Paul George’s return is on the horizon, but what does that mean for the LA Clippers? We take a look at how he’ll help improve the team.
Paul George‘s franchise debut for the LA Clippers is almost here.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, George will make his return to the court either Wednesday or Thursday of this week, against either the Houston Rockets or New Orleans Pelicans, respectively.
So what exactly are the Clippers getting in George? And how will he make his presence felt early on?
Just by himself, George is a superstar. And first and foremost, he can score.
George averaged a career-high 28.0 points per game last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder — a number that helped him achieve MVP-level status throughout the year. He was at his best in December and February, scoring 40+ points in seven games between those two months. His best game of the season came in February as well: A 47-point triple-double against the Portland Trail Blazers.
He can score from all over, too. George made 63.2 percent of his attempts at the rim last season and 38.2 percent from three-point range and was consistent in the midrange as well. He’s got all the bases covered here.
Considering the LA Clippers have had some issues scoring the ball lately, this is one area in which he should immediately help out. Since LA rained 18 three-pointers on the Golden State Warriors in the second game of the season, the Clippers have connected on just 28.8 percent of their looks from deep. Their overall percentage from three-point range — 32.4 — ranks 24th in the league.
George’s ability to score in a hurry all but guarantees that LA’s scoring numbers will jump up, and it should get them back on track from range as well.
George is active elsewhere on offense as well. He recorded at least five assists in 32 of the 77 total games he appeared in last season and dished out seven or more assists on nine separate occasions. Along with Leonard, he’s one of the better playmaking forwards in the Western Conference.
One potential nickname that we’ve been thinking of for that duo is ‘Board Men’, considering they’re both excellent rebounders. George recorded 10 or more rebounds in 24 games last season, including a 15-rebound performance against the Brooklyn Nets (he scored 47 points in that game, too!).
Defensively, George is as adept as they come. He’s able to effectively defend shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards, and it doesn’t seem far-fetched to think he could take on bigger point guards and smaller centers as well, given his quickness and length. He’s a four-time All-Defensive selection, an NBA steals champion and a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. There’s not much else to say here besides the fact that he’s great.
As far as the rotations go, expect George to slide in beside Leonard either at the shooting guard position or power forward. That decision could vary on a game-to-game basis.
Playing him at the 4 would give the LA Clippers a smaller lineup, as Patrick Beverley and Landry Shamet don’t provide much height at the guard positions. Shifting him to the 2 and replacing Patrick Patterson with Maurice Harkless would give the Clippers a longer, defensive-minded starting five where almost every player could defend a position other than the one they’re lined up at.
The latter option is the one that I’m accustomed to. None of the guys in a lineup featuring Beverley, George, Leonard, Harkless and Ivica Zubac are poor offensively, and each excels on the other end of the floor as well. And other than Beverley — who plays well above his size, anyway — measures less than 6 feet 7 inches.
It will take some time for George to get back to the number of minutes he’s used to seeing, and it’s all but certain that they’ll use a load management strategy for him as well. It’s for the best, though, as it is with Leonard. It would be much better to have George in the postseason than in a random weekday game in November.
LA Clippers fans will finally be able to see the vision that the front office had for this team once George returns later this week — and it’s going to be something to see for this starving franchise.