Paul George’s dominance turned comical midway through the Clippers’ 49-point win over the Atlanta Hawks. Off a Hawks miss, George leaked out for what looked like it would be a wide-open dunk, but Atlanta instead secured an offensive rebound. The Hawks had a five-on-four opportunity with George trailing the play.
Paul George on the Clippers is even scarier than we imagined
George can make the Clippers’ dominance farcical.
Up 34 points at the time, George didn’t sprint back, jogging past the halfcourt line. Atlanta hit the open shooter, Trae Young, who thought he was clear to launch from well behind the three-point line. He wasn’t.
George lurked behind Young’s back and swatted the attempt over the 6’2 guard’s back. Young had no clue what hit him. George took the rebound, pushed it down the floor, then rewarded Montrezl Harrell with an alley-oop lob off the backboard. Shortly after, George checked out with 37 points on 17 shots. He played for all of 20 minutes.
This is only the beginning of the Paul George era in LA, but he’s already off to an amazing start.
George has been incredibly good in his first two games
George sat the Clippers first 11 games of the season recovering from surgery he had in June for a torn tendon in his left shoulder. Kawhi Leonard dominated in George’s absence, but now it’s been George’s turn as Leonard’s missed two straight games to a knee contusion. And George has carried the weight even better than Leonard.
In two games, George has only played for 44 minutes, yet he’s scored 70 points on 34 shots. He’s made 20-of-34 looks from the field, including 9-of-16 threes. He’s gone to the free-throw line 21 times and made ... 21 of them. Paul George has been freakishly good at putting the ball in the hoop.
“I got [a] new shoulder,” George said, according to ESPN. “I can’t say nothing else to that: I got new shoulders. And they haven’t been this healthy in a long time.”
George’s scoring has come in all varieties. He’s been great drawing contact off drives in the paint, even finishing two strong and-ones through contact. He’s worked the pick-and-roll for mid-range jumpers, and curled off screens for open threes. He’s scored off the dribble and off passes from teammates. He’s been everywhere.
Want to see a pretty shot chart? Here you go:
George and Leonard together in their prime is going to be really tough to stop
We’re still waiting to see the Clippers play both of their stars together, but when they do, it will be glorious. There may not be a more complete tandem in the league. Both are excellent defenders, great slashers and good playmakers. Both can shoot and get to the free-throw line with ease without hogging the ball. George and Leonard on the same team alongside Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell is going to be absolutely wild.
The Clippers already have the sixth-best offensive rating in the league, scoring 111.58 points per 100 possessions, which trails the Wizards, Rockets, Celtics, Mavericks and Suns. That’s with George playing less than a full game and Leonard missing four of 13 games, too.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have helped boost the Lakers to play the best defense in the league. They’re the most obvious challengers to George and Leonard’s star power. But they don’t have as talented a supporting cast. If George keeps playing at a level anywhere similar to this, the Clippers could look like a heavy favorite when the playoffs roll around.
See More:
