As we saw earlier today, Paul George is extension-eligible this offseason and sees himself as max contract type of player. After this postseason, George has catapulted himself into the discussion with the game's elite players. If his breakout regular season didn't ensure him of eventually landing a max deal, his playoff performance almost certainly did. At only 23-years-old, George is young enough and good enough on both ends of the floor to carry only a small amount of risk over the course of a big-dollar, long-term pact.
At this point, whether or not George deserves a max deal probably isn't the question. It is what he does once he gets it that will dictate how George compares to the NBA's best players. If his teammates' confidence in him is any indication, the former Fresno State Bulldog might be destined for huge things.
"He's the future. He has a chance to be MVP of this league next year," Roy Hibbert said last night before Game 7. A confident George agreed with him. "The more and more I get comfortable in this league and the more and more I find myself, I think I am capable of achieving that award," he said, eventually adding, "In my career, I wouldn’t be satisfied if I don't win the award."
Those are big words, especially considering that George scored only seven points last night in a game where he was primarily covered by the current MVP of the league, LeBron James. So what do you think… is Paul George good enough to win an MVP? Will he do it over the course of his career?
It’s very hard to predict this stuff but he certainly has the skills. I think he has to improve his efficiency and consistency and he’ll be a top candidate.
Quality player but I don’t see an ounce of what it takes to be an MVP caliber player in him. He’s leagues behind guys like Durant, LeBron, Melo, CP3, Rose etc. What exactly has he done to prove that he could do this one day?