Indiana Pacers Starters Mid-Season Grades

Paul George

22.2 PPG – 6.4 RPG – 3.4 APG – 1.79 SPG

Grade: A+

Need I say more?

Fine.

Early in the year, George was considered the top choice for MVP. That talk has since cooled off and he’s considered a distant third behind Durant and LeBron James. The consolation might be that he finishes second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, right behind one of his teammates.

He has gone from a lockdown defender to All-Star caliber player in just a year. I’m not joking when I say that he could win Most Improved two years in a row. The leaps in his game over the past two season has been extraordinary.

Despite this, he is the unquestioned leader of the Pacers this season. His transition from role player to team leader has to have fans wondering where Paul George’s ceiling really is. He’s come a long way from the kid who was compared Danny Granger when he was drafted in 2010.

Lately, George has been a bit of a shooting slump. He’s also gotten a bit cocky and seems to think that nearly any shot he throws up will likely go down. We’d like to see a bit more consistency from him when the season picks up again. George has all the makings of a Kobe Bryant-type player (the defense and ability to close out a game).

The Pacers would like to see him return to the form of the player who opened up the season.