LA Clippers: 3 players who can’t disappear vs. Mavericks

This series is undoubtedly huge for Paul George.

Paul George should be itching for this moment coming up, and the Clippers can’t afford to not have George at his best.

One of the reasons the Clippers fell short in the Western Conference Semis last season was George falling a little short of expectations.

Is George overhated? Absolutely.

He was by no means the only Clipper that didn’t perform to the standard we were expecting in last year’s postseason.

At times in that series, it seemed like there were two versions of PG. One version particularly showed up in for instance Game 3, where George dropped 32 points and connected on five of his seven three-point shots.

In Game 7, however, when it mattered most, we seemed to be watching a different player. George had a tough time in the make-it/break-it atmosphere, totaling just 10 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds, and shot just 25% from the field (4-of-16).

If the Clippers are in a Game 7 situation again, PG can’t disappear like that. He can’t disappear in any elimination games like that. If there’s anything that the Clips learned from the playoffs last year, it’s how important it is to put a team away the first time.

I’m confident that Game 3 PG will show up, though. He can’t disappear if the Clippers want to take care of business and advance. He knows it, his teammates know it, and his opponent knows it.

The pressure’s there, and he’ll find his rhythm and succeed.

As for another Clipper who can’t disappear, he has a nice track record of responding to pressure.