What has been the impact of Paul George's injuries on his career?

LA Clippers star wing Paul George has had a successful 13-year career since being drafted No. 10 by Indiana in the 2010 NBA draft. George has made eight All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams, and four All-Defensive teams. However, many still agree that George has been held back from reaching his full potential due to various injuries.

George’s first major injury came during the 2014 offseason, when he infamously suffered a gruesome leg injury while participating in a Team USA showcase game. The injury cost George nearly the entire 2014-15 season, as he was only able to play a total of six games.

Fortunately for George, he was able to make a full recovery and went on to play at least 75 games over the next four seasons in Indiana and OKC. However, injuries have since caught up to George again over his last four seasons with the LA Clippers.

After George and his Clippers co-star Kawhi Leonard signed with LA in 2019, the Clippers were viewed by many as title favorites. However, injuries to both stars have prevented them from making a single NBA Finals appearance.

George in particular has dealt with shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries in recent years that have hindered LA's title hopes. The star wing has now played 56 or fewer games in each of his four seasons in LA, including just 31 games in the 2021–22 season.

Now, at age 33, George has been partially zapped of the athleticism and explosiveness that made him so unstoppable during his prime years in Indiana.

George has mostly been able to compensate for his diminishing athleticism through improved shooting and shot creation. However, unfortunately for George and the Clippers, he has still become a borderline liability due to his inability to stay on the court.

Also read: “He was just such an annoying player”: Paul George credits beef with Joe Ingles to keep him ‘locked in’ during 2021 NBA playoffs

Paul George still believes the LA Clippers' time to win an NBA title will arrive soon

Paul George missed all of the LA Clippers’ 2023 first-round playoff series loss to the Phoenix Suns due to a right knee sprain.

During the series, George spoke about how hard it was for him to once again not be able to help his team:

“It’s super frustrating to put so much into the season, put so much into this group and the organization to put so much into making a team that could compete and again, year after year, just getting zapped by injuries,” George said.

However, George added that despite the constant setbacks, he is still optimistic that the Clippers will be able to win a title in the future:

“We obviously had big plans to win and do something special for Clipper Nation, but I’m a big believer of everything happens for a reason and you just pick up the pieces and try to make a hand out of what you’re dealt with,” George said.

It's time to remain positive, and hopefully, as George remains "very optimistic" about the fate of his team and title contention.