After spraining his knee during a loss to the Thunder in March, Paul George has been out of the Clippers lineup as he desperately works to get himself back on the floor.
Originally, PG was thought to be out for the series with multiple reports citing it as unlikely that we see the Clippers swingman before the end of this series against the Suns. But after workout clips of George made the internet before Game 2, experts and fans are convinced that he could come back much, much sooner.
Paul George is running and going through a workout before Clippers shootaround here at Footprint Center.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 18, 2023
The Clippers have been known to be cryptic with player injury reports during playoff time, and they might not want to reveal the full extent of PG’s status until the last possible moment. Regardless, he’s moving well, and it’s a good sign that help could be on the way for Los Angeles.
There’s no way you’re telling me PG is ruled out for the rest of the series with his movement looking this good..
He has to be coming back Game 3 or Game 4-5 https://t.co/4V7gGEoMTI
— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) April 18, 2023
No way he’s out for the whole series he should at least be back in game 3 or 4
— 5⭐️Goat (@UnbotheredGoat) April 18, 2023
If George does return at some point in the series, it could help the Clippers pull off a major upset…
https://twitter.com/RetardedGenius9/status/1648375411397607464
IF The Clippers can make it to Game 6, Plz Play PG13. Its a do or Die
— Joey ⚡️ (3-0) (@Joeys_Vibe) April 18, 2023
Want him at 100% but just having him out on the floor will draw any double teams off Kawhi…just his presence would make a big difference
— . (@Chuck_555) April 18, 2023
Nobody is saying that George would be 100% if he took the floor on Thursday, but his presence alone might make a big enough difference to tip the scales in the Clippers’ favor.
When it comes to the Clips, however, we all know that success begins and ends with Kawhi Leonard.
Playoff Kawhi Can Carry The Clippers To Round 2
Even without George, Kawhi may just be good enough to send the Suns home. He dropped 38 points in Game 1, and there doesn’t appear to be any signs of him slowing down.
“It’s funny, I played against Kawhi when he was young coming into the league, and he didn’t have this role that he has now — a superstar,” Durant said, per Suns reporter Duane Rankin of AZ Central. “So I just seen his development over time, it’s been cool to watch. (He’s) tough to play against, but it’s cool to watch. He’s somebody who brings it every time he steps on the floor, so he ups the level of everybody around him.”
At the very least, the combined powers of Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and the strong cast of role-players off the bench are going to give the Suns some major challenges, and it will be interesting to see how they respond.
But don’t think for a second that Paul George isn’t doing everything he can to ensure he can play again this season before it’s too late.
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