The Boston Celtics had not seen Paul George in more than a year and a half prior to last Wednesday, but they soon recalled what a difference maker the Indiana swingman can be.
His Pacers edged Boston by two points, while he tore up the box score with 26 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
That’s just your ordinary night of production for George, who is tallying 23.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season. That being said, it is astounding that the 25-year-old is putting up such elite numbers, considering the gruesome leg injury he suffered last summer during an intersquad exhibition with Team USA.
While contesting a James Harden layup on Aug. 1 2014, George’s right leg buckled as he landed at the base of the basket stanchion and he suffered a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula.
He would be sidelined for all but six games of the ensuing Pacers’ season, and they plummeted from a top-tier NBA team to a 38-44 lottery squad as a result of his absence.
Now that he has returned, Indiana appears back on track to be a threat in the Eastern Conference, and the C’s will get another look at a re-energized George and his Pacers at 7:30 p.m. tonight at TD Garden.
Following Indiana’s shootaround Wednesday morning, the two-time All-Star explained why maintaining a positive mindset through the recovery process enabled him to regain elite form.
“I think the key was just wanting to be back, wanting to get back to the same level, as opposed to just being satisfied with being healthy again,” said George. “I know where I want to go and where I want to be when this is all said and done. I just happened to go through a little hiccup.”
George returned for six games at the tail end of last season, when the Pacers were clawing for a playoff spot. His time and production was limited, as he played just 15.2 minutes per game and averaged 8.8 PPG.
He says his return to full form has been far from easy, as he’s had to regain trust in his body after taking such a fall.
“I remember starting out the first preseason game [in October] and I was a little hesitant to guard just because I didn’t know how well I was going to be able to move, cut, or to be explosive, but it’s been a weekly thing,” said George. “As weeks go by the more confident I’m getting and I can do the same stuff I’ve been doing.”
He’s coming around though, and that weekly progress is showing up in the box scores.
Through the first four games of the season, the Pacers went 1-3, while George averaged 16.8 PPG. He has nearly doubled that point production to 30.3 PPG over the last four contests, and Indiana’s only loss during that span was a four-point barnburner in Cleveland.
He’s also averaging 35.9 MPG, which is astonishing considering the condition he was in last year at this time.
“It’s remarkable that he’s even on a basketball court after what he went through,” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who previously worked on Boston’s coaching staff. “And the fact that he is playing so well and looks so good is just a testament to the hard work he put in and his rehab process.”
That hard work is particularly evident on game days.
George said his typical pregame regimen starts off with a healthy meal, prepared by his personal chef. He then shows up to Bankers Life Fieldhouse three to four hours ahead of tip-off and will hit the weight room and then put up 200 to 300 shots, before heading back to the locker room for a cool down massage and a film session.
He does all of that not only to better his game, but also to serve as a role model to his teammates.
“I want to be the guy for this team and I have to lead by example, so a lot of the stuff I do, I do it because these young guys look up to me,” explained George. “And for them to have a [long] career, they have to do the things I’m doing, and that’s showing up early, that’s being in the weight room, that’s getting up extra shots… preparing, watching film. I’ve been doing all of that now. Every year I add something new to my approach to the game and it’s been working.”
Clearly, it has. If he keeps up his production, George will be a prime candidate for the NBA’s Comeback Player of the Year.
He’ll look to continue his string of successful games tonight in Boston, against a Celtics team that has also been experiencing recent triumph. The C’s have won both of their games since last week’s showdown in Indianapolis, and George expects this one to be a bigger challenge.
“We’re stepping into their building now,” said George. “We’ve gotta come with it because it’s not going to be like the first game.”
The C’s will have to come with the heat as well, because facing a player who prepares with such dedication as George is no easy task. Especially since he is a man on a mission this season, who is trying to prove to the league and himself that he is still an All-Star caliber player.
