes back to the words of Joel Embiid when he knew Paul George would be his teammate. “On paper, it looks great. But we still got to go on the court and make it work,” he said about the dynamic shift with his new teammate inculcated into the tactics.

However, that’s not possible unless the three play regular basketball together. So far, it has been one or the other for George, who will play alongside Embiid for the first time when they take on the Knicks. Because of the recurring adjustments Paul George needs to make for these few weeks, it does hold the risk of disturbing his tempo.

Ultimately, it depends on the 9x All-Star’s abilities. In the past, he has proven to be a great fit next to another superstar. PG is also driven by the pursuit of winning titles. At this point in his career, his numbers don’t hold great value. Rather, he wants to be a meaningful piece to a championship core. With the way the Sixers are organized, he has the chance to do so. Ironically, this won’t be convenient. How do you see Paul George sitting with the 76ers’ irregularities? Let us know your views in the comments below.