On Aug. 7, 2014, Nike released a black-and-white Twitter advertisement with the Indiana Pacers’ All-Star Paul George holding a ball with a quote near him.
“The worst has happened,” the ad read. “The best is next.”
George broke his leg over the summer two years ago playing for USA basketball in such a gruesome way USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski ended the scrimmage without playing the fourth quarter. His lower right leg snapped as he awkwardly landed under the basket stanchion.
Just looking at the still image of the injury sends chills down my spine.
George ended up playing six games at the end of the 2014-15 season and 81 last year. He slowly rounded into form over the most recent campaign, and it seems like that injury is behind him.
The best is no longer “next.” It is now.
Here’s a take for you: Paul George will win the Most Valuable Player Award this year.
Let’s go through the other competitors. Of course, in Cleveland, Ohio, there’s LeBron James, a worthy adversary. However, through years past, James has used the regular season as a warm-up for the postseason. He’s even taken games off to rest.
The MVP is not for the best player in the league but for the best player that particular season. That eliminates James.
Steph Curry and Kevin Durant of the Warriors are both cross-offs as well due to their stealing votes away from each other since they play together. There is also the overall animosity towards their respective team because of Durant joining the team that went 73-9 last season.
Finally, there’s the darling choice of Russell Westbrook, who will have the freedom to put up as many shots as he wants, but his team will surely drop off with the loss of Durant and a top-three (maybe four) seed is needed for a player to merit the trophy.
The Indiana Pacers have slowly rebuilt from Frank Vogel’s defensive juggernaut into a faster, smarter small-ball team. The additions of point guard Jeff Teague and forward Thaddeus Young will be enormous boons for this Indiana squad that’s deep enough to make a run at one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference.
In an analytics-driven league that has put an emphasis on defense, George is one of the best two-way players in the league and has the size to guard those on the perimeter and in the post.
Also, the promotion of assistant coach Nate McMillan to head coach ensures that there will be an implementation of an up-tempo run-and-gun style that will allow George to flourish.
“It’s no secret (why Vogel was let go) — I want us to score more points,” Pacers President Larry Bird said to the IndyStar. “If you’d told me we’d score 84 points ... You can’t go very far in the playoffs if you don’t score.”
Bird and the Pacers are expecting a scoring increase. That expectation will land squarely on George’s shoulders, who is up to the task.
At 26 years old, George is at the age where superstars take that final leap. Bird, Kobe Bryant, James and Durant are all players who took another step forward at that age.
Two years after a debilitating injury, George has the chance and capability to further improve on his already stellar reputation. With Cleveland winning an NBA Championship earlier this year, we already know that anything’s possible.
Now’s the time for George to take home the trophy as “the real MVP.”
gigottfr@indiana.edu
@gott31
