"Better than Paul George" - NBA fans shade $211,584,940 star after Lonnie Walker IV's strong outing vs Jazz

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV led his shorthanded team to a 126-122 victory during Sunday's home matchup against the Utah Jazz. Afterward, NBA fans seized another opportunity to disparage injured Sixers star wing Paul George.

Despite being without its Big 3 of George (groin), Tyrese Maxey (back) and Joel Embiid (season-ending knee injury), Philly overcame an early 16-point deficit. It subsequently built a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage before holding on to snap its three-game losing streak.

Walker, who signed a two-year, $3,721,808 contract with the Sixers on Feb. 21 after a brief overseas stint, delivered his top performance with his new squad. The seventh-year player tallied a season-high 25 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three 3-pointers, shooting 44.4%, marking his first double-double through 330 career outings.

However, Walker's performance fueled fan criticism on X/Twitter surrounding George, who sat out his second consecutive game.

Since signing a four-year, $211,584,940 maximum contract with Philly in the offseason, when available, George's output has been spotty. Through 41 contests, the nine-time All-Star is averaging 16.2 points per game, his lowest scoring mark since the 2012-13 campaign (17.4 ppg).

Meanwhile, the Sixers (22-41) have fallen well short of expectations of being an Eastern Conference contender.

Upon seeing a role player exceed George's production, fans didn't hold back, with many proclaiming Walker the superior player.

"Better than Paul George," @MartinH_23 said.

"I can't believe Lonnie is already a greater Sixer than PG," @jbondwagon wrote.

"Better than PG13. Thanks, Lonnie!!!!" @Jkidd___ said.

"Already a better Sixer than Podcast P," @sesunero wrote.

"Bro's already better than PG," @djehutmose said.

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Lonnie Walker IV on finding his comfort level with Sixers

A week before his season-best effort against Utah, Lonnie Walker IV reflected on his acclimation to joining Philly midseason. Walker noted that he gradually worked his way up to speed after a slow start to his NBA comeback.

"It is slowly but surely," Walker said. "Trying to find a new aspect of the game, a lot of continuity, finding flow in my rhythm, my niche within the team to help the team win. I think it's day-to-day, game-to-game."

Following Sunday's performance, Walker has scored 13-plus points in three of his last four outings. Given the Sixers' position in the East standings (11th) and extensive injury woes, he should receive plenty more opportunities to prove himself down the stretch.

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