Paul George: What He Means to the Indiana Pacers' Future

[The Lone Granger]

Let me introduce you to Paul George. He was the 12th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, and mainly drafted to at some point replace Danny Granger. All that being said, things have changed drastically with head coach Jim O'Brien being fired recently. George has started getting more minutes alongside Granger, and his fearless ability to drive to the bucket and finish allows Granger to focus more on the outside shooting. Before I go too far into the article that I have planned here in the introduction, I should probably give you some more background on George. He went to college at Fresno State, and was the star player there for his entire collegiate career. The main thing that Indiana liked about him was his amazing athleticism, but his shot is also pure as well. That being said, I'm going to go into a couple key points about his future with the franchise, and how he is going to affect Indiana's future.

 

1. His ability to become a starter in this league.

 

There's absolutely no question about George's potential, and the fact that at some point he will become a very good NBA starter. His athletic ability, and also his shot will give defenses a lot of trouble defending him, especially if he keeps going to the bucket as hard as he has been lately. Another thing that really helps Paul George fit well with the Pacers is his demeanor both on and off the court. He's calm, collected, and doesn't let things get him rattled. If you've followed him at all, you'll see that his name has come up in the papers multiple times, but it's always for doing good work with the community. On the court, he just plays basketball and doesn't let anything else get his attention. If he continues to keep himself focused like he has been, then I don't see any reason that he can't become a star in this league. He definitely has the potential to become a very, very good basketball player.

 

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Paul+George+Miami+Heat+v+Indiana+Pacers+zKUJvVzngJgl.jpg

 

2. The trust and fan support from his team.

 

Something that's very key for any young player is to have his organization and the fans supporting him. The fans are already starting to enjoy him in Indiana, and have been major supporters for him already this year. He’s done things on the court that have made them approve of him and welcome him to the Pacers, but most importantly what he’s done off the court has been impressive as well. Assuming he keeps growing his game, and learning more about how to play in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers very well could have a star in the making.

 

3. The smartness of his game.

 

This is the final point that I’ll make in this article, but it’s something that is so overlooked in his game. Not many young players would have the presence of mind to be able to understand what is a good shot, and what isn’t. When he’s driving to the bucket, George just has an instinct to know when he’s going to be able to get to the bucket and finish, or when he has to pull up and pass the ball back out and set up the offense again. Also, for being an impressive three-point shooter in college, he has realized that the three-ball in the NBA game is a lot different and has decided that he should put the ball on the floor and try to get to the rim more than fire up a long shot.

 

Overall his game has improved from the very first moment he stepped onto an NBA court. He’s progressed from being a solid bench player, to now being the starting shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers. If he keeps at it the way he has been, then I’m expecting huge things from this guy in the future.

 

Just wrote this up myself, and would love to get some comments!

[Warren2ThaG]

Next Reggie Miller i hope

[The Lone Granger]

Next Tracy McGrady is what everyone is saying...minus the injuries.