Indiana Pacers: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener
By Tony East
2. The Paul George trade already looks superior to its initial impressions
Victor Oladipo was just the tip of the iceberg of this argument.
The majority of the Indiana Pacers’ offseason was clouded by the Paul George trade. Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis were not seen as an appropriate return.
Until last night.
Like already discussed, Oladipo was great on offense. But Sabonis may have been even better. He was 7-for-7 from the field for 16 points and had seven rebounds to go with it. In a very small sample size, Sabonis showed his potential impact; he currently sits at seventh in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating.
He was also incredibly efficient, posting a 96.2 percent true shooting. That currently ranks him 12th in the league. He and Oladipo can hardly be expected to keep up that kind of efficiency, but if they can continue this level of production and impact, the Paul George trade is going to look like a great one.