Paul George didn’t like the way he was used by Doc Rivers in his first season with the LA Clippers.
As the LA Clippers gear up for the start of the 2020-21 season on December 22, it’s hard not to talk about the way last season ended. Appearing on Showtime’s All The Smoke (premiering next Thursday), Paul George finally explained part of the reason last season went poorly for him.
It wasn’t one single thing that he felt hampered his play but a combination of factors. The first issue was that he didn’t get a full summer to work out. George had surgery on both shoulders during the summer of 2019 which not only kept him from working out in the summer but also caused him to miss time at the start of the season.
Because of that, he was unable to get into a flow once he returned. Another problem with getting into that flow was how he was used by Doc Rivers.
"“The way I was being used…Doc was trying to play me as a Ray Allen or a JJ Redick. All pin-downs. All that. I can do it but that ain’t my game. I need some flow. I need some mixes of pick-and-rolls. I need some post-ups. Just different touches.”"
Paul George talks Clippers chemistry issue on #AllTheSmoke next Thursday on https://t.co/YiP8zmH7Ef.@Yg_Trece pic.twitter.com/d3tNR171vV
— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) December 2, 2020
George was very up and down this season at times looking like a perfect complimentary superstar to Kawhi Leonard while other times looking extremely pedestrian. Following a career-year in Oklahoma City in 2018-19, many expected him to have continued excellence even after surgery on both shoulders.
George fell off, scoring just 21.5 points per game on 43.9% shooting. While he still put up decent numbers across the board, it just wasn’t seen by many as stats worthy of the haul the team had to give up to bring him to LA. Sure, part of that haul was to also ensure Kawhi came to the Clippers but given that the actual trade was for PG alone, fans had a hard time digesting it.
With Rivers now in Philadelphia, Ty Lue in as the head coach, and PG coming into the season healthy, he will have to back up his words. The LA Clippers get their first two games against tough opponents on the national stage, facing the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night and the Denver Nuggets on Christmas. If there’s a time for George to back up what he’s saying, it’s then.