Prediction: Paul George Will Win MVP Next Year
By Sai Mohan
The Indiana Pacers have retooled and some project them to be a top-3 seed in 2016-17. Paul George, 26, is primed to have a career season and re-emerge as LeBron James’ biggest foe in the conference.
Paul George is coming.
As far as the Eastern Conference goes, the Cleveland Cavaliers are lonely at the top.
Boston Celtics fans want to believe their team is a legitimate threat. But they, too, concede that a good coach and a defensive juggernaut is not enough to get through LeBron James. The Atlanta Hawks can attest to that, and Al Horford is not a superstar.
If you survey the landscape of the East, George is the only superstar not named James or Kyrie Irving. Carmelo Anthony is no longer a top-10 player. Jimmy Butler isn’t there yet and perhaps never will be. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are not game-changers. Dwayne Wade is past his prime.
George should be fighting James for a Finals berth. He was on the brink of greatness before his ill-fated leg injury during a Team USA scrimmage in the summer of 2014.
That injury was tragic since the Fresno State forward was about to leap to superstardom. His team had just competed in two consecutive conference finals, both of which were toughly contested.
The Pacers were almost there. And then George’s injury altered the fate of that franchise. Roy Hibbert, David West and George Hill are all gone. Head coach Frank Vogel is gone. George is attempting to build a new culture, a new identity.
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After playing just six games in 2014-15, George played 81 games last season, averaging a career-high 23.9 points to prove to himself that he was over the horrific injury. And now, George proudly dons the Team USA jersey to once again prove to himself that the worst is over.
Here are five reasons why George has a tremendous opportunity to win the MVP award next season:
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