NBA News: 'That ain't my game' LA Clippers' Paul George criticizes the way Doc Rivers used him
The much-anticipated NBA season is almost upon us and the LA Lakers will take on the LA Clippers on the opening night in what will be a tantalizing affair. Both sides have had active offseasons, however it is the Lakers who improved their roster the most, looking to win back-to-back championships. In the latest NBA News, Paul George discussed how it felt playing under former coach of the Clippers, Doc Rivers, while on the 'All the Smoke' podcast.
NBA News: Paul George discusses the difficulties of last season with the LA Clippers
The LA Clippers had a decent, but ultimately underwhelming season last year. Finishing second in a stacked Western Conference is no easy feat. However, after limping past the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers threw away a 3-1 series lead against a young Denver Nuggets side.
Their shooting guard, Paul George, is an NBA All-Star though struggled along with his teammates to really show up in the postseason. Discussing the past year on former Clippers forward Matt Barnes' podcast 'All the Smoke', Paul George opened up about his experience with ex-coach Doc Rivers:
"The way I was being used, Doc was trying to play me like a Ray Allen or a JJ Redick, all pin downs. I can do it but that ain't my game. Last season was hard."
Paul George is one of the NBA's few elite players that can contribute on both ends of the floor. In 2019, George fell short of winning the NBA Defensive player of the year to Rudy Gobert. Last season, Paul George averaged 21 points and 5 rebounds but lacked the superstar quality that the Clippers brought him in for in the playoffs.
Whether that is due to Doc Rivers' style of play or because George was returning from injury midway through the season we may not know. Discussing how the injury held him back, George had this to say:
"I missed a whole Summer of training and so when I came back the team was already rolling. I felt like they already had a bit of chemistry going. So when I came back into the league, started playing again, I just felt off."
Looking ahead to the new season, Paul George was far more positive and is confident of the Clippers chances considering he will have a whole preseason to work from:
"I think for this year, everyone's starting off on a healthy page, we starting off on the same page, me and Kawhi are going to get some time together working out. I think everything is just not rushed going into this season."
If the LA Clippers can keep Paul George and Kawhi Leonard happy and healthy, they will have a good shot at going one step further this year and finally making it to a Western Conference Finals.