8p9s Roundtable: How Good are the Pacers and Paul George Right Now?
By Ben Gibson
How much of the Pacers record is on the resurgence of Paul George?
Medworth: It sure helps. I think the entire team is starting to gel more. Vogel is finding lineups that work and players are getting more comfortable. In turn Paul is finding his spots as well. It’s a combination of things but Paul George nearly averaging 30 points a game is never bad.
Furr: It’s true that the Pacers are moving the ball better, rebounding better, and improving their turnover numbers, but it’s much easier to win games when you’ve got the best player on the court. The Pacers typically have that now, and it makes a huge difference.
Certainly others deserve some credit, but Paul is the one moving the needle, here. — Tim Donahue
Stewart: The majority of it. No one will say Paul George isn’t the MVP of this team, but Frank Vogel has put Indiana in this spot and is proving himself again as one of the NBA’s best coaches. George will be the determining factor as to whether Indiana can reach their full potential, but a lot of non-Paul George things have to fall in place as well, including health.
Donahue: It’s hard not to say, “All of it.” Over the last 8 games, the Pacers are +82 in the 289 minutes PG is on the floor, scoring 104.0 points per hundred possessions and allowing only 90.4. They’ve been outscored by 27 in the 93 minutes with him on the bench. Certainly others deserve some credit, but Paul is the one moving the needle, here.
Comstock: Almost all of it. He played poorly in the first 3 games and they went 0-3. This team needs George to be the best player on the court in order to win games.
Next: Does PG deserve to be back in the MVP discussion and will he remain in it?