The NBA All-Star break seemed like the perfect reset for the underachieving Philadelphia 76ers, who, reeling from a five-game losing streak and plagued by injuries, as well as ineffectiveness in a nightmarish season, went from a preseason playoff contender to cellar dwellar.
Instead, the opposite happened.
Philadelphia opened the second half of the season with a 20-point defeat at the hands of the defending-champion Boston Celtics, lost a heartbreaker at the buzzer to the Brooklyn Nets and then on Monday night was blown out by the Chicago Bulls on its home floor in a lifeless, 142-110 loss.
Even still, the 20-37 Sixers cling to faint hopes of securing a spot in the NBA's Play-In Tournament. In a damning assessment of the state of affairs for the club, star forward Paul George, speaking to reporters following the loss to Chicago, decried the Sixers' willingness to "compete," as well as the team's "habits."
Paul George: "We've shown no sign of a team that will compete. We just don't have the habits of a champion, or a playoff contending team, would have. To be honest, right now it's a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard and try to just keep going." pic.twitter.com/UE6k1OaI9W
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 25, 2025
"I mean it's all of it," George said when given a list of adjectives to describe the Sixers' struggles. "Regardless of who's playing, who's not playing ... To have admiration, or for this group to believe that we can ... Not even to get to the playoffs but make a push towards it.
"We've shown no sign of a team that will compete. We just don't have the habits of a champion, or a playoff contending team, would have. To be honest, right now it's a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard and try to just keep going for one another.
"But we've shown no signs of ... Forget championship ... A playoff-contending team here."
The Sixers, coming off of seven straight postseason appearances and buoyed by a core that includes 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2023-24 Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, added George this offseason, vaulting the club into the upper echelon of title contenders in the eyes of pundits.
But injuries struck seemingly from the beginning of the season. Embiid, dealing with a troublesome knee, has played in just 19 of the club's 57 games this season, and recently underwent testing to determine next steps as the ailment continues to plague him. Maxey missed some time due to a hamstring injury. Even George has missed action due to knee, groin and finger injuries.
The trio has appeared in just 15 games together this season, going 7-8 in those contests. For a team built largely on its star power, the result has been backbreaking.
But regardless of who plays, what does George feel the Sixers need to do to take a step in the right direction?
"We've got to be more dialed in. More effort. More energy," George said. "More pride on the defensive end. Again, same conversations we've been having. Low communication. It baffles me just how easy we give up layups in this league. I don't understand."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul George Offers Harsh Critique of Sixers After Blowout Loss to Bulls.
