[festar35Participant]

I have no idea what is going on with this kid, but it is clear he is not and will not be the player a lot of us thought he would be (me included).
If Vogel benched him do you think it could potentially light a fire under him? Or to an even bigger extreme does he still hold good trade potential? Just reminds me of Trevor Ariza, which for a 10th pick is ok, but the Pacers need a home run player!! (Hill is playing at All-Star level lately)

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

I believe Vogel is benching him to rekindle his fire to work harder, young players become complacent when they are getting things handed to them, which is why frank is watching lance stephensons minutes to keep him hungry and in check

[iguapops420Participant]

Hmm, Trevor Ariza you say? Funny that during the season last year, Ariza was the exact guy I said George reminded me of, and thus got me absolutely blasted. While I believe George is a naturally better inside/outside player, the role and impact seems similar to that of Ariza during his years as a Laker. 13-16ppg,5-6 rpg,2-3apg, couple steals here and there, the ability to get out on the break and bring some energy/hustle/D. Good 3rd or 4th option. Personally I think he is a keeper and benching him is not the right choice, but he does need to be on a team where he has a legit pass first PG to set him up. Paul would look terrific on NOH,TOR,BOS,LAL, or Minny.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@Festar35

That had to be tough for you to type considering how much you like Paul George.

Trevor Ariza is also the player I think George compares to… I’ve never seen Rudy Gay when looking at George.

George isn’t very good to me. How do you play 34.7 minutes per game and only get to the line 1.9 times? Yet, you’re averaging 5.3 three’s per game? I just think George is overrated in every way by most people.

[EntropyParticipant]

In my opinion Paul George is overrated, he is still pretty good but overrated.

[festar35Participant]

@Indianabasketball no doubt it was.

I am not talking permanent benching just a chance to maybe find some motivation/sort out his role. When Granger returns we will have 2 players capable of going for 25-30 a night in Granger and West. Also having Hill who is getting better and better as a PG and I have high expectations for him now. George and Hibbert just have to play defense and hopefully Stephenson, Green and Hansbrough can anchor the bench. They is a very good team to me.

[festar35Participant]

With regards to George, the only reason I would consider a trade of him would be for a pass first PG or SG that can create offense. I really like Hill as a 2-guard, he could easily drop 16ppg a game with a good passing guard and West about the same with Granger near 20ppg. A trade for a player like Calderon and Ross or Bledsoe (maybe not pass-first but him and Hill defensively epic) or Evans.

[B FreeParticipant]

He is still just 22 years old and getting to be a starter for the first time in his career, last week he went for 37 4 and 4 and people loved I still think we need to give him some more time before we jump to these conclusions. We used to let guys develop longer before we wrote them off but with all these guys coming in a being instant stars it seems like people are more impatient.

[druneave3Participant]

He has been horrible the last two games shooting 2 of 11 and 0 of 7 including a combined 0 of 11 from deep. He did have 14 assists in those two games but that might suggest an unwillingness to shoot the ball and a lack of confidence. Like B Free said he is only 22 years old, but he has struggled being the number 1 option with Granger out.

I was in love with George before the draft but the lack of aggressiveness I have seen from him throughout his career has been surprising and very disappointing. I think he used to get to the free throw line 10 times a game in college, 1.7 for his NBA career. His defensive numbers also surprise me, 1.3 stls and 0.5 blcks are extremely low for a player with his size and athleticism. Perhaps he doesn’t have the desire and aggressiveness necessary to be a superstar in the league.

[thparadoxParticipant]

It’s funny. Some of you see George as complacent. I see a smart young player who plays within his game.

He’s struggling as the number 1 option because he doesn’t have some of the ball handling and foot work that he needs to be the focal point of an offense.

George is an excellent player. He’s talented and just needs time to round out his game. Take him out of this dysfunctional offense and he’s already a star.

John Wall on the Wizards is a similar example.

[HitsterParticipant]

Paul George had an awful game and it is telling to see a Pacers fan and one of this site’s best posters Indyball giving an honest opinion of him. When Grainger does return then George could well go to the bench and Coach Vogel would be tough enough to bench him sooner if he continues to play like that.

I’m a Paul George fan but I don’t see him as a franchise leading player, his size and length will mean he should have a good NBA career at starter level but much beyond that would be up to him.

[capshati23Participant]

He is struggling but i feel like indiana offense is horrible they dont push the ball paul george is more effective when playing in transition. But all indiana does is pound the ball inside to roy hibbert who hasnt produced. If they pushed the ball more he would be more effective indiana scores one of lowest ppg of any team in the league they need to play a more uptempo style

[JNixonParticipant]

Paul George is inconsistent, he will continue to be that way until he develops more aggressiveness and ball handling ability. He should end up being a better and much more different player than Trevor Ariza tho. Ariz’s was never the kind of natural scorer George is, and much more of a defensive minded player. I say give George time, he seems like a 3rd option kind of player but he still is fairly raw

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@B Free

George started 19 games as a rookie, including 5/5 games in the first round of the playoffs against the #1 seeded Bulls. He started every single game his second season. He’s started all 17 games this season so far. So no, he’s not starting for the first time in his career. George has started 102/144 career games.

@thparadox

George isn’t the #1 option. He’s the third option right now behind West and Hill. And if Hibbert wasn’t struggling so bad for mysterious reasons, George would be the 4th option.

You can play within the flow of the game and still be aggressive. There’s no mistaken it that George is passive. He settles. Some of that is because of his weak ball skills, but a lot of it is mental. George is one of those players that’d rather be cute than go out and try to destroy the competition. I don’t think you can blame the offense for George’s struggles and him only getting to the line 1.9 times per game. The coaches want him to take MORE shots. He was basically given the green light. When Granger was injured, everybody thought this was the moment George would finally push him out of the door… However, all that’s happened is people can’t wait for Granger to return.

—

I like George’s physical tools and smooth athleticism, but he has a long way to go to me. I think he’ll develop into a good starter and a good two way player in the NBA. However, I hope the Pacers don’t overpay him when it’s time for his re-up…

[thparadoxParticipant]

I’m going to assume you’ve watched him play a lot more than I have. So I can’t argue with you. Would you say he’s taking too many long 2s instead of driving?

You’re right. West is the no 1 guy. But George’s usage is the same as Hibbert and slightly higher than Hill.

In any case, he needs ball handling skills.

I think he has star potential. As a GM, I’d wouldn’t mind slightly overpaying for a guy like George. He has great defensive potential and well as offensive potential.

[festar35Participant]

George is an above average NBA player, don’t get me wrong. Not too mention still one of my favorite players. His usage should be lower as both Hill and Stephenson deserve the ball more IMO.
What has became obvious from watching him play is that he has a role players mentality. I have no problem with this and do think he would be a good offensive weapon in an up-tempo system with a pass-first PG (i.e Marion in Phoenix with Nash and D’Antoni). However a shot creator he is not and will not be.
The reason I say Arize is that when he initially went to Houston he was kinda the guy for a while and was averaging good numbers, however was inefficient much like George is. He will/should be better than Ariza however he needs to be playing off the offense no way he should be that offense.

[JoeWolf1]

That is what you get with an athletic project wing. He was raw coming into the league and strived on transition and hustle buckets, he’s taking the next step in his development, and of course there are growing pains. He may be a little overrated, right now, but it’s only because people probably have too big of expectations for him every year because they like his potential.

He’s struggling to be an offensive showpiece in the absense of Granger, but down throw him under the bus yet. He’s up 1.4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist from last year and he’s only 22.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

“He’s up 1.4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist from last year and he’s only 22.”

You’re right about that, but that’s only due to the fact he’s playing five more minutes and shooting three more shots per game. Comparing George at this point to last season at the same point, he was actually playing better.

He’s going to get better for sure though. Based on everything I’ve heard and read, he’s a hard worker. While watching Kobe this past summer, he had a lot of those “ah ha” moments in regards to the game. This is a player in George, who’s still getting better physically, skills wise and mental wise.

I don’t have a problem being patient on a player. I think he’s going to get much better. The main thing that bothers me though is his mentality. He settles and plays passive. I can even deal with his poor ball handling, but just that mentality to settle is really what bothers me. I’ve always felt you either had that or you didn’t. I don’t know if that’s something a player can learn to have.

[Author]

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