Even though not so many people thought the Los Angeles Clippers could be good without Kawhi Leonard, the team is doing just fine right now, surprising a lot of people around the league with their good results.
Paul George is playing great basketball right now, leading his squad to seven consecutive wins, ranking 5th in the Western Conference standings (8-4). PG13 dropped 23 points on 10-of-17 (58.8%) shooting from the field, to go along with 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the Clippers’ 129-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
George has made sure to become the leader of this team and he’s doing a terrific job so far. Following another good performance, teammate Isaiah Hartenstein was in awe of the swingman, claiming he’s playing at an MVP level, as he knows one thing or two about MVP winners.
“Paul George is playing on an MVP level. I’ve played with some MVP guys – James [Harden], Russ [Westbrook], [Nikola] Jokic.”
Isaiah Hartenstein: "Paul George is playing on an MVP level. I've played with some MVP guys – James, Russ, Jokic."
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) November 14, 2021
Hartenstein played with James Harden and Russell Westbrook in the 2019-2020 NBA season. After he finished his tenure with the Houston Rockets, the German player shared touches with Nikola Jokic. He played with three MVPs before and is watching the same things in George.
There are big candidates to take the MVP award next year, including Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. However, Paul George is doing a great job with the Clips, collecting seven straight wins after an awful 1-4 start.
Kawhi Leonard could be out for the entire season, but George isn’t worried about that. He’s showing he’s capable of leading a team and the Clippers are happy that this man is the one carrying them.
It’s still too early to say what will happen next year, but George is doing the right things to be considered at least one of the finalists for the coveted award. Right now, he averages 26.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 12 games. While the Los Angeles Lakers struggle to find their touch, the Clippers are on a 7-game streak, with Paul showing why they landed him in 2019. No Kawhi? No problem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yFgC8oi5qg
