Pandemic P or Playoff P: Why Paul George has become the easiest player to target in the NBA

Paul George has been through what many NBA veterans have over their careers. Whether it's playoff successes or perceived failures, what's true is that Paul George is an easy target for fans and the media. Much is expected from a player who could be seen as an NBA prototype on both sides of the ball. He's appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals and also in the Western Conference Finals. He's been the guy; he's been part of an elite duo with Kawhi Leonard. He's had problems with Doc Rivers -- his former head coach. He's had horrific injuries, bouts with depression, made all star teams, all defensive teams and all NBA teams. The 10th pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2010 NBA draft still has many years left in his career to flourish when it matters most, yet will he ever become less of a target?

posting some of my favorite moments of paul george’s incredible 2021 playoff run.2021 playoffs 27ppg10rpg 5apg44/34/84clippers 1st ever WCFw/o kawhi30ppg 11rpg6apg44/30/80start w/game 3 in dallas. down 0-2 in the series the road must win: 29-7-4 61% pic.twitter.com/7cBsxKQyHE

— Jamal Cristopher (@Clippers24seven) July 2, 2021

To whom much is given...

One of the prettiest things in basketball is Paul George pulling up from deep on the right side of the floor -- usually on a secondary break. The ball hardly touches the rim in the many times I've noticed. He's a smooth player, never too hyped, and has become a very adept three-point shooter despite all his attempts.

Paul George is a 6'8" elite athlete who has developed into a superstar offensively as well as being an above-average defender. He's had some other wordly performances both in the regular season and in the playoffs. He's also had some head scratchers, yet when the moment is crucial, he wants the ball.

Here's what he told me early in his career when I said his name was beginning to ring out:

"It has its pressure that it gives you, but I think that’s the pressure that keeps me working. It’s the pressure I want. I wanna be known on the court as the kid that can create and play, can score and defend…rebound and do all of those things. I’m happy with the pressure I put on myself now."

Playoff P

Paul George, in 108 playoff games, is averaging 21.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Those numbers could be higher, and as he's matured, those numbers have risen.

Top three Paul George playoff performances:

• 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on 6/28/21 vs. Phoenix Suns
• 39 points and 12 rebounds on 5/11/14 vs. Washington Wizards
• 37 points, six rebounds and six steals on 5/28/21 vs. Miami Heat

When Kawhi Leonard went down with a knee injury, Paul George stepped up vs. the NBA Finalist Phoenix Suns, averaging 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in six games. DId Paul George play so well because Kawhi was out? Perhaps yet there was no sluggishness that plagued him vs. the Mavs in 2020.

Pandemic P

Paul George has shot 40% or less from the field in 56 of the 108 playoff games (51 Wins, 57 Losses, 32 Double-Doubles, 1 Triple-Double).

Top three worst playoff performances:

• Five points on 2-16 shooting, eight assists on 4/27/18 vs. Utah
• Nine points on 3-14 shooting, eight rebounds on 8/23/20
• 11 points on 3-16 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists on 8/21/20

On Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson's Up in Smoke podcast, Barnes essentially asked Paul George how tough the 1st round loss to Denver was after being up 3-1.

"It was tough. We were confident. We went up 3-1. We felt like we were gonna win the next one. We lost. We like, we up 3-2. We gonna win the next one. We lost! But, during that whole process, we never worked on adjustments. We never worked on what to do differently. We just literally the same (expletive) happen over and over and over again. So, it started to play a trick on you. Like, man, like what's goin' on? We talking amongst each other. The conversation is like, we goin' to be alright. The conversation should have been we need to change this. We need to switch this. At the end of the day, I don't think we deserved it. We weren't prepared enough from just us making adjustments standpoint. We weren't prepared. We didn't put the work into it. It was kinda like, we got PG, we got Kawhi (Leonard), we got Lou (Williams), Trez (Montrez Harrell). We goin' to be straight. We gonna figure it out."

Paul George has said adjustments just weren't made vs. Denver.

Whose fault was that?

Doc Rivers

Doc has since responded, and was diplomatic in doing so. Losing a 3-1, and despite your stars scoring just 24 points combined in a Game 7 where everyone saw the Clippers as the favorite. Los Angeles scored just 33 points in Game 7. Many feel Paul George should not have been so critical of Doc Rivers. That he shouldn't have been so critical because of his poor performance when the Game 7 lights are the brightest.

Depression

The NBA bubble affected players differently. Some were cool with the situation, while others like Paul George didn't have such a good experience. He's admitted to checking out, missing his family, and even an entitled admittance of missing 5 star hotels -- as pro athletes are accustomed to staying in. The isolation of the bubble seemed to be the biggest problem with Paul George, and surely, studies will be done on how pro athletes were affected by the NBA bubble.

Why is Paul George such a target?

The 1st round loss to Dallas in 2020 was highly unexpected. Most assumed Luka Doncic would perform customarily, yet how he ran over the Clippers raised many eyebrows. These things happen from time to time in sports, but it's how the Clippers were dominated by Luka.

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are incredible defenders, yet Luka Doncic went off against the Clippers in the 1st round loss. He was simply unstoppable and did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. That he did so vs. Kawhi and Paul George with all their defensive prowess was remarkable. Social media came after Paul George, and came after him hard. When a player as gifted as George falters in this era, the criticism will come far and wide.

Paul George stats vs dallas last season and this season:2020: 18.5ppg 6.8rpg 4.0apg(36-27-95) shooting splits48 TS% won in 62021: 23.6ppg 9.0rpg 5.7apg(46-31-89) shooting splits 59 TS% BOUNCE BACK PG😤 pic.twitter.com/jwRwxdfXf9

— westbrook.facts (@russwestfacts) June 6, 2021

Next season will be telling in Los Angeles. The scrutiny will potentially loom large. The Lakers have loaded up and acquired Paul George's former teammate, Russell Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard, who might be out until February. This will be an opportunity for PG13 to silence his critics and lead the Clippers to where they are expected: the Western Conference Finals vs. LeBron and the Lakers. Will the gifted Paul George perform accordingly, or will the media and fan target grow larger on his back? His career-arc is similar to most superstars in sports, and while criticism is warranted at times, so should adulation.

Something feels like Paul George will have a lot to say about that.