Paul George Is Proving He’s Back, Even If His Indiana Pacers Aren’t Yet

Paul George is a superstar again. He’s been back for awhile, but the Toronto Raptors are noticing it more than ever in the playoffs.

“He is playing unbelievable,” Kyle Lowry told Bleacher Report. “His swag is unbelievable right now, his basketball playmaking abilities are unbelievable. He’s getting to his sweet spots.”

Nearly all his regular season numbers were on par or better than his previous peaks, and the six-year pro has been even better in the postseason.

Despite that, George’s Indiana Pacers are down 2-1 and, after Thursday night’s 101-85 Game 3 implosion at home, it’s safe to wonder whether his stardom will be enough to keep the season alive. It’s always enough to provide a puncher’s chance, sure, but the following lessons could re-open the door for a franchise that followed him to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals just two and three years ago.

Lesson 1: Superstar > Star

Credit Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan for finally rising to the challenge with his first strong start of the series, scoring seven of his team’s first 14 points and finishing with 12 in the opening period of Game 3 on 4 -of-8 shooting. He cooled off to finish with 21 points on an aggressive, but still a volume-reliant 7-of-19 attempts. 

But George was right there with him, shot-for-early-shot. It was 9-8 Pacers through the first three minutes, with both teams beginning uncharacteristically hot. George had six of those nine, all from getting to his mid-range spots at will. His felt certain while DeRozan’s seemed surprising. 

So often, anything DeRozan can do, George does better. Here’s a lasting visual reminder from Game 1:

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How demoralizing is this? DeRozan finally gets to the basket and makes a good play, but he needed a lot of help.

And then what? George responds on the very next possession, almost effortlessly teasing the Raptors, as if to say, “Look at how hard you have to work. I just got that when I wanted it.”

DeRozan was due for a strong night, what with three years of playoff duds weighing him down. One good turn felt like an outlier versus the body of evidence, per Bleacher Report’s Adam Fromal’s Total Points Added system:

DeMar DeRozan: Regular Season vs. PlayoffsCreate column charts

On the other hand, postseason Paul George has always ranged from steady to spectacular. 

Paul George: Regular Season vs. PlayoffsCreate column charts

Though he would only score three more field goals and go 6-of-19 Thursday, George would get to the line 12 times, making them all. The final line of 25 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, a block and a steal are terrifying because this was a bad night for a player whose impact has been two-sided, per Bleacher Report Insights:

DeRozan has shot 37.2 percent (94 of 253) from the field in the playoffs (14 games played), a decrease of 5.0 percent from his career regular season average. He is shooting 19.0 percent (4 of 21) when guarded by Paul George through the first three …

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