6. Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Stats: 24.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 21.55 PER
The Indiana Pacers were bad last season. They couldn’t even make the playoffs in a very mediocre Eastern Conference. They didn’t have Paul George last season. And that’s probably why.
This season, now that he’s made his return, the Pacers look like a completely different group. Partly thanks to Frank Vogel’s bold move to schematically change his team’s philosophy, but the biggest reason why Indiana has had this sudden resurgence is because of Paul George.
George looks even better than he was before his gruesome leg injury, and is the big reason why no team in the Eastern Conference is going to want to play the Pacers once the playoffs begin in April.
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