Paul George gives 76ers fans every reason to be hyped with impressive debut

The Philadelphia 76ers lost their NBA preseason debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 121-111, on Friday night. It was our first look at Paul George in his new threads and hey, the dude looked good. Contrary to every fatalistic instinct in the Sixers fandom, it's hard not to get excited by what George showed in his first game with 'PHILA' across his chest.

George was on the floor for 26 minutes, scoring 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting with six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Tyrese Maxey dropped 21 points and two assists in 26 minutes of his own, establishing quick chemistry with his new All-Star teammate.

It was pretty much your standard PG masterclass. The 34-year-old wing did something the Sixers aren't used to (created his own shot from the wing) and hit a bunch of 3s, all while navigating challenging matchups on defense. It's the first preseason game against NBA competition, so we should pump the breaks a bit, but there's no stopping the hype train. It's already off and running.

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Paul George excites 76ers fans with productive preseason debut

Look, is George's four-year, $212 million destined to age in a complex and uncomfortable way? Of course it is. Unless the Sixers can reach the mountaintop these next couple years, folks will start to complain when George's production inevitably dips. His contract ends at age 38; we just don't get many players who can sustain All-Star impact for that long.

Maybe George is an outlier, but his injury history and complicated postseason reputation suggest otherwise. The Sixers handed out a four-year contract to open a two-year window, and it was the right move. So long as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are in your clubhouse, it is essential to commit all-out to pursuing a championship.

That said, George does have one advantage when it comes to winning over a notoriously critical and fatalistic 76ers fanbase. He's essentially replacing Tobias Harris. The Sixers swapped out Harris' albatross deal for a bonafide All-NBA wing who can create advantages on the perimeter, score efficiently at all three levels, and defend his tail off on the other end. That is addition by addition and addition by subtraction, all rolled into one. Unless George stoops to the level of Tobias Harris, which could always happen with his cursed franchise, he is going to have a baked-in level of grace with his new fanbase.

Now, that does not mean George can wet the bed and expect a warm reception in the morning. But, it does mean he can avoid doomer discourse with a strong campaign. We're at the very beginning of the preseason, so we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, but George looked spry and comfortable in Nick Nurse's scheme. The Sixers have been itching for a two-way wing on George's level ever since Embiid's breakout. He's the perfect third star for this team on paper, bridging the gap between a dominant interior scorer in Embiid and a speedy, score-first point guard in Tyrese Maxey.

Wins and losses don't matter in the preseason. It's about process, not results, and the process (no pun intended) was excellent for George on Friday night. If he keeps this momentum up, Sixers fans won't have a choice but to get excited, even if we all know this ends in a uniquely torturous demise.