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Indiana Pacers: Paul George Coming Back Down To Earth

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 23, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) wears a Hickory jersey to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie "Hoosiers" during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Sacramento defeats Indiana 108-106. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) wears a Hickory jersey to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie "Hoosiers" during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Sacramento defeats Indiana 108-106. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the Indiana Pacers in a rut, it’s no surprise to see Paul George coming back down to earth.

Only a few weeks ago, the Indiana Pacers had rapidly emerged as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Despite only having Paul George and a roster full of role players, Indiana overcame a rocky 0-3 start in October to post an 11-5 record by the end of November.

The chief reason behind their early success? The superstar play of George, who was easily the best MVP candidate not named Stephen Curry through the first month the season.

Through the month of November, PG-13 averaged 27.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game on 45.9 percent shooting from the floor, 45.5 percent shooting from three-point range and 85.0 percent from the foul line. His three-point efficiency was even more impressive considering he was taking a staggering seven three-point attempts per game.

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Not only was George playing as well as anyone could’ve hoped for after his horrific leg injury in 2013, but he had somehow found a way to fuel the Pacers into the “potentially elite” conversation with the best play of his career.

However, since one month and change is a small sample size to work with, it was fair to question whether or not PG-13 could continue carrying on at his NC-17 pace. With December winding down, it’s looking like the answer to that question is a thoroughly predictable “no.”

The numbers from November to December (so far) speak for themselves:

  • November: 13 games, 29.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, .477/.495/.847 shooting
  • December: 12 games, 22.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, .364/.340/.815 shooting

For those wondering, Paul George’s field goal attempts and three-point attempts per game have stayed relatively even between the two months, so the sharp decline in shooting numbers is not a byproduct or taking more shots or anything like that.

What’s scary, however, is that Paul George’s rapid descent in efficiency in December included on 48-point performance against the Utah Jazz and a 33-point outing in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. Other than those two games, it’s been a rough couple of weeks for PG-13.

With Indiana’s second best player being either George Hill or X-factor C.J. Miles, it’s no surprise that PG-13’s rapid descent back down to planet earth has taken a toll on the Pacers. Indiana went 11-2 in November during George’s MVP-caliber first month, but they’re only 5-7 so far in December.

To be perfectly honest, it was only a matter of time before George — a career 36.6 percent shooter from three-point range — came back down to earth. Expecting him to convert 45 percent of his long range attempts while taking an unholy seven of them every night would’ve been unrealistic, and his high usage rate suggested that he couldn’t carry an entire team like that all season.

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The loss of Myles Turner to a thumb injury robbed the Pacers of a backup center, and even though he’s only a rookie, this team needs as much frontcourt depth as possible. Ian Mahinmi is quietly having career year, but any team that relies so heavily on Mahinmi and Jordan Hill cannot afford those kinds of injuries.

Paul George’s recent shooting slump is not the only problem in Indiana right now. C.J. Miles’ hot shooting start has predictably cooled off, Turner isn’t back yet and Monta Ellis is still struggling to find his shooting touch with his new team.

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But even though it’s perfectly understandable that Paul George isn’t posting godlike numbers anymore, he’s regressed beyond the mean and into inefficient territory. For the Indiana Pacers to overcome their current rut, they’ll need their MVP to shake off this recent shooting slump and find a happier middle ground.

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