Paul George essentially grew up right under our eyes in this years playoff campaign. His efforts against the Hawks, Knicks, and Heat all proved to be valiant performances up until game 7, when he just didn't live up to the pressure of the big game. Basketball experts believe that if you will your team to win a game 7, you have successfully proved yourself as an elite player in this league. Paul George is not there yet, but soon he will be.
Now, I'm only being realistic here, but at 23 years old the kid put up good numbers, not great ones. This season Paul's numbers were: 17.4 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 7.6 RPG, while shooting 42% from the field and an above average 16.84 PER. Those numbers are solid for a star in the making, especially after only two years in the league. Paul George has an exceptional career ahead of him, and I am excited to see what kinds of deals will be thrown his way after his contract expires in 2014. He is expected to make $3.3 million next year, but #24 will seek a max deal after this contract expires without a doubt, as he proved to be worthy of one. Whether he stays with the Pacers is up to Donnie Walsh, but it is highly likely he will.
The Pacers have money to spend in 2014 when Danny Granger and Paul George's contracts come off the books. And, unless they resign David West this offseason, they'll have plenty to spend on both Paul and a potential big man not named David West (preferably someone younger, like maybe, Demarcus Cousins, Kevin Love, or LaMarcus Aldridge) in years to come. Regardless, with a core nucleus of Hibbert, Paul George, and George Hill, expect Donnie Walsh to make some moves and amp this team up within the next two years. Their time is coming.
The next biggest issue for the Pacers is their bench. I assume Tyler Hansborough, Mahinmi, and DJ Augustin are expendable, but they proved to be a somewhat formidable bench throughout the season (showing a solid 26.3 eff). To put that in perspective, the most elite bench this season was the Knicks with a 40.3 eff. So, this means the Pacers bench is just as much of a concern for their head of basketball operations as their starters. However, this article isn't about the bench: it's about Paul George. Paul will go to the All-Star game next year, and most definitely lead his team into the playoffs again, but he'll need to step it up if he wants to be LeBron. I'm thinking that 16.84 PER needs to turn into 22.84 PER, and that 17.4 PPG should boost up to 19 or 20, with his 4.1 APG increasing to around 5.0.
Enough stats though...
As a Knick fan, I will continue to loath both the Pacers and the Heat, but I'm gonna keep a close eye on George next season, but the best is yet to come. I see a ring in his future.
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