LA Clippers: Are Paul George’s struggles offensively a habit or hoax?

Should LA Clippers’ fans be concerned after Paul George’s struggles last night against the 76ers? Does George have a clear identity on this team?

In the LA Clipper’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the offense seemed sparse. Kawhi Leonard scored his usual 30 points, however his wingman, Paul George struggled immensely. He finished with 11 points on 3/15 shooting in 35 minutes.

George’s struggles in big games have become a pattern. According to a tweet by Joey Linn (below), he’s struggled offensively against top teams such as the Lakers, Bucks, Toronto, and Houston. His poor performances against good teams start to bring in the question of is this a habit or just a hoax?

George has never been shy about shooting the ball. He’s averaging 22.3 points per game this season with a 42.8 field goal percentage and 39.6 three-point percentage. Those are some great offensive numbers, so why is he struggling so much during these big games?

Here are some possible reasons:

Surgery rust
George went through two different shoulder procedures on both of his shoulders to repair partially torn tendons. He missed the start of the season and was thrown into a new team without the chemistry.

Lack of chemistry

After he was back from the surgery, George missed a bunch of games due to a hamstring injury. His time off the court again means he’s had less time to build chemistry with his teammates even as the rest of the team got healthy.

Identity

This idea brings in the question of does Paul George have a true identity on this team? Of course, George is an offensive superstar, but with him missing games, does he have a clear identity with this team?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love George and what he brings to the Clippers. I think he’s a great player, but with his absence at the beginning of the season, he lacks a clear identity for the team. To find it, he must continue to play well and close games efficiently.

As the second half of the season comes around, it will be interesting to see how George responds to this struggle. The Clippers have some good Western Conference matchups approaching against teams like the Nuggets and Rockets. Come April and May, this offensive struggle cannot be a recurring issue. The Clippers will only be facing the best of the best and for the Clippers to play at their highest capacity, George must be exceptional on both ends of the floor.