Paul George is gaining MVP recognition nationally
After starting the season slow, the Indiana Pacers have won five of their last six games and, more importantly, Paul George is looking like his old self.
The league is taking notice. In NBA.com's latest MVP Ladder, George clocked in at No. 10, returning to the list for the first time since 2013-14:
Pacers coach Frank Vogel said that, while George's offensive efforts have been impressive for a player barely removed from a serious leg injury, it's been his defensive effectiveness that has Vogel ecstatic:
Rankings and best-of lists don't mean much in the grand scheme of the season -- that won't get the Pacers into the playoffs, of course -- but it's nice to see George returning to his perch in the national spotlight.
(h/t 8 Points, 9 Seconds)
George's recent 30-point tear -- he averaged 31.7 points during a three-game stretch against the Heat, Cavaliers and Magic -- was an excellent reminder of exactly what he's capable of as a potentially elite scorer, were that his main focus. But George prides himself on doing it all. When he's healthy and at his best, and he appears to be regaining his form after missing most of last season with a broken right leg, there are only a handful of players in the game capable of excelling on both ends the way he does. The weekend matchup with LeBron served as a spark for George, who is averaging 29.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals in his last five games.
"He's been fantastic. What nobody's talking about is his defense," Pacers coach Frank Vogel told reporters after George led the way with 26 points, 10 rebounds and stellar defensive work in Wednesday's win over Boston. "He's putting up some big numbers offensively, but every time we put him up on a top guy, that guy just gets cooled down very quickly. That's why he's one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He's showing that he's back."
Vogel said working without George last season made him feel like, "Superman without his cape, without his powers."
"We became human," Vogel told the Indianapolis Star. "I personally felt that way. Now I have him back. I have my powers back."
