Indiana Pacers: Paul George’s Playoff Triple-Double Shows He’s Ready For Greatness
Paul George and the Indiana Pacers are headed to the Eastern Conference semifinals. (Photo Credit: IsoSports, Flickr.com)
The timing could not have been more perfect for Paul George.
On April 21, in Game 1 of the first-round series between the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks, he helped the Pacers to a 107-90 victory by recording a playoff triple-double for the first time in his career. Two days later, George was announced as the winner of the Most Improved Player Award for the 2012-13 NBA season.
Obviously those events were not linked, but it certainly was a nice week for the third-year forward.
George continued to shine in the series, which the Pacers wrapped up in Game 6 on Friday, May 3 with an 81-73 win at home, one day after his 23rd birthday.
As for the triple-double, no Pacer had registered one in a playoff game since Mark Jackson on May 13, 1998, when the Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in Game 5 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls.
| Player | Date | MP | FG | FGA | FT | FTA | TRB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul George | 2013-04-21 | 44 | 3 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| Mark Jackson | 1998-05-13 | 38 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 22 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table:Generated 5/3/2013.
What stands out about George’s performance is that he converted just three of 13 field goal attempts, but went 17-for-18 from the free throw line. Those 17 makes at the charity stripe in a playoff game tied the franchise mark set by Reggie Miller back in 1994.
The double-figure rebounding in Game 1 was nothing new for George, since he hauled in 10-plus on 22 occasions in the 2012-13 campaign, but reaching double-digit assists is not as common for George as he accomplished that just three times this season.
However, one of those times was on Feb. 12 when the 6′ 8″, Fresno State product, posted the only other triple-double of his NBA career by amassing an almost identical 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
George followed up in Game 2 with a playoff career-high 27 points. His eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals were also a factor in leading the Pacers to a 2-0 series lead.
As if once wasn’t enough, George’s name was again mentioned in the same sentence as Jackson, who has dished out the third most assists (10,334) in NBA history.
Paul George has 2 games this postseason w/ 20+ Pts, 10+ Reb, 5+ Ast. Mark Jackson ('98) is only Pacer to do it once in previous 25 years.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 2, 2013
In Game 5, David West led the way with 24 points as the Pacers strolled to a 106-83 victory. Roy Hibbert (18 points, nine rebounds) and George Hill (15 points, five rebounds, 10 assists) also turned in key performances, but George may have impressed the most with his effort of 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Without question, George has shown his readiness for the big stage that is playoff basketball.
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table: Generated 5/4/2013.
His playoff numbers have increased drastically over his three years, a story told easily by a quick glance at the table above. Furthermore, George’s contribution so far in the 2013 NBA Playoffs place him in the top 10 in 18 of the 42 categories listed on Basketball-Reference.com.
What really stands out is that he is the only player on that leader board to appear in the top 10 for both his offensive and defensive rating–figures that measure points per 100 possessions. This demonstrates that George is having a major impact at both ends of the floor.
George’s play during the regular season was so strong that it almost doesn’t matter that Danny Granger was only able to appear in five games because of an injury to his left knee. George and Granger, who is also a 6’8″ forward, have very similar skill sets, with George seemingly more durable.
Both of their contracts expire after the 2013-14 season, and even though the choice may be an obvious one, the Pacers will likely have to part ways with either George or Granger. But that is a story for another day.
For now, George is enjoying a playoff run that will continue on to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks. However, the Pacers are clearly not a one-man show. They are a powerhouse that also includes the likes of West, Hibbert, Hill, Lance Stephenson and an excellent coach in Frank Vogel.
I’m not ready to bestow greatness upon George just yet, despite his current success. That label belongs to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, just to name a few. George isn’t quite there–he still has a lot to prove.
But at just 23, there is lots of time left for George to leave his mark.