As his team falters around him and trade rumors intensify, Indiana Pacer Paul George is playing some of the best ball of his career.
The Indiana Pacers haven't been playing good basketball for the past month or so. They're just 3-7 in their last 10 games. After being comfortably in the playoffs for most of the season, the Pacers must start winning to even have a shot at the postseason. But, don't tell Paul George any of that.
Paul George has turned it on the latter stages of this season. A prime-time playoff performer, the playoffs seemed to have already started for him.
In 16 games in March, George averaged 26.8 points per game and 7.3 rebounds on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 42.1 percent from deep.
George has been ever hotter in two important games in April so far, too. Thanks to a double-overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he's averaging an insane 44 minutes per game in the month. He's scoring 39 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists to go along with that.
George has now scored more than 20 points in eight straight games, with four of those being efforts with more than 30 points. Clearly, as the calendar has turned closer and closer to the playoffs, Paul George is doing whatever it takes to keep his Pacers in it.
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Importantly, he's doing it against great competition. George scored 37 points and hit five threes against the Boston Celtics. The aforementioned Cavs game saw him go toe-to-toe against LeBron James and nearly win.
And, just in his last game, he scored 35 points and finished with 10 rebounds in a blowout win over the Toronto Raptors.
Thursday night, George and the Pacers face off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. It's another must-win for Indiana, currently in ninth in the East.
If George can put together another thrilling performance, he might be able to will this team to an eighth or seventh seed.
Unfortunately, George's elevated performance hasn't translated into many wins for the Pacers. Before the surprising win against Toronto, the Pacers had lost six of seven. The problem hasn't been George or the offense he provides. It's been the defense.
In the last 11 games, the Pacers have given up at least 100 points nine times. That kind of defensive ability isn't going to help a team make the postseason. Worse, it's not going to help a team stay in the postseason for longer than four or five games.
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Indiana needs more than George to make the playoffs. As unbelievable as he's been in recent weeks, he can't do it on his own.
He nearly dragged the Pacers to an upset series win over Toronto last season, but the last 12 or so games of a regular season are much different. George needs help.
Maybe Lance Stephenson and his versatility—or his antics—can propel the team. Myles Turner needs to contribute as well. He hasn't scored at least 10 points in four straight games, although he's still blocking over two shots per game.
Jeff Teague's nice season has continued, but he remains an inconsistent shooter (41.5 percent the last five games).
So, while it's fun and exciting to watch George do his thing night after night, it probably won't be enough for the Pacers to make the playoffs. He's re-entering the top-10 conversation with his play and surely enticing many teams to consider a move this summer.
Still, all he wants is another shot at an Indiana Pacer postseason.
