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Paul George was drafted by the Indiana Pacers as the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. After being part of the All-Rookie team for the 2010-11 season, George continued his growth and was named the NBA's Most Improved Played in the 2012-13 season.
Despite suffering a horrible injury that left him inactive for the majority of the 2014-15 season, George made a return in 2015. George remains a perennial All-Star and has always featured in discussions as one of the best two-way players in the league.
His reputation in the NBA playoffs has seen highs and lows. Nicknames like "Playoff P" during his playoff with the Oklahoma City Thunder were born out of his stellar performances, whereas "Pandemic P" was born out of his failures with the LA Clippers in the NBA Bubble.
The 2020-21 playoffs were a breakthrough for him. With the opportunity to bounce back and turn things around, George led the LA Clippers to the Western Conference Finals, a first in franchise history, without their superstar Kawhi Leonard.
With Kawhi's injury potentially keeping him out for a large part of the season, Paul George will be required to step up to the plate. Keeping this in mind, here are three reasons why Paul George could have an MVP caliber season.
#1 Paul George will be in the spotlight
The LA Clippers feature the superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. However, between the two, it is obvious who the spotlight falls on. But the optics shouldn't take away from what George has accomplished.
Paul George had a great 2020-21 season. Averaging 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, George put up some solid numbers, all while shooting 46.7% from the field and an efficient 41.1% from behind the arc. He also made his seventh appearance as an NBA All-Star.
Leonard's unfortunate injury in the playoffs does present a massive setback for the LA Clippers, but it is also an opportunity for Paul George. With the task of carrying the team as the primary superstar falling upon his shoulders, we can expect George to get a lot more touches on the offensive end while still contributing defensively.
However, he does need to stay healthy through the course of the season. Playing in only 54 games in the 2020-21 season, George cannot afford to take many games off.
Also Read: Who is Paul George’s to-be-wife, Daniela Rajic?
#2 Ability to bounce back
Paul George has displayed the ability to bounce back and improve upon his situation before. After his horrific injury, George returned the following season for Indiana and averaged a career-high (at the time) of 23.1 points per game.
His numbers dropped again when he joined OKC. Paul George recorded 21.9 points in the 2017-18 season when the Thunder featured a big three of George, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook. With Anthony's departure following a loss in the playoffs to the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma's trio became a duo.
The 2018-19 season saw a resurgence of Paul George. Recording an average of 28 points and 8.2 rebounds, George was at his peak in scoring as he received more touches.
His postseason failures and redemption with the Clippers over the course of his two-year tenure with the franchise can reflect that.
While a trip to the Western Conference Finals isn't necessarily a failure, there are a lot of things that can be worked on and we should expect George to step up to the challenge.
#3 Paul George has a point to prove
Paul George is a prime example of someone who could not cope with the pressure of the NBA Bubble. His passive style of play and out-of-rhythm shooting created problems for the LA Clippers in the 2020 NBA playoffs.
The would-be contenders struggled early against the Dallas Mavericks, barely winning in seven games and then collapsed completely against the Denver Nuggets.
An airball from the right corner that hit the backboard was the lowlight for Paul George's 2020 playoff run, but it was also representative of his shooting slump.
However, George recovered from this display and came back firing the next season. In the 2021 playoffs, he averaged 26.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Even after Leonard's injury in Game Four against Utah, George scored 37 points and 28 points in Games Five and Six to carry the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals.
In Game Five of the Western Conference Finals, Paul George recorded 41 points and 13 rebounds with six assists to prevent a 4-1 loss to the Suns. While the Suns won in six games, George showed that he could still carry the team in the absence of Leonard.
With more remarks regarding the clutch free-throws he missed in Game Two, George still has a point to prove regarding how far he can take this team on his own. With his legacy as a superstar on the line, Paul George has his work cut out for him during the 2021-22 NBA season.
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