While Pacers fans didn’t get a revenge win over Paul George‘s Thunder, they did gain some insight into the All-Star’s decision to force his way out of Indiana. Scott Horner of The Indianapolis Star curated a handful of interviews that George has given since his departure.
In one media scrum, George mentions that he felt that the team’s window to contend had closed and that a rebuild was forthcoming. That may not exactly qualify as a hot take but it narrows down the swingman’s motivations for seeking an opportunity elsewhere. That said, the Lakers – the team George was initially said to be interested in – haven’t won more than 30 games since 2012/13.
In other interviews, George seems to question the promotional strategy the Pacers’ have used regarding his pending return to Indiana in December, while also throwing shade at the team for how they traded Danny Granger to the Sixers back in 2014.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers are going to need plenty more out of their shooting guards, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. So far this season, free agent acquisition Dwyane Wade has struggled to find a rhythm while J.R. Smith has gone ice cold from the field.
- Not married to any particular rotation, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy intends to use the two-day period between Detroit’s victory over the Timberwolves and their contest with the Clippers on Saturday to re-evaluate the club’s lineups. Keith Langlois of the team’s official site writes that a number of players could be utilized differently in the frontcourt.
- The Pacers have been more than satisfied with what they’ve gotten out of Victor Oladipo so far this season, Clifton Brown of The Indianapolis Star writes. “I like his pace,” head coach Nate McMillan said after the team’s loss to Paul George‘s Thunder. “He’s doing a good job of not forcing the issue. His shot selection has been better. He’s knocking down shots and in a pretty good rhythm, and we try to go to him as much as possible, because he was the one guy with the hot hand. He’s just playing with a nice pace.”
The Pistons are a perfect example of when your coach is also the GM.
He’s spending every extra minute during pre-season and earlier, to work on the roster and hasn’t put the preciously valuable time necessary to get the on-the-court product rolling.
I like Van Gundy and he’s done an admirable job but that’s a lot of work for one single man to cover.
People said the Pacers could have gotten more for George. Oladipo outscored George 35-10 and Sabonis has averaged a double-double with Turner out. I think they thought Oladipo from IU and making $22 million was better than Greg Harris playing high school in Indy, going to Michigan State (he probably wouldn’t have resigned) and making $25 million. We’ll see if it continues1
But Dipo was really trash in playoffs.
He’s with the Pacers now. He’s averaging over 20 again. He scored 35 last night against the Thunder and George fouled out in 19 minutes.
PG – good riddance. We want pacers to play hard, share the ball, play D…but miss playoffs. Lottery pick gives us hope. They are fun to watch so far. Collision was a good pickup. Sabonis is better than most people know…he sets great picks…goes after rebounds…and can get the ball in the hole!!!
Well said.