Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel said that he plans to start Paul George at the power forward position and George will definitely flourish in his new role.
It is certainly going to be a major change for George, but it is exactly what Larry Bird did during his career. He was a star small forward during the early stages of his career with the Boston Celtics, but ended up moving to power forward and dominating opposing defenses. Bird was much quicker on both ends of the court and had the necessary toughness, athleticism and size to make the position change as well.
George broke his leg on August 1st of last summer during a scrimmage game with Team USA. It completely changed the outlook of the Pacers' future and was a big reason that the big offseason overhaul happened this past offseason in free agency. He was still able to come back and play the final six games of the regular season, which was impressive in and of itself.
At just 25 years old, George is in the physical prime of his career and there is no question that he is going to get back to playing at a high level this season. Bird and the Pacers expect him to get back to being a superstar caliber player, but there could be a good amount of rust that he'll have to work off to start the year.
During the 2013-14 season with the Pacers, George ended up averaging 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Those numbers show why he is considered one of the best up-and-coming players in the game and still has plenty of room to grow.
Changing to the power forward position may not be something that George loves the idea of right now, but it will take his career and game to the next level.
On the offensive side of the floor, there is absolutely nothing that the opposing power forward will be able to do to stick in front of him. There are a few teams that have power forwards who are smaller and quicker players, but George will tear up any classic power forward. He is going to be given so many opportunities to score off the dribble and will also be able to get open by moving without the basketball.
Defensively, he is one of the best in the league as well and should be able to do enough to make things difficult on whoever he faces. He may not be quite as big as other power forwards that he faces, but his length and athleticism will allow him to mach up decently well.
All of that being said, the upcoming season is going to be full of intriguing things to watch for the Pacers. Vogel seems very set on starting George at this point in time, which would make them a much faster team. That is exactly what Bird has wanted and it should help the Pacers get back into contention in the Eastern Conference.
Assuming George does make the leap that he should by making this position switch, there is no question that his numbers will rise in dramatic fashion.
© 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
