Sixers Training Camp Notebook: Paul George Sees a Defense That Is Ready to Cause Chaos

Paradise Island, The Bahamas - Signing players like Andre Drummond isn't the only way to improve rebounding.

The other way is to bolster your perimeter defense, adding wing players capable of mitigating dribble penetration.

The less the rim protector has to actually, you know, leave the rim, the more often he's in position to grab rebounds.

The Sixers went down both roads this past summer. Paul George notices the dividends it's paying already.

"I think just our defense stands out. First impressions of the team is just our defense. Between myself, Caleb [Martin] and Kelly [Oubre Jr.], we've been able to really cause chaos. But, that's kind of what I've taken away from the first couple days of camp," George told reporters at Friday's training camp session. 

George notices that the Sixers are able to get out more in transition. "We're able to shrink the floor, shut the floor down and really lock up on the perimeter," he said.

It remains unclear when they'll be able to put practice into real action, though.

George is unsure of when he'll make his debut for the Sixers, preseason or regular season.

"Yeah, I'm not sure, I'm not sure when that time will be. Kind of just taking it one day at a time and getting myself prepared for the regular season. So, we'll have those conversations - you know, what it looks like, that first one," George said.

In the sense that it's uncertain when George and Joel Embiid will play, this is the right time for the staff to evaluate all options. For days, Nick Nurse has said that they're using this time to gather data on what they have - not just individually, but lineups and sub-units within lineups.

The Sixers will depart the Bahamas after practice on Saturday. They'll host the New Zealand Breakers to start their preseason schedule on Monday.

Philadelphia will give its stars whatever time they need to get ready for the games that matter. Ask the Baltimore Ravens if championships are won in the preseason.

They know what they have in George, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. George noted that the few times the trio has played together this week have shown glimpses of brilliance.

This week was never about testing that fit. It was about getting up and down the floor as a group and focusing on their team-wide identity.

In Maxey's eyes, that focus has been on shot quality, rebounding and playing hard. In Martin and George's eyes, it's been on defensive executive.

The foundation has been laid. Now, they're building upward.

Spare notes

• Jared McCain told reporters in attendance on Friday that the biggest adjustment for his shot has been that everyone in the gaps of NBA spacing is 6-foot-8 with 7-foot wingspan. His shooting mechanics aren't changing, but he's working on expanding his range to shoot deeper so that his defender can't rotate back to home position as quickly.
• Nurse has been "pleased" with Reggie Jackson's three-point shooting this week. He imagines that "there's some point in the year where he has a stretch where he's probably a pretty valuable scoring-type combo guard off the bench".