LA Clippers: Paul George is playing at an MVP-level, but will it last?

Paul George is playing at an MVP-level, but will it last?

Quietly, LA Clippers wing Paul George is putting together an MVP-caliber season that has flown a bit under the radar through the first 16 games of the 2020-21 NBA season.

George’s bounce-back season may have been derailed on Monday, at least temporarily anyway. The Clippers announced that both George and teammate Kawhi Leonard had been ruled of Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to health and safety protocols. This game marks the start of a six-game road trip for the Clippers.

The Clippers are currently enjoying a seven-game win streak.

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Through the first 14 games of the season, George was shooting over 50 percent from the field and 3-point land. He [George] was also shooting over 90 percent from the free-throw line, threatening to start the 50-50-90 club. George had come back down to earth over the past couple of games before being placed in health and safety protocols. George is now shooting 48.4 percent from behind the arc.

No one expects George to keep this type of pace but if you are a Clippers fan, you’ll take his play early this season over the way he played in the restart bubble against the Denver Nuggets.

George has made know the lack of respect he’s received from players around the league so far this season, and it looks like he’s out to show everyone that he’s no pushover. But this is not the first MVP-level season George has experienced during his career.

Just two years ago while a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, George finished third in the MVP voting behind James Harden and MVP winner that season (2018-19) Giannis Antetokounmpo. George would also finish in the top three for Defensive player of the year that very same season.

So, playing at this level is nothing new to PG-13. After his [George] performance in the bubble, most people seem to have forgotten about his multiple-time All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive player. All those regular-season accolades are great but now people want to see George string together a full and successful playoff run.

For all his greatness during the regular season for multiple teams, George’s numbers tend to decline in a few important categories from the regular-season into the postseason. His 3-point percentage goes from 38.4 percent in the regular season to 35.6 percent in the playoffs. George Is shooting 43.5 percent from the field during his career in the regular season, which drops to 41.9 percent during the playoffs. His PER even drops by almost two full points.

Now, it’s time for “Playoff P” to get things done in the playoffs. The Clippers will likely finish as a top two or three seed in the West again this season but George must show up throughout the playoffs and be a consistent number threat alongside Leonard if the Clippers plan to make their first-ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals.

It will be interesting to see how both PG-13 and Leonard return after what could be an extended absence due to health and safety protocols. If both players can come back and not miss a beat, then the Clippers could be well on their way to a lengthy playoff run, the likes of which no Clipper fan has ever dreamt.

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Most analysts would tell you not to hold your breath on that, and you should probably take them up on that advice.