LA Clippers Rumors: Paul George could return as soon as Monday

According to the latest rumors, there’s a chance that superstar forward Paul George could make his LA Clippers debut Monday against the Toronto Raptors.

The LA Clippers have enjoyed a solid start to their 2019-2020 campaign. With Kawhi Leonard at the helm, LA currently sits at 6-3, tied for the third-best record in the league. Unlike many other teams, though, the Clippers aren’t completely healthy. Paul George has yet to make his debut for LA, although according to the latest rumors, he could see his first action very soon.

According to the LA Times’ Andrew Greif, during Saturday’s open practice, head coach Doc Rivers said that George may make his debut Monday when the Clippers host the Toronto Raptors.

This comes as a bit of a surprise, considering George’s initial return date was speculated to be November 13 — and no sooner. Getting him back one game earlier isn’t a huge change, but it’s still a good sign of how his recovery has gone since undergoing two separate shoulder surgeries this summer.

Likely, George won’t play unless he’s completely ready to go. And even then, chances are he’ll be on a minutes restriction as he gets familiar with the game again.

If he doesn’t end up making his debut Monday, all signs point to it happening either Wednesday or Thursday night.

Regardless of when the Clippers get George back, they’ll be adding a player who was an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year finalist for the 2018-2019 season, which should worry Western Conference rivals.

Last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, George averaged career highs in points (28.0), rebounds (8.2), assists (4.1) and steals (2.2) while shooting 38.6 percent from three-point range on 9.8 attempts per game. Those are legitimate MVP-caliber numbers, and adding him to an already dangerous Clippers team should do wonders for them on both ends of the floor.

George’s three-point shooting should be particularly helpful early on. The Clippers haven’t shot the deep ball all that well so far this season, with noted sharpshooters Landry Shamet and Patrick Beverley shooting 35.8 and 19.4 percent from three-point range, respectively.

George’s high-volume, high-percentage shooting from range won’t just bring the team numbers up, but he should draw some attention away from other shooters like Shamet and Beverley — potentially freeing them up for more wide-open looks.

Like Leonard, George is also a stout defender that can handle virtually any assignment he’s given. He’s best suited to defend the 2 to the 4, but there are bigger point guards and smaller centers that he could effectively defend as well. He used his length to his advantage last year as well, recording more steals than any other player in the league.

We probably won’t know of George’s exact status for tomorrow’s game until we’re within a few hours of tip-off, but even if he’s out Monday, the LA Clippers should have him back no later than this weekend.