LA Clippers: 3 bold predictions for the 2020-21 season
1. Paul George has a huge rebound season
Paul George has had a very up-and-down career. At times he has balled out, locking down opposing wings while leading his team in scoring. His combination of size, skill and talent should make him a top-10 player in the league. Just two seasons ago he finished third in MVP voting.
Yet he has developed a reputation for falling apart in the playoffs. His teams exited in the first round for four straight seasons prior to this last one, when they still underperformed in falling short of the Conference Finals. That unfortunately overshadows his strong performance otherwise. In the regular season, George hit 41.2 percent of his 3-pointers on 7.9 attempts per game; of the 13 players with a higher 3-point percentage, only Davis Bertans and Duncan Robinson had a higher volume. This compensated for his lowered efficiency inside of the arc and generally reduced numbers across the board.
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George has spent the entire offseason hearing about why he failed the team, about why he didn’t deserve the contract extension that he signed, about why he can’t win a title. While some players would wilt under such negative attention, George has always thrived in the face of adversity. He will do so again this year.
The fast turnaround and condensed schedule mean that Kawhi Leonard is likely to sit just as often as last season, if not more so. This team also did not add a true point guard in the draft or free agency, which will relegate even more ball-handling duties to George. With the spacing provided by both incumbent players and newcomers in Luke Kennard and Serge Ibaka, George should have the space to increase his efficiency at the rim while not losing the volume or efficiency from outside. An uptick in assists makes sense as well as he gets his teammates more involved.
Paul George is a really good player, and he will come into the season ready to prove his doubters wrong and re-establish himself as a top-10 player. With his strong play and the team’s solid record should come award recognition as well.