Watch: Paul George off to a hot start with pair of And-1s against the Nuggets
Eight-time All-Star Paul George will likely have a better year with the LA Clippers in the upcoming NBA season. This comes after what was seemingly a promising campaign for him last time turned south because of a knee injury late in the season.
‘PG-13’ played 56 games for the Clippers last season and tallied all-around numbers of 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals to earn another nod for the All-Star Game.
Unfortunately, he sustained a sprained right knee back in March, which turned out to be worse than what he expected as it kept him out for the entirety of their first-round playoff showdown against the Phoenix Suns. Post injuries to star players like Kawhi Leonard and George, the Clippers were eliminated in five games, 4-1.
Now healthy, the Fresno State product is out to help the Clippers go deeper into the competition in the upcoming season with his two-way game.
In their preseason game against the defending champions Denver Nuggets on October 17, Paul George showed that he is back and flashed his noted offensive skills with a pair of And-1 plays early in the first quarter.
Check out the plays below:
Paul George will be entering his fifth year with the Clippers in the upcoming NBA season. But while they have been steady contenders in the previous seasons, they have yet to fully accomplish what they have set out to achieve when he first joined the team, which is to win its first-ever league title.
They are hoping to achieve that in their 2023-24 campaign just as they vowed to go even harder in competing against the best in the league.
Paul George said in an interview with ESPN:
“We’re not satisfied. We’re coming back even better next [this] year. We’re coming for everyone’s head.”
In his four years so far with the Clippers, 33-year-old George has been good for 23.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 189 games. In his second year with the team in 2021, he helped it reach the Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Suns.
Clippers hoping that Paul George, Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy
The LA Clippers' top management recognizes how far its two All-Stars – Paul George and Kawhi Leonard – go so goes the team. That is why they are hoping that the two can stay healthy and help the team go deeper in the new season.
Both George and Leonard begin their fifth year with the Clippers and the team wants to fully tap on their skills while they are still with the organization with the end view of helping the entire group reach its collective goal of winning a first-ever NBA title.
Clippers president of basketball operations and former NBA coach Lawrence Frank said during his annual preseason address:
“PG and Kawhi, we have very, very candid conversations in terms of the goal is to keep them as Clippers. It’s not a warning shot but I think all of us, me included, you feel a tremendous amount of responsibility and you take ownership for your piece of the pie, so to speak of how we each can do better for each other and ultimately for all our fans.”
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both joined the Clippers in 2019. They will become unrestricted free agents after this season.