Six Thoughts: Paul George Flirts With New Career High as Sixers Shoo Wizards

Paul George scored a 39 points through three quarters to power the Embiid-less Sixers past a pitiful Washington Wizards team.

Here are six thoughts on a snoozer of a game.

The Wizards are DREADFUL

It would take a herculean effort to lose to these guys. Their shots ricochet off the backboard or miss the entire target altogether. Their best concept of interior defense is slapping shooters who are already well on their ways to scoring at the rim. The DMV area has a proud hoops scene, and this team is embarrassing that pride.

The Sixers were DREADFUL (in the first half)

The difference between an organization like, say, the Oklahoma City Thunder or Boston Celtics and an organization like the Sixers is that you can remove one or two starters from the lineup and the Thunder and Celtics would still likely run the pool of players the Wizards had available out of the building by halftime.

It all counts the same in wins and losses, but your standard of professionalism shows through when you play teams like the lowly Wizards. It's anyone's best guess as to whether Joel Embiid cooking up some drama over the course of the day influenced the team's focus, but they were not mentally prepared for the first half at all.

The offense was reduced largely to isolation play. And fortunately for the Sixers, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George had no issue smoking a meager Washington defense. But nothing was organized. They occasionally advanced possessions beyond the first couple seconds, maybe even venturing into the occasional DHO. But for every well-worked possession, there were handfuls of tap dances on the perimeter and milked post-ups.

That would be at least somewhat acceptable if the Sixers were attempting to play any semblance of defense. The Sixers got back-cut. They gave up wide open 3s because of miscommunications on very basic actions. There was no physicality. When you overlay the way the third quarter unfolded with the way the first half unfolded, it is fair to say they were asleep for the first 24 minutes.

Paul George, certainly not dreadful

As has been established, this was effectively a pickup game for most of the night. So not a lot of material good to take away from this matchup. But the George the Sixers have gotten since his return from the suspension has been an upside-changing star.

A sizzling start to a game is one thing. Maintaining your shooting legs well into the third quarter after putting up a 24-point first half is notable. But the shooting isn't even close to the whole story since George's return. He has more strength and explosion pushing off his 36-year-old legs than he's had at any other point in his Sixers tenure. No need to hammer the point that the Wizards are awful. But they are young and at least somewhat athletic.

Nonetheless, George had no problem pushing through them on drives, shedding contact and getting all the way to the basket for layups. He had control and balance, fighting through resistance on one leg to score leaners in the paint.

Whatever he did during the suspension, this is the best (healthiest) George has looked since his Clippers days. He didn't just do it against this excuse of a Wizards team. He had excellent moments against legitimate teams in the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.

What is up with this team's shoelaces?

Not sure anyone else has noticed this, but several Sixers have struggled with keeping their shoes tied over the last two games. Is that normal? Has it been a thing for a while and I'm just catching on? What is going on?

Be aware of the situation, fellas!

Nick Nurse put George and Maxey back in the game with the Sixers up by 20 and about seven minutes remaining in the game. George had 39 points. His career high is 48 points. His teammates did not seem very aware of the personal history George was flirting with. Everyone was trying to eat. Fellas, let George try for 50. You don't know how many more chances he'll have to go for it.

How do these guys remember all these handshakes?

As George conducted his postgame interview with the local broadcast, several of his teammates came up to him to finalize the affair with their personalized handshakes. How do you have time to remember all these handshakes? Where do you come up with all these different ones? Is there handshake handbook?