Paul George healthy, but not happy
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — With the preseason kicking off, and lots of new faces in the organization, there are plenty of story-lines to write about for the Indiana Pacers. It’s the familiar face, however, that should be getting the most attention. Pacers star Paul George has declared himself 100% healthy, and he backed up those words on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Just over a minute into the game, Paul George drove past his defender from the top of the key for a slam dunk. It didn’t take long to show the explosiveness he possessed before his leg injury of a year ago. Later in the first quarter, he knocked down a pair of three’s, and scored a floater in the lane after once again blowing past the defense. He scored 12 first-quarter points, playing the entire quarter.
He only totaled another 13 minutes of game action in the final three quarters, and finished with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
“I was pretty comfortable with how he played,” Coach Frank Vogel said after the game. “There were one or two times that he settled, but I want him to be in attack mode.” Vogel added: “You give that guy that kind of space with that lineup, it’s going to be a lethal offensive combination.”
Paul George, however, still doesn’t sound too thrilled about playing the four. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for the four spot,” George said. “I don’t know if this is my position. It’s still something I’ve got to adjust to, or maybe not. Maybe it is something we can go away from.”
After looking completely healthy and fitting in nicely to the position, those words were a little unexpected after the game. The defensive end, however, is where George is most concerned: “Defensively, it’s rough. It’s rough. It’s an adjustment because I’m not used to doing some of the things down there.” Apparently, George isn’t alone with this thought either: “A couple other guys are uncomfortable with how we’re going to run it. It’s new to everyone.”
This team has a plethora of wings, and could benefit from Paul George playing some at the four. Starting there, however, is a different story.
Instead of celebrating how healthy their star looks, the Pacers will need to figure out how to make their star happy. We’ll keep an eye on this story as it develops over the preseason.
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