First off I would like to say that Paul George is one of the up and coming players in the NBA. George, who is in his fourth season has taken command of the Indiana Pacers and have become their best player. The All-Star out of Fresno State is one of the best two-way players, and his game will only continue to improve.
This season George came out swinging as a legit MVP candidate, but since 2014 hit things have been downhill. Teams during the second half of the season have played George a lot tougher, and his numbers are down all across the board. I feel that people anointed Paul George too fast after having a good outing in the playoffs last season. It’s great to see new talent flourish, but people have to pump the brakes.
There were several people calling George a better player than Carmelo Anthony, and even calling him a Top 5 player in the NBA. People fail to realize that Melo has been playing at the level he is playing at for 10 years not 18 months.
I’m not taking anything away from George but I think people got caught up in the hype and forget the body of work of some players.
It seems since Paul George’s baby/stripper fiasco hit the news things haven’t been so swell for him(link). It’s ironic that the stripper is from Miami. Now when George comes to Miami for the playoffs he will have more than LeBron James to worry about. That news broke on February 7, 2014, and look at the time line from that point forward.
February 15- George dresses up as Zorro.
Points per game and field goal percentages drop for the month of February.
March 4-9- The Pacers go on a four game losing streak, and George shoots 31.8% from the field, and averages 17.0 ppg.
March 5- Paul George scores 2 points against the Bobcats.
March 6- Paul George announces that he wants LeBron James to mentor him.
Paul George has 8 games during the month of March where he shot less than 38%.
George shoots 37% from the field, and 28% from three point land.
March 22- Rumors surface that George send nude photos to a homosexual male. (link)
March 24- Paul George denies the rumors of being catfished.
March 24- Paul George rocks a crazy leather outfit.
At one point of the season the Pacers appeared as if they were the top team in the NBA, but that is not the case anymore. There are several fingers to point to, but when you are the best on the team you have to take the blame.
There is a lot going on in Indianapolis, and the Pacers have the luxury of being in a smaller market so a lot of their issues are swept under the rug. The Pacers are still a tough team, and with a few minor tweaks, and some severe monitoring of Paul George things can get back on track.
Memo to basketball fans: Proceed with caution when calling George the next T-Mac or saying that he is better than Carmelo Anthony. George has to master his own faults before being placed on a pedestal.
