Tyrese Maxey Hypes Paul George's Fit with Embiid, 76ers: 'I Can See the Vision'

Tyrese Maxey is feeling optimistic about the Philadelphia 76ers as they prepare to start the 2024-25 season with a new big three that includes Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Speaking to The Athletic's Tony Jones, Maxey talked about getting comfortable with George on the floor after the nine-time All-Star made his preseason debut on Friday night:

"He's pretty good at basketball. I can see the vision. I really do. My goal coming into tonight is to see how comfortable he can get and to try and make him as comfortable as possible. It's amazing to see what things he can do on the floor. I wanted to try and sit back and watch and see how he fits in and see how I can help him fit in. It was good to see him on the floor."

George certainly looked comfortable with his new teammates. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting (4-of-9 from three) and six rebounds in 26 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Sixers are entering another season in which they have to establish chemistry because of changes to their roster, but the difference from this time last year is stark. They were in the throes of James Harden wanting out due to a dispute with the 76ers' front office, particularly president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.

There were also rumblings that Embiid might look to move on if the Harden deal didn't work out and Maxey was unable to take a step forward.

Now we know that both things went in Philadelphia's favor. Maxey was named to the All-Star team and earned Most Improved Player after averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game.

The Sixers used the cap flexibility after trading Harden to sign George as a free agent this summer. It's now up to the superstar trio, plus head coach Nick Nurse, to build their chemistry on the court to turn this roster into one that can be a Finals contender in the Eastern Conference.

One thing that's working in Philly's favor is George has proven himself to be adaptable throughout his career. He had his fewest shots per game (16.7) last season since the 2019-20 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers after Harden was acquired from the Sixers.

Since the 76ers have Maxey as their primary ball-handler and Embiid is certain to get his share of touches, George doesn't have to be the most dynamic offensive player. He shot 43.5 percent on catch-and-shoot three-point attempts last season.

If George can offer that type of production on the offensive end of the court with his usual stout defense, the 76ers might have the best trio in the NBA.

The new-look Sixers will play their first regular-season game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23 at the Wells Fargo Center.