In his first season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George did not play up to his usual standards. The 6x All-Star put up his lowest point per game output in a season (21.5) since 2014, and shot just 43% from the field.
In the playoffs, his struggles only intensified, as he continued to display inconsistency with his game.
In the aftermath of the Clippers’ huge failure, many are still questioning what exactly went wrong.
In an appearance on the “Road Trippin'” podcast, the LA swingman responded to those concerns, butting some blame on his former head coach, Doc Rivers.
Paul George on Doc Rivers: “Coach was trying to play me as a Ray Allen or as a JJ Redick, all pin downs. I can do it, but that just ain't my game." (via All The Smoke Podcast)
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 2, 2020
In the same clip, PG also noted how he was robbed of his usual summer training as a result of shoulder surgery, which inhibited both his game and the chemistry he was supposed to establish with his team. It’s easy to see how that might have negatively impacted his game as well.
For Doc, his 7-year coaching tenure in LA came to an end a few months ago, something that neither PG nor Kawhi Leonard objected to at the time. It has been reported that his system involved massive catering to the stars, which could be another reason why he failed to find success with the team.
Also, Paul George explains why the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead and lost to Denver Nuggets.
Paul George shared his thoughts on why the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets:
"During that whole process, we never worked on adjustments. We never worked on what to do differently.”
(via All the Smoke, @SHOsports) pic.twitter.com/8rVjrdslZT
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 3, 2020
Whatever the case, PG will have no excuses this time around. With a new head coach in place, a year of mistakes to learn from, and an injury-free offseason, the pressure is officially on for him to perform at a superstar level this upcoming season.
If not, he may very well be the next one out the door.
