Paul George just made it harder for the 76ers to give up on him

Most people who are closely following the Philadelphia 76ers would probably be of the belief that the Paul George signing has not panned out at all. Brought in through a max contract a couple of years ago, the nine-time All-Star has seen his numbers dip significantly, and his absences have been considerable due to injuries and whatnot.

However, it seems like there remains more left in the tank for George at this juncture. A major reason why is the fact that he is still one of the better defenders in the league. In fact, his playoff numbers were rock-solid. Among all qualified players in the postseason, he has the best defensive field goal percentage in the fourth quarter, limiting his opponents to 22.6 percent shooting. Heck, it is not even close.

Despite having just reached 36 years of age, George's acuity on the defensive cannot be denied –– and the numbers back him up. While the 76ers got cleanly swept in the semis, they were able to turn it up as a collective as a point-preventing unit, and from the looks of it, having the veteran was a strong infusion for them on that front.

The 76ers still have a good reason to hold onto Paul George

George still has two years left on his contract, although he holds a player option for the 2027-28 season. Given what he is making, the 76ers will have to go through a trek just to find a taker for his services, so it would be more practicable to count on him seeing his deal play out with the team.

That makes it all the more critical that George remains a high-level defender. With Philly already parading a slew of players who can go get their own shots, his role on the offensive end has understandably waned. His scoring numbers and efficiency have gone up late this season, but volume-wise, he is not going to get the kind of shot frequency he enjoyed in the past with this bunch.

It is on the defensive end where George can leave a visible mark. The 76ers are not exactly known for being defensive savants, especially out in the perimeter. But having someone like the veteran who can easily leverage his ranginess on the less glamorous side of the court will have a drastic effect in their collective ceiling in that department.

Most people still want Paul George to get shipped out, but that is nearly an impossible proposition for the 76ers to actualize. Hence, the team has no choice but to milk whatever they can out of him at this point in his career. Fortunately, he can still be that guy on the defensive end as the numbers have painted.