Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 goals for Paul George in 2017-18

4. Set the tone defensively

Three times in his career, Paul George has been tabbed among the best defensive players in the league. George has earned a selection to the NBA’s All-Defensive First and Second Teams during his tenure in the league.

During the 2012-13 campaign, George even led the league in Defensive Win Shares with 6.2, then managing to surpass that figure the following year.

Throughout his career, George has managed to use his seven-foot wingspan to terrorize any one attempting to make an entry pass into the post. George has stolen the ball 100 or more times on five occasions in his career, averaging 2.0 steals per game twice.

Likely to be tasked with shutting down the best scorer on the opposition, George has been able to limit anyone he is guarding offensively, especially on the perimeter. Players shot 2.5 percent below their season average on attempts 15 feet or more away from the basket when George served as the primary defender.

According to Sports Book Review, Oklahoma City has the sixth-best odds of winning the championship and George will have to thrive defensively to make the projection realistic.