Paul George: Analyzing 12 Plays from the Superstar’s First Game Back
By Jon Washburn
The Good: Paul George knocks down fadeaways
Frank Vogel has his deficiencies as a coach, but he’s one of the better guys around the league at drawing up set plays, especially plays that get specific looks for specific players. This baseline out of bounds play (BLOB) was always going to Paul George at the elbow, and George once again made Vogel look like a genius.
While the end result was pure, you could still notice a few hiccups in the execution. George’s footwork looks a little balky as he plants near the free-throw line before setting a pretty weak screen at the top of the key for Donald Sloan. He then eases out towards the elbow in a less explosive manner than one might hope, giving his defender a little more time to recover.
Peak Paul George would have undoubtedly gotten to his spot quicker and received the ball in a position to possibly drive to the basket rather than shooting the jumper. Still, George received the ball confidently, stepped back behind the line, and buried the long triple. This is the type of shot that demonstrates that a player mostly has his legs back under him. Running away from the basket, turning, stepping back, and falling away from 26 feet isn’t an easy shot for anyone, including NBA players. After the game, PG admitted that shooting was the only thing he was allowed to do for months, and it looks like all that work in the gym has definitely paid off.
Perhaps equally as important is the fact that George broke the standard shooting rule of landing where your feet left the floor. George lands on only one foot (his left one) and it’s a good foot in front of where he elevated from. These are the types of landings that NBA players have to be comfortable with, and it didn’t appear to adversely affect George at all.
The Good: Pullup on the pick and roll
This just might be the most important play for the Pacers moving forward. While George Hill and Rodney Stuckey have done a serviceable job of creating out of the pick and roll this season, the Pacers have lacked players with size who can fill the void left by Lance Stephenson and Paul George last season.
Even at his best, George’s decision making off of the pick and roll was, let’s just say, inconsistent. While PG didn’t try to foolishly split any double teams on Sunday night, he did showcase his new (improved?) jump shot a few times, and this play cemented a nice little Pacers spurt that put the game out of reach.
In this play, George never even considers going to the basket, as he plants his left foot almost immediately after receiving the screen from Luis Scola. Still, operating out of the pick and roll is often predicated upon making quick, decisive decisions, and George confidently drills the well-contested triple. George once again lands in a position that is less balanced than ideal, showing that he is comfortable enough to take contested shots that may put his feet and legs in a more precarious position.
One thing that does start to creep up, though, is George’s inability (at least he has yet to show it) to stop or plant on that rehabbing right leg. This will prove to be more detrimental a few plays later and is something that Pacers fans should keep an eye on as Paul George continues his rehab.
Next: Continued – PG's Struggles