Despite all previous trade talks throughout the season, Paul George is considered the face of the Indiana Pacers. It’s time he starts accepting this role both on and off the court, especially in the face of defeat.
The Indiana Pacers find themselves in a 0-2 hole after drawing arguably the toughest match up in round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Cavaliers, although not the top seed, are the most dangerous team in the East – whether people want to admit it or not.
The Pacers have put up a fight in their first two games on the road, losing just 108-109 in Game 1 and 111-117 in Game 2. Of course, there is bound to be frustration after these loses. However, Paul George has called out just about everyone but himself.
After Game 1 ended with CJ Miles missing a potential game winning 14-foot jumper at the buzzer, Paul George had this to say:
“Situations like that, I’ve got to get the last shot.”
-Paul George following Game 1 loss to the Cavaliers
Paul George may be right, a star player like him should probably get the last shot of the game, however he needs to be supportive of his teammates. Had Miles made that shot, George would have probably taken the “as long as the team wins” type of route when faced with reporters after the game.
It’s the playoffs, anyone can make an impact on any given night, and anyone can win the game for his team.
George has also not proven himself as a clutch player. Take a look at the stat line below – George has one of the worst shooting percentages when the game is on the line.
This is not to say George should not be given the last shot, but he is putting his teammates down to say that he is the only one who should have the ball in his hands late in the fourth. He cannot play hero basketball. Although frustrated, his post game interviews should be one of positivity, one of optimism for Game 2, and one in support of CJ Miles who certainly did not feel good after missing the shot.
The game was not lost on that final play, Paul George had four turnovers in the game, in which the Cavs capitalized on – racking up 19 points off turnovers.
In a situation that begs for impeccable team chemistry, Paul George is disrupting the flow and trust of the team.
Lebron weighed in on the matter after the game and said, “best player on the floor doesn’t [have] to take the shot.”
But then again, a shot was missed which gave the Cavs the win so who on the opponent’s team takes the shot probably doesn’t matter too much to Lebron – he is only concerned about the result.
In a Game 2 Pacers loss, Paul George again put the blame on his teammates, calling out Lance Stephenson and Myles Turner.
“He’s got to learn to control himself and be in the moment,” George said. “Lance, in our locker room, is looked upon as a leader. His body language has to improve — just for the team. We all know that Lance is an emotional guy. A lot of it is his heart and his competitiveness. That emotion comes out of him. He’s got to channel that toward making effort plays on the court and doing whatever he needs for us to succeed.”
Paul George following Game 2 loss to Cavaliers
Lance Stephenson, although an extremely talented yet sporadic player, is not a leader for the Indiana Pacers. Stephenson only signed back with the team in late March, and is playing on a fairly different Pacers team than the one he is used to.
Paul George, you cannot stand in front of reporters and tell them one of your fellow teammates needs to learn to control himself. You can talk to him on the side, as a leader, but you cannot publicly bash a teammate in front of the camera.
Now, shifting to what George said about Turner after the Game 2 loss, George had this to say:
“We just need him to challenge Tristan [Thompson], keep him off the boards,” George said of the 21-year-old Turner. “He needs to make himself available down low in the post. He needs to know at this point he has to take it to the next level. We’ll continue to work with him.”
Again, say this behind closed doors, work with Turner a little extra in practice, sit him down, watch film, this is none of the media’s business. If you want to be a leader, go about your business in a way which shows respect for your teammates.
Paul George’s comments will not make up for the significant match up issues the Pacers as a whole have against the Cavs.
George defended his comments claiming that it is just all about winning, and that he is not throwing his teammates under the bus.
However, his previous comments have already stated otherwise.
Game 3 tip-off is set for Thursday night at 7pm at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana.
The Rafters 