NBA, The Return Part I: Paul George Edition
NBA, The Return is a three part series breaking down the comebacks of three of the NBA’s best players
It was August 1st 2014, during an intra-squad game between the United States national team. Paul George went to block a James Harden layup when he landed (awkwardly) against basket stanchion and suffered a compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg. The replay showed the gruesome details as his foot would get caught under the goal causing his leg to violently bend and shatter the bones.
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The injury was devastating, as George would miss all but six games that season. The injury could not have come at worst time, as George was beginning his accession to the top of the NBA. He had only been drafted five years ago and already was quickly becoming one of the NBA’s best.
It was just the season before his injury (2013-14) that George was named to the All-NBA third team as well as the All-Defensive first team. The season before that (2012-13), George had been named NBA Most Improved Player.
As for Paul George’s team, the Indiana Pacers, they would feel the effects of his injury as well, going from 56-26 and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals for a second year in a row, to 38-44 and missing the playoffs.
After what was basically a season away from the game, what can we expect from Paul George as he makes his return this season (he did play in six games last year, but we all know that wasn’t the real Paul George)?
Will he return to the dominant two-way player that made highlight after highlight each night or will it take some time before he returns to his former self?
Having had almost a full year to heal, George should be ready and, most importantly, healthy for this upcoming season. All indications are that he is completely healed from the break, as well as the calf strain he sustained in the season finale against Memphis.
If there is a silver lining, the time spent on the bench watching could lead to a smarter George with a higher basketball IQ. In the six games that he played in, he did display a better three-point shot as he shot a career best 40.9 percent from three. Albeit, in an extremely small sample size.
My prediction is that George comes back and reminds us all that he is one if the NBA’s best young players, and a guy that deserves consideration for being in the top-10 when talking about the game’s best.
He will display the athleticism and talent he had before that transformed him into one of the best two-way players, while also emerging as a MVP-caliber player. This year is the return of Paul George, but it’s also the (real) debut of PG-13.