Paul George Headed to Dunk Contest

While the Pacers are in the middle of this five game funk, there was some good news along the way.  Paul George will be part of All Star Weekend as a participant in the dunk contest.  What a great recognition for an up and coming player.

When Paul George was first drafted for the Pacers, fans were left scratching their heads.  Who is Paul George?  But as the season wore on last year, they definitely could see something special in this guy.

This season, he has come along even further as he put up a career high against the defending champions, the Dallas Mavericks.  Putting up thirty points in that game, George looked to really step up his game. He has also been a member of the starting lineup in every game this season, another testament to his potential.

But what kind of potential does Paul George have?  He has a much more confident way of shooting, and he’s really comfortable letting threes fly as he hit  seven three pointers in that same Dallas game.  What former Pacer player has the most three pointers made in a game?  Reggie Miller.  While George is no Reggie, that’s definitely a great thing to see George hitting that type of shot.

There can be a bit of improvement as he can look to drive more often to the basket.  If he looks to score more, that makes the three even more deadly since guys might play off him, and he can get open for the three.

Also, he shouldn’t settle for the threes as it looks like he’s been doing a bit too much lately.  If he’s making them, shoot away.  But missing the first couple, he should look for other methods to score.

Defensively, he can be a bit of a nightmare for guys with his length and his height, so he should take more advantage of that.  As a shooting guard, not many guys are 6’9″, where he is listed at.  If he can get that going, then the game will be more complete for him.

But having that confidence he has is great.  If he can get going on the threes, even better.  His finishes around the basket can get fans out of their seats, which will be a treat for the All-Star Dunk Contest.

It will be exciting to see what kind of stuff he can create for this contest.  We’ve seen some of the finishes, and now he can truly showcase his talents there on All-Star, as he will also be a member of the Rookies and Sophomores game.

Hopefully, Paul George will live up to the expectations fans are starting to place on him.  And the expectations he should be setting for himself.  Seeing him in a Pacers uniform is a great thing, and one that will hopefully be around for a while.