National Basketball Association

NBA Scout: Someone Needs To Hold Paul George Accountable for His Shooting

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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NBA scouts talked anonymously to Sports Illustrated and one suggested coach Nate McMillan should hold Paul George more accountable for his shooting.

The Indiana Pacers hope their busy offseason pays off with a deep playoff run and at least one anonymous NBA scout believes that will be the case. But along with all the good, there are concerns for the Pacers, including some about Paul George.

Sports Illustrated talked anonymously with NBA scouts to get unfiltered assessments for the upcoming season and at least one wonders if George could use some accountability for his shot selection.

He’s never had a coach who held him accountable to the shots he takes. His shot selection could improve a little bit. If he was in a better ball movement, uptempo offense, that had him understanding how to take better shots, he could be really, really good offensively. But as it is, that’s a top 10 player in the NBA.

It is hard to disagree with that assessment. Paul George is by far the Pacers best player and should shoot the most, but there are times when he’s just throwing up shots in hopes of making something happen and being the hero the Pacers need. Kobe Bryant was George’s idol growing up, and at times that is readily apparent when he gets locked in hero ball mode.

This isn’t to say he should shoot less as much as he could be taking better, less contested shots. Paul George is a top 10 NBA player at his best, but when his shooting gets erratic for extended stretches he dips down into the top 15.

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One way to help is getting Indiana into more of an uptempo offense with more ball movement as suggested, but as the scouts also point out, Nate McMillan’s history as a head coach is one of a slower paced offense.

In Indiana’s six preseason games, the Pacers did pick up the pace compared to last season but that’s no guarantee that they can replicate that speed and style of offense in the regular season.

Can McMillan get Paul George to be more efficient? The answer to that question will become more apparent as the season gets underway next week, but we may have to wait a while for the final verdict.

But that wasn’t all the scouts had to say. As mentioned above, the consensus among scouts is the Pacers improved themselves with their trades and free agent signings, especially offensively.

Almost everyone that I’ve talked to, from casual observers to people who really know NBA basketball, thinks the Pacers are going to better. On paper, they’ve added a lot of names and offensive talent. Jeff Teague is the obvious one, but also Al Jefferson, and Thaddeus Young …

The scouts also said — much to the chagrin of certain fans that don’t properly appreciate what George Hill brought to the Pacers — that his departure along with Ian Mahinmi’s could counteract all of the offensive gains Indiana strived for this offseason.

People don’t think George Hill was good for whatever reason. But George Hill is a stud defender. Jeff Teague is nowhere near as good as defensively as George Hill. Al Jefferson is nowhere near as good as Ian Manhinmi defensively, so they’re going to miss Mahinmi too.

Another concern was the backcourt of Jeff Teague and Monta Ellis, and how they’ll coexist while still being effective.

If Paul George is your number one playmaker, and if Monta Ellis thinks he’s number two, where does Teague fit in? If he’s just spotting up, how effective is he? They may end up just benching Monta and playing Teague with CJ Miles at the two and Paul George at the three, which would be fine. … I do think there will be stretches when George and Monta are off the floor where Teague’s playmaking really helps them.

There were also concerns about the Pacers relying on Myles Turner this early in his career, but praise for him as well. The defense of McMillan’s team is under scrutiny too, but that wasn’t all the scouts had to say and it is worth your time to check out all of their comments about this new version of the Pacers.

Indiana’s season starts on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

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