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NBA Playoffs: Pacers stand no chance without Paul George

ByEvan Massey|
Dec 20, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers are in the middle of the Eastern Conference chase for the final two playoff seeds, but they stand no chance unless Paul George makes a return to the court.

Paul George has been one of the hottest names in the NBA over the course of the last few weeks. He has been practicing with the Indiana Pacers full contact and there have been rumors swirling that his return from injury is very close at hand.

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Rumors of George’s return have excited Pacers fans and intrigued some across the NBA, but we’re still in the same spot we were before. Rumors may be running wild, but Paul George is still sitting.

He has yet to return and head coach Frank Vogel has made it clear that there is no rush to bring George back. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t return anytime soon, but it certainly puts a damper on all of the excitement. Indiana is scratching and clawing as they try to make their way into the Eastern Conference playoffs, but they don’t stand a chance unless George does return from his broken leg.

Why the Pacers don’t stand a chance without Paul George?

Quite simply,Paul George is Indiana’s best player and their franchise leader. It has become obvious that the Pacers nee a leader, as they’ve ended losing games they might not have if George was a factor. They have lost games to the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, who are two of the main competitors for the Pacers in the chase for the playoffs.

Indiana is missing the legitimate number one scorer that George is, and they are missing an elite defender. Simply looking at the Pacers’ loss against James Harden and the Houston Rockets proves that point in a big way.

That is the type of defense that Indiana is missing without George on the court, and it is incredibly tough to watch. George averaged 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game during the 2013-14 season, and those numbers were a big reason that Indiana was able to withstand a late season collapse to end up in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Granted, George wouldn’t be that player immediately when he returns to the court for the first time since his freakish injury. It would take him some time to get his legs back under him fully to get to that point. That being said, he would be able to be a major upgrade over what the Pacers are working with on both ends of the court right now.

Last season, George nailed 36.4 percent of his three-point attempts. So far this season, the Pacers only have three players with that number or better. Adding his three-point shooting would be huge for an Indiana offense that is currently ranked 24th in the NBA at just 96.9 points per game.

Another area that George would immediately help the Pacers is leadership. David West has done a great job of being a leader once again this season, but he cannot do it by himself. The Pacers are built around George, and they desperately need him back on the court.

Everything continually goes back to George being the Pacers’ centerpiece and cornerstone. They need him on the court in order to play their game and compete against the better teams in the NBA.

Larry Bird did go out and build a much better supporting cast for George, but no team can contend without their best and only legitimate number one player on the court.

If the Pacers are going to end up making it into the playoffs, they are going to need their star on the court. There are currently just nine games remaining on the Pacers’ regular season schedule, and time is running out for both George and the Pacers.

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