Contrary to LA Clippers haters’ beliefs, Paul George had not been ‘bad’ this postseason.
He had been putting up 23.6 points per game, picking up 9.2 rebounds per game, dishing out 5.3 assists per game, while shooting .435 from the field and .906 from the free throw line.
That being said, there were times where he found himself playing inconsistent halves, or quarters, and not playing complete games. He wasn’t ‘bad,’ just inconsistent at times.
Paul George played like an elite playoff performer in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semis.
‘Playoff P’ was back. Instead of having those quarters where he really struggled to get his shot going, PG played a superstar-type game, all the way through.
PG13 scored 31 points while shooting 12 of 24 from the field and six of 10 from beyond the arc.
He recorded five assists, and had a steal too.
In the first two games, George got going towards the end, and it ended up being too late to come back from the deficits. In Game 3, PG came out guns-a-blazin’ with 20 first half points. He drained 8 of 14 shots and knocked down 4 out of 5 threes.
He led the team to a 15-point advantage heading into the half.
These are the type of games that PG is capable of having. He may not have them every game, but when he and Kawhi Leonard (who was also magnificent in Game 3) are shooting well, Ty Lue’s job gets a lot easier.
For instance, in Game 1, Lue was in a tough spot towards the end of the game. Does he take out Luke Kennard, who was getting eaten alive by Donovan Mitchell, or does he keep him in because he was playing so well offensively? He had to elect to keep Kennard in, because he couldn’t rely on PG and Kawhi’s offense that night.
When PG is playing more towards this level, the decisions become clearer and the Clippers can put their best foot forward.
George had struggled with his shooting vs. the Utah Jazz during the year, and had a tough time in Games 1 and 2.
When he was on in Game 3, the Clips took a dub, winning 132-106. It wasn’t even close.
The Clippers are paying PG an average annual salary of over $34.2 million. The facts are that he wasn’t playing like a $34.2 million player in the first round of the postseason, and the first two games of this round. He looked every bit of the part in Game 3, and proved just how much of a game-changer he can be for this Clippers team.