Ranking Paul George's 10 greatest teammates before joining the Sixers

11/18/2024 12:27 PM

Paul George is one of the best wing players in the NBA. He also made headlines in NBA’s free agency over the summer after opting to leave the Los Angeles Clippers. With PG in the hunt for a championship, it’s safe to say that the All-Star forward was looking for a team that could bolster his chances, which eventually ended up being the Philadelphia 76ers.

Throughout the years, we’ve witnessed George play with several NBA players, some of which have been MVPs in the NBA, which will now include Joel Embiid. Here are Paul George’s 10 greatest teammates before joining the Sixers, ranked.

10. Steven Adams

Steven Adams held the fort of the frontcourt for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the late 2010s. Both George and Adams teamed up for two seasons, leading to playoff appearances.

However, the team couldn’t get past the first round on both occasions. However, Adams was certainly a bright spot, averaging nearly a 13-10 on both playoff appearances to go along with 1.0 block per game.

9. Lou Williams

Among the teams George played for, Lou Williams easily stands out as one of his best teammates off the bench. During the 2020 Playoffs, George and the Clippers went as deep as the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals and took the Denver Nuggets to seven games. A big reason the Clips went that far was the scoring of Sweet Lou off the bench.

8. Montrezl Harrell

Speaking of players coming off the bench, the same Clippers team witnessed the rise of Montrezl Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year honors that same year. In the 2020 Playoffs, Harrell averaged 10.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per outing. Not a lot of George’s teammates off the bench made a positive impact quite like Harrell in his career.

7. Carmelo Anthony

There aren’t a lot of high-profile players that have played with George. But one of the select few was elite scorer Carmelo Anthony. The former All-Star forward joined forces with George for two seasons in Oklahoma. However, the Thunder could only muster two first-round appearances despite having two of the most offensively gifted wings.

6. Lance Stephenson

During George’s first few years in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers were a legitimate contender thanks to his offensive firepower. But while George took care of business offensively, the Pacers also relied on Lance Stephenson for the defensive end.

Stephenson was tasked to defend the best opposing wings, including LeBron James. Stephenson’s ability to lock down wings ultimately allowed George and the Pacers to make deep playoff runs, highlighted by a pair of Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

5. Roy Hibbert

While George was the centerpiece of the Indiana Pacers, the team also benefitted from the presence of Roy Hibbert. Standing at 7’2, Hibbert was a massive presence down low. In fact, the two-time All-Star was one of the best centers in the NBA during his prime. With the Pacers, Hibbert had the tools to drop 10-10 on any given night.

4. David West

Speaking of George’s competitive Pacers teams, the team also relied on the offense of David West. During his peak, West was a legitimate offensive threat. The two-time All-Star took off the scoring load for George at times, averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds as a Pacer. Often overlooked, West did win two NBA championships in Golden State, just not with PG.

3. James Harden

There have only been two NBA MVPs who have teamed up with George, one of which was James Harden, who joined the Clippers midway through the 2023-24 season via a blockbuster trade.

Although Harden’s addition was initially targeted by critics, especially for their slow start, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year turned NBA MVP did pick up the pace. While he was one of the bright spots for the Clippers’ playoff campaign recently, it wasn’t enough to get past the first round.

2. Russell Westbrook

Aside from Harden, another NBA MVP that played with PG was Russell Westbrook. They first played together in Oklahoma, garnering two playoff appearances. Around that time, Westbrook was an MVP-caliber player, who consistently dropped triple-doubles.

The two eventually reunited in Los Angeles, with Westbrook coming in off the bench. Unfortunately, despite Westbrook’s sacrifices, the Clippers could not figure out how to get to the Finals.

1. Kawhi Leonard

Among George’s teammates, no one can match the caliber of Kawhi Leonard, who is a two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP. Leonard’s resume in the playoffs has been remarkable, taking two different franchises to the promised land.

It was a headscratcher as to how Leonard and Paul George were unable to turn the fortunes of the Clippers, although injuries certainly were a problem.

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