Paul George is one of the top stars in the NBA today, whether you like it or not. It’s hard to deny his skill and his credentials, to this point speak, for themselves. Despite his multiple NBA All-Star selections, All-NBA and All-NBA Defensive teams selections and his new Olympics gold medal, some might not appreciate his talent. Still, despite the odd number of people who question his star power, the Indiana Pacers know they have a star on their roster.
PG-13 has made it through some pretty devastating situations throughout his young career but he’s persevered. The next big hurdle for him is where the Pacers go after an offseason overhaul. Out went Solomon Hill, George Hill, Jordan Hill, Ian Mahinmi, Ty Lawson and head coach Frank Vogel. In their place came Thaddeus Young, Al Jefferson, Jeff Teague, Aaron Brooks and new head coach Nate McMillan. The Pacers have a plan to do a complete identity switch.
Gone are the days of the slow, methodical offense with David West and Roy Hibbert clogging the paint as shooters surrounded them. Now, the Pacers are looking to play an uptempo offense with stretch big Myles Turner manning the middle along with athletic wings like George and Young and ball handlers in Monta Ellis and Teague. It’s a solid plan but how long until it completely works? How long does Larry Bird roll with this roster before he changes things? Well, the answer might be coming sooner than you think.
Following from Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
If the new-look Pacers regress defensively and don’t flourish offensively, they’ll be right back in the middle; or worse, they could conceivably miss the playoffs in an improving East. That would put them in a dangerous position next summer, with Teague set to hit free agency, and George, Young, and Monta Ellis all with player options that could make them free agents in 2018. That’s decision time for Bird: tinker with the roster while keeping the core intact, press reset one summer ahead of his team’s potential mass exodus, or hold on before making big moves closer to the trade deadline in February 2018.
Indiana could be on the cusp of a total rebuild if things don’t go according to plan, making George a tradable star. It’s not a scenario the Pacers want to contemplate, but other teams are keeping tabs.
O’Connor goes on to speak about the idea of a potential Paul George and Los Angeles Lakers marriage but that appears to be speculation.
Paul George joins the likes of Russell Westbrook, DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Love as All-Stars who have been rumored to be on their way out of their respective teams via trade. Of course, none of the players have yet to go anywhere and they all have improved scenarios in which they are more likely to stay.
The Lakers have been a team long linked to George, as well as Cousins and Westbrook, but there’s really no major substance to those PG-13 rumors. It could happen, the Lakers have the young assets to make a deal but do they really want to do that? As O’Connor also noted, teams do not want to mortgage their future for a star who could leave in less than a year, much like the Knicks did with Carmelo Anthony. How much is a star like Paul George worth to other teams?
It’s an interesting situation in Indiana, one that we should all keep our eyes on, just like the NBA teams are.
