Sixers star Paul George revealed his frustrations with playing center for the Philadelphia 76ers amid injuries to star center Joel Embiid. After the 76ers’ 123-115 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, George admitted, “To be honest, I’m bored,” when asked about his feelings on playing the five.
George, who has spent the majority of his 15-year career as a wing player, expressed discomfort with his current role.
“It’s different. I’m used to scrapping and running around and chasing and fighting through screens,” he said. “But being mindful of my ability to clog the middle and kind of help and cut off passing lanes and driving lanes and kind of battle with the bigs is what Nick sees in that style.”
There’s no way Paul George actually said “I’m bored” during a press conference 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/q74YV3heH9
— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) January 11, 2025
The 34-year-old George has been tasked with guarding centers due to Embiid’s absence. However, he admitted that this role doesn’t excite him as much as matchups with wing players.
“Guarding centers don’t do enough for me,” George added. “I enjoy chasing the little guys and matching up against a wing.”
George’s comments come as the 76ers have struggled this season, currently holding a 15-21 record. The team had high hopes of forming a dominant trio with Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey, but injuries have derailed those plans. George has also been dealing with his own injury issues, missing 11 games this season.
Despite the challenges, George remains optimistic about the team’s potential.
“We’re definitely better with Joel out there,” he said. “We’re better with the big guy in the lineup with us. But I think through it all, we’ve had some—I think KO (Kelly Oubre Jr.) missed a game or two in that, and Kyle (Lowry) has been in and out. Like, we’ve had a lot of guys in and out of the lineups during that stretch. But I think it comes down to us playing a little faster. We gotta play at a faster pace.”
