Can Paul George Beat Father Time? Still Feels Youthful At 34
One of the main gripes people had with the Sixers signing Paul George was his age. At 34, he is not young for an NBA player. That is usually when most players start to see their careers start their downward trend.
With that said, we have seen plenty of athletes play at a high level at 34 and beyond. Not just in the NBA, but in other sports as well. Tom Brady was arguably even better later in his career. Lionel Messi won his 1st World Cup after 34. And in the NBA, we still see Lebron James be one of the best players in the world at 40.
It is not set in stone that once you turn 34, you start to lose what makes your game special. The question is if Paul George can be in that category of athletes who continue to play like a star late into their career. Well, he certainly seemed to think so when he joined The Best Show Ever earlier on Tuesday.
“I put a ton of work into my game, a ton of work into my body, and I still feel youthful. I know 34 is an age where you are climbing up there. But as you have seen, Lebron is still playing at a high level, Seth is still playing at a high level, and KD is playing at a high level. These guys are well beyond 34, and yet they are still performing. I think it is a credit to the work they put into their game and their body. I like to think I am in that same class.“
Can Paul George Beat Father Time?
If you look at his play last season, Paul George has a case. At 33, he was still an All-Star. He scored 22.6 pts per game, and had a career best shooting percentage both from the field (.471) and from deep (.413). His volume went down a bit, but his efficency went up.
That may work perfectly for what the Sixers need from him anyway. They dont need volume. They have Embiid and Maxey for that. His volume would be down a bit anyway. What they need is a guy who can score points at a high level at a lower volume. That is who he was last season.
Paul George does not have to be the guy who tried to carry the Pacers early in his career. He needs to be the perfect compliment to Embiid and Maxey. Someone who on most nights can compliment them, but is capable of stepping up if one or both of them struggle.
That seems like the ideal role for an aging star who still has a lot in the tank. The version we saw of George last season is perfect for them.
We won’t know if age will catch up to him for a while. He signed a 4-year Max Deal. Even if it doesnt get him this year, it might in years 3 or 4. But he seems to understand what is required of him to avoid age being an issue. He is learning from guys who at least for now, have beaten father time, at least for now. So maybe he really can beat father time as well. He has thus far.
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