Because of the absence of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George’s performances have flown under the radar. While the Clippers are not a championship contender, George has been keeping them afloat, all while playing at an MVP level on both ends of the court so far.
For the season, George is averaging 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, all career-highs for PG. And his performances on the defensive end cannot be ignored, as he has marshaled the Clippers’ defense and played like the elite two-way player that we know he is.
George has struggled for a long time to be able to find the form that he had in the early days of his career when he was the star player for the Indiana Pacers. George was able to singlehandedly cause problems for the Miami Heat during the big three-era with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
But a broken leg caused George to lose some of his signature athleticism for a period of time. And many felt that after suffering such a career-altering injury, PG would not be able to get back to his best. But he proved the doubters wrong, especially by replicating an iconic dunk during his Pacer days.
8 years apart 🔥
(h/t @balldontstop ) pic.twitter.com/yGpNua7R9X
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 21, 2021
During the Clippers’ game against the Dallas Mavericks, George took the ball and dunked it over Dwight Powell. This dunk was almost identical to his dunk against Nick Anderson and the Miami Heat during the 2013 NBA playoffs, with George causing problems for eventual champions Miami Heat.
While PG is playing very well right now, he knows how the NBA fans will react after one poor game. Ever since his collapse in the 2020 NBA Bubble, George has been the subject of intense criticism from fans and expects that to continue when he does have a poor game.
But as things stand, George has been the stand-out player for the Clippers, leading them in Kawhi’s absence. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said that George can be the number one superstar on a team, as he showed during his time in Miami. And George has been helping the Clippers win games while being the leader of the team.
