8p9s Roundtable: Did the Pacers Offseason Moves Make the Team Better?
By Ben Gibson
Can Paul George effectively play significant minutes at power forward?
Donahue: I don’t know, and neither do you. Really, the question is, how many minutes a night can the Pacers play without a power forward? Can they play 10? Probably. 15? Some nights, sure. 20? On rarer occasions. It’s going to vary, and some nights, playing with one big and Paul on the floor will be a nightmare for opponents. Others, it will be a nightmare for the Pacers. This is very much a transition year for Indiana and their identity. It’s not about knowing if PG can be a small-ball 4. It’s about finding out.
Furr: With today’s NBA, I think he can, butthe Pacers would be remiss to play him more than 20 or so minutes per game at the 4. I think he’s healthy and will have significant advantages as a small ball 4, but there are a lot of matchups where his all world perimeter defense will be wasted. PG will probably be an all star whether he’s playing 2, 3, or 4, but I’m not sure the 4 is the best way to utilize his talent and unique skill set.
Comstock: I’ve wanted George to play some smallball PF since he reportedly grew 2 inches after his rookie season. I don’t know how much he’ll play or how good he’ll be at it, but I’m excited to watch and find out.
Medworth: I have no idea. That’s what training camp and the beginning of the season are for. All I know is I was really happy to see those videos from his Nike event this week in the Philippines. I don’t care what position he plays as long as he’s healthy.
Hughes: I am not convinced this would be a good move but am not convinced it would be a bad move either. There is no risk in just keeping him at small forward, but what Larry said about how playing the 4 would help him because he wouldn’t have to chase guys around the perimeter was interesting to me. Playing at power forward would almost force him to bulk up to take that pounding, but I don’t know if he can ever be as good a post defender as perimeter defender no matter how big he is. While playing bigger, slower guys on offense would benefit Paul, his defense is really what sets him apart and putting him on guys that will post up more might take away some of what makes him great.
Next: Grade the Indiana Pacers Offseason