Before the All-Star break the NBA world received great news, Paul George would return in a months time to help his team in their final playoff push. After the announcement, things kind of blew up and the whole idea of Paul George returning was downplayed by the Indiana Pacers, but everyone knows that he is almost at the point where he can return, even Larry Bird.
According to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN, Bird said:
“He’s getting a lot better,” Bird said. “I think he has to go through a series of tests this week, just like we’ve always been doing to see where he’s at. I think he’s cleared by the doctors to play, but obviously he’s not in shape. Just because he’s cleared to play, doesn’t mean he’s in shape to play. And I don’t want Paul to go out there until he feels comfortable with his conditioning and the way he’s practicing. I’d like to see him do a little bit better.
“It was a rough go at the beginning, which we knew it was going to be. He (isn’t) going to be Paul George, 100 percent. We know that. But I think mentally he wants to get out there, play a few games and get ready to see what he needs to do this summer to get back to 100 percent — and he will.
“I expect him to PLAY THIS year. I hope he does for his own good — not for us to get in the playoffs or anything like that, but just for his own mental state. I think anytime you go through an injury like that, you have to get back out there and prove yourself. But he’s not going to be 100 percent.”
The Indiana Pacers sit at being tied for 9th place in the Eastern Conference, but the race for 8th is extremely close. 5 teams are within 0.5 or 1 games of each other between 7th and 12th place in the East and it will all depend on schedules going forward. With just under a month left in the NBA, these teams will be battling it out. I understand that Paul George might not want to come back because he might ruin team chemistry, but the superstar of the Pacers need to emerge and help his team push into the playoffs.
