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Where are they now? Checking in on a few recent Indiana Pacers departures

By Ben Gibson

AUBURN HILLS, MI - JANUARY 03: Paul George #13 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates after a second half basket with Jeff Teague #44 and Monta Ellis #11 while playing the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on January 3, 2017 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Indiana won the game 121-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, MI - JANUARY 03: Paul George #13 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates after a second half basket with Jeff Teague #44 and Monta Ellis #11 while playing the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on January 3, 2017 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Indiana won the game 121-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Paul George, formerly of the Indiana Pacers
Paul George, formerly of the Indiana Pacers /

Hindsight is 20/20, but let’s take a look at several recent players no longer with the Indiana Pacers and see how things worked out for both parties.

The task of running a team is far from easy in the NBA, just ask Kevin Pritchard. While the current head of the Indiana Pacers’ front office is feeling smug, it is easy to look back and second guess his and Larry Bird’s moves in recent years.

Hindsight is 20/20, making it easy to say whether a move was right or wrong, regardless of the context at the time.

And we’re going to do exactly that. Well, not exactly, as we will look at what other events were surrounding the Indiana Pacers when these recent departures left. Also, even at the All-Star break, these verdicts may end up being premature.

Let’s start with the most obvious…

Paul George — Oklahoma City Thunder

Yeah. This guy.

The most talented Indiana Pacers player ever, but not the greatest. His forced exit left plenty of negative feelings, but it is well past time to move on when it comes to talking about these Indiana Pacers.

It is hard to evaluate whether Kevin Pritchard made the right move in sending him to OKC. On one hand, he was worth more than Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis as far as trade value goes. On the other hand, Sabonis stepped up sooner than expected and Oladipo is suddenly an All-Star after years of being good, but not great.

Throw in that the Pacers had limited options — they had little to no leverage in trade negotiations — and you end up with a complex situation with few simple answers.

With Oladipo and Sabonis defying expectations, Indiana can look back on this move as part of doing business. It helps they haven’t fallen back to earth despite early season fears.

But enough context, let’s look at the numbers on Paul George.

Indy PG vs OKC PG
Season Tm Pos MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% eFG% FT% TRB AST STL TOV PF PTS
2016-17 IND SF 35.9 8.3 18.0 .461 2.6 6.6 .393 .534 .898 6.6 3.3 1.6 2.9 2.7 23.7
2017-18 OKC SF 36.5 7.6 17.0 .445 3.3 7.7 .427 .542 .806 5.4 3.1 2.2 2.7 2.9 22.4
7 seasons IND 32.8 6.2 14.3 .432 2.0 5.4 .370 .502 .850 6.3 3.2 1.7 2.5 2.7 18.1
1 season OKC 36.5 7.6 17.0 .445 3.3 7.7 .427 .542 .806 5.4 3.1 2.2 2.7 2.9 22.4

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/15/2018.

The raw numbers say he took a step back, but that ignores that he shares the floor with Russell Westbrook. While his overall field goal percentage is down, he is taking and making more 3-pointers and his defense is still top-notch even if some of his suppressed offensives numbers.

I’m not going to tell you the Pacers ‘won’ the trade, nor do I think they ‘lost’ it at this point. Not to dip too far into war analogies, but Indiana might have had a ‘tactical retreat’ of sorts when they traded Paul George for Oladipo and Sabonis. They weren’t going to win that battle, but they gave themselves a better chance to win the war in the long run.

The way things ended with George is unfortunate, but it’s easy to move on when everything is fine with Oladipo and Sabonis

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