Brunt: Paul George might put a cap on LeBron’s greatness

Cliff May 25, 2013 1

By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor

INDIANAPOLIS — Shortly after LeBron James made the infamous “Decision” to leave Cleveland and join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he made a staggering boast.

When asked how many championships the Heat would win, he famously said, “Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven,” then went on to explain why he wholeheartedly believed those words.

He might end up with just one if he’s not careful. Indiana’s Paul George left him in the dust before humiliating “Birdman” Chris Andersen with a vicious dunk in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, much the same way he left George behind before scoring the game-winning layup in Game 1.

Yes, George is a quick learner. His fearless move to blow past James in Game 2, his 3-pointer at the end of regulation to tie Game 1 and his three free throws late in overtime in Game 1 were awesome. His 3-pointer that stopped Miami’s run in Game 6 is the clearest sign yet that LeBron might never back up the boast he made following his move to South Beach.

Understand how important Game 7 is for the Pacers, and for the rest of LeBron’s prime years in the NBA. James is a great player, the greatest of this era. But he is 28, Bosh is 29 and Wade is 31. All of those guys are great players, but I don’t know how much better they can get at this point in their careers. Miami is at its peak and probably won’t get any better.

The Pacers are just getting started.

George, recently named third-team All-NBA and second-team All-Defense, just turned 23 years old. He’s 6-foot-9, has a huge wingspan, is a dynamic athlete and is harder-working and smarter than he is athletic. George Hill is 27, Tyler Hansbrough is 27, Roy Hibbert is 26 and Lance Stephenson is 22. David West, at 32, gives the Pacers just enough experience to pull all the youth together. He’s a power player with real skills, so he has a longer shelf life than most players.

It’s a perfect mix. The Pacers are young, strong and built for the playoffs, a fundamentally sound, defense-first squad that takes full advantage of the fact that officials are usually a bit more lenient in the playoffs. Larry Bird built them in the image of those Celtics teams from the 1980s that were well-coached, balanced, poised and very comfortable when things got a little rough.

And they are still growing together. The truth is, Indiana is better equipped to win long term. Miami eventually will have to pay three aging players so much that the franchise will struggle to put any talent around them. Indiana has much more balance and was built with the understanding that a star system might not work under the current salary rules.

The future looks bright for the Pacers, but it will be interesting to see if they are ready to take the next step now instead of later.

The Pacers finally have that player who isn’t afraid of big moments, much like they had during the Reggie Miller days. They also have a dominant force inside in Hibbert, a rare but special breed. Hibbert just signed a max deal after last season, and he is earning every penny.

The best thing about these Pacers is the way they respond to Miami’s runs. Indiana calmly sticks to its game plan, plays suffocating defense and manufactures enough points to remain in position to win.

And they’ve done all this without Danny Granger, one of the NBA’s top scorers of the past decade when healthy.

The only thing that could stop the Pacers from being a title contender for years to come is if owner Herb Simon decides not to pay folks. West is a free agent after this season. The Pacers need to keep him for the sake of consistency and identity. I don’t believe he is replaceable. George has one more year on his deal before Indiana likely will have to pay up, and he will be a max-deal player. The Pacers have a team option on Lance Stephenson next season. If he continues to improve at his current rate, Indiana will need to pay him, too.

If Simon wants to see the franchise hang a banner in his lifetime (he’s 78), he’ll spend what is needed to keep this team together. If he does, George might be the one with the right to say, “Not two, not three.”