In a high-octane offense-oriented modern era, fans often lament the fact that stars no longer seem to care about the defensive end. Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, and some of the NBA’s best offensive forces are notoriously bad defenders.
Paul George is among the last of the players that still play both sides of the ball at a very high level. He is on a short list of stars along with Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid. And he recently spoke about how it’s not as easy to do that as people think, suggesting that fans need to be more understanding.
“I think fans don’t really understand how tough it is on a nightly basis to play both ends to prepare to play both ends,” Paul George said on his podcast. “It exerts a lot out of you. People always ‘Oh you don’t shoot well, your percentage.’ A lot of times, I be tired when I’m on offense. My legs are dead. My legs are finished.
“But I know what I gotta do and I know that’s the expectation. And I’m not going to shy away from it. I wanna guard the best player, I wanna make his night as tough as possible. I believe I can do both things and that’s just how I’ve been wired to play this game.”
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Paul George is an 8-time All-Star in his NBA career and has also been named to 4 All-Defensive Teams in his career. He has always been a force on both ends, so he is an authority on this subject.
Why Do Some NBA Stars No Longer Play Defense?
Historically, players in the GOAT conversation like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have also been elite defenders. But as the game has changed, that has lost some shine. Plenty of players from older eras have slammed the current era for its perceived lack of defense.
Paul George’s take came after Luka Doncic spoke about how hard it is for him to give it his all on defense considering how much he does on offense. And while PG admitted Luka’s case is different, he did say that it’s important for stars to be able to do both.
The answer to this question is likely that the focus on the game has shifted away from the defense, while the rule changes and new systems have become big factors. But when it comes to the playoffs, it matters more than ever, and stars eventually learn that to be truly great, they have to at least be alright on that end. Offense is exciting and hopefully, it continues to improve. But ultimately, defense wins championships.
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