How Paul George has benefitted from Guerschon Yabusele’s resurgence

Paul George has yet to find his shooting stroke, but his playmaking chops have been on full display thanks in part to Guerschon Yabusele.

Starting the year 2-7 has put quite a damper on the Sixers’ season after an offseason of good vibes, but there have been some bright spots. Perhaps none of them have been bigger than the play of Guerschon Yabusele, who spent the last five seasons in Europe trying to make it back to the NBA.

Yabusele is averaging 10.3 points along with 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists coming off the bench this season, playing nearly all his minutes as the backup center. He’s shot 53% from the field and 43% on four three-point attempts per game. He has an effective field goal percentage of 65.6% and has been crucial to both the Sixers’ overtime wins this season.

Despite being a little short for an NBA center, he has been plenty strong enough to create advantages in the post against second units. His constant relocating has been a godsend for a largely stagnant offense. One of the biggest question marks for him to make it back to the league was if he could consistently make shots, and he’s been more than consistent so far.

One of the most pleasant surprises about Yabusele’s season so far is how he’s acclimated with Paul George. Chemistry is something the team has admittedly struggled with so far with 11 new players on the roster. It didn’t help that George’s preseason was cut short thanks to a bone bruise in his left knee.

George has clicked really well with Yabusele, and he’s a big reason why George’s assist numbers have essentially been doubled through his first four games. Passing has always been a big knock against George’s game, and it’s a tiny sample size so far, but he’s racked up assists so far as a Sixer.

He’s averaging 5.8 per game through four games. He’s been at 3.7 assists for his career. Per Cleaning the Glass, his assist rate is 34.3%. He’s typically been around the high teens for the majority of his career.

Nearly half of these assists have been going to Yabusele; 10 of his 23 assists so far have been to be exact. This forming two-man game is something the two of them have already begun to notice.

“[Yabusele] does it all, I love the chemistry we have.” George said after Sunday’s win against the Hornets. “He spaces and spreads the floor out so much. When he shoots, he is as good as anybody.”

A lot of these assists have come on just pick-and-rolls like this. For someone who is not a traditional center and probably is best playing the four, Yabusele has been pretty effective as a roller so far.

As George mentioned, Yabu’s ability and willingness to relocate has given George plenty of opportunities to find him open on the perimeter as well.

This has been something Yabusele has noticed on his end as well. When asked what it’s been like playing with PG this year, he said he’s “loving it.”

“He’s really somebody with a high IQ on the court, he makes everything easier for everybody,” Yabusele said. “He really finds the pass and pushes the ball, gives us rhythm and confidence. It’s been pretty fun to be playing with him.”

Yabusele has done a lot well in his nine games back in NBA, but acclimating himself well with the newest member of the Big Three might just be at the top of the list.