2019 NBA Playoffs: Player power rankings

No. 7: Paul George

At one point this season it looked like Paul George was announcing to the league he was ready to be thought of in the highest tier.

His MVP candidacy grew from a spark into an inferno, the Oklahoma City Thunder were pushing towards a top-three seed in the Western Conference and everyone began comparing him to Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden.

Then a shoulder injury sidelined him for a few games, and he has not been the same since. His shooting has slumped, his scoring therefore has mellowed out and the Thunder spiraled down to eighth place before rebounding to finish sixth.

He missed an important game on the season’s final night to the Milwaukee Bucks nursing the injury. The question has to be raised: which Paul George will show up in the playoffs?

If he can regain his rhythm the Thunder are a real threat to make a deep run. PG13 embraced the long-ball this season, finishing with the fifth-most 3-pointers in a single season in NBA history. That opened up the Oklahoma City offense for himself and the rest of the team.

His previous career-high in scoring was 23.7 points per game and this season he put up 28 even with the late-season slump.

George was equally fantastic on the defensive end, locking up opposing wing players and leading the league in steals-per-game. With Steven Adams and Jerami Grant joining him in the frontcourt the Thunder were among the league’s best defensive teams for most of the year.

When George is rolling the Thunder are a destructive defensive team, and on offense Westbrook slides in as the second option. If his injury holds him back, then the Thunder may fall into bad habits and make an early postseason exit.

Either way, he deserves mention among the very best players in the playoff field.