The race against the clock Paul George to return to competition before the end of the season is well underway, while the series between the Suns and the Clippers will attack the 4th inning this weekend.
If the series had started well for the Californians with a first victory in Game 1, the rest was complicated, between the defeat of Game 2 marked by a new injury of choice, that of Kawhi Leonard. It’s to believe that these Clippers are cursed, and before Game 3, Paul George confided in the frustration of missing the most important moment of the season.
“I’m in the front row to see two of the best mid-range players collide (Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard). And it’s fun to watch.” did he concede before recognizing that it was “the worst place” for him. “Because I would have loved to be part of it. Just going out there and seeing the cheering crowd. I said to myself: “Put…, I miss that”. It’s the most important moment, with the crowd going crazy when they score, when they 3-point… They all look at us and we answer them, like when Russ scores at the post and he makes a “Rock The Baby”, going so far as to pass the baby to us on the bench. We just have a good time during the game. That’s why I miss the playoff environment so much.
PG has not yet given up on a comeback
Still in the rehabilitation phase after his right knee injury, Paul George gave more details on the evolution of his health. The opportunity for him to remind that he was not yet ready, even if we regularly saw him training before the matches, a sign of an imminent return… or not.
“I fight and keep fighting six days a week, trying to make it work, killing myself doing a ton of cardio, physical conditioning, and just trying to tick as many boxes as I can. Every day there is something new. Like, let’s see if I can jog, if I can jump, if I can work on my liveliness on my lateral movements in defense, if I can jump and land on my own two feet, I just see myself progressing from what I can do. Now what people saw was lateral moves, changes of direction, shooting…”
Paul George also explained that he’s been working on his cardio so he can get back on the court and hold his own stamina once he’s given the go-ahead. His last word is for the “Clipper Nation” to assure them that he has not given up on the idea of returning to the field during these playoffs to help his team.
“I try to get back on the field to support my guys and be there in the trenches with them. I work every day, I train like crazy. I’m in great shape right now. When the time is right, I will return with the troops, to try to win this trophy”.
| Paul George | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2010-11 | IND | 61 | 21 | 45.3 | 29.7 | 76.2 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 7.8 |
| 2011-12 | IND | 66 | 30 | 44.0 | 38.5 | 80.2 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 12.1 |
| 2012-13 | IND | 79 | 38 | 41.9 | 36.2 | 80.7 | 1.1 | 6.5 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 17.4 |
| 2013-14 | IND | 80 | 36 | 42.4 | 36.4 | 86.4 | 0.8 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 21.7 |
| 2014-15 | IND | 6 | 15 | 36.7 | 40.9 | 72.7 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 8.8 |
| 2015-16 | IND | 81 | 35 | 41.8 | 37.2 | 86.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 23.1 |
| 2016-17 | IND | 75 | 36 | 46.2 | 39.4 | 89.8 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 23.7 |
| 2017-18 | OKAY | 79 | 37 | 43.0 | 40.1 | 82.2 | 0.9 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 22.0 |
| 2018-19 | OKAY | 77 | 37 | 43.8 | 38.6 | 83.9 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 8.2 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 28.0 |
| 2019-20 | LAKE | 48 | 30 | 43.9 | 41.2 | 87.6 | 0.5 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2020-21 | LAKE | 54 | 34 | 46.7 | 41.1 | 86.8 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 23.3 |
| 2021-22 | LAKE | 31 | 35 | 42.1 | 35.4 | 85.8 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 6.9 | 5.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 24.3 |
| 2022-23 | LAKE | 56 | 35 | 45.7 | 37.1 | 87.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 23.8 |
| Total | 793 | 34 | 43.7 | 38.1 | 85.0 | 0.9 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 20.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
