Lesson Learned
Added on Jun 04, 2013 by Scott in
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With the exception of Stephen Curry, no player saw his stock rise more during the 2013 NBA playoffs than Pacers small forward Paul George. The league’s Most Improved Player parlayed his first All-Star regular season into an impressive run to the Eastern Conference Finals. His versatility on both ends of the floor has transformed into one of the game’s rising stars. However, his poor performance in last night’s Game 7 loss to Miami revealed he still has room to grow.
LeBron James and the rest of the Heat made a concerted effort to put the clamps on George and it worked to perfection. George played his worst game of the postseason, fouling out with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on 2-9 shooting. He was visibly frustrated throughout and was repeatedly exploited by James.
James was so dominant he outscored George and the entire Pacers bench by 11 points. Indiana made too many mistakes against an aggressive Heat defense to avoid a beatdown. For all intents and purposes, the game was over at halftime, due in large to James, who holds the highest Game 7 scoring average in NBA history.
George shouldn’t hang his head too low, though. He and the core of the Pacers roster is very young. Delivering in pressure spots takes experience, especially against elite talent like James and Dwyane Wade. George has the skills to be a Top 10 player for years to come, once he refines his offensive game and gains strength.
How good was George in the playoffs? He netted 20 or more points in 11 of 19 starts and led the team in assists, steals and minutes. He and center Roy Hibbert formed one of the deadliest one-two punches in the postseason. If Lance Stephenson can develop into a consistent shooter and Danny Granger returns healthy, the Pacers will be back in 2014 to once again challenge Miami.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but George can walk away with a lesson learned. Dethroning the kings is never easy. A few months to think about what went wrong should do him some good.
