Indiana Pacers: 5 best draft picks and draft-day trades
Indiana Pacers best draft-day move: Drafting Paul George
In the 2010 NBA Draft, the Pacers selected forward Paul George out of Fresno State with the 10th overall pick. By his third season, he was a rising star in the NBA and had been named to his first All-Star appearance. He was one of the centerpieces of the Pacers’ teams that challenged the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals two years in a row.
He also led the Pacers to be the Central Division Champions in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Unfortunately, he missed all but six games in the 2014-15 season due to a broken leg during a USA scrimmage. He came back with a vengeance for the next two seasons for the Pacers. He averaged 23.1 points per game in 2015-16 and 23.7 points per game in 2016-17. Both of those teams had poorly constructed rosters that George had to lead.
After the 2016-17 season, George ripped Pacers’ fan’s hearts out of their chests. He shocked Indiana by requesting a trade. The player who fans thought was to be the next superstar of Indiana wanted out. This ended up being a blessing in disguise. The Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for future All-Stars Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, both of whom are beloved by the fans of the Pacers.
During his seven seasons in Indiana, Paul George was named to the All-Star team four times, the All-NBA Third Team three times, the NBA All-Defensive First Team once, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice, and the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He was also named the NBA Most Improved Player in 2013. He set the record for most 3-point field goals made in a game for the Pacers with nine in 2012 as well.
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George averaged 18.1 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals during his tenure with the Pacers. While George was a great player for the Pacers, the loss of his play has been curtailed by the stupendous play of Oladipo and Sabonis. George’s play for the blue and gold and his trade value that became Oladipo and Sabonis is the reason George is on this list.