LOS ANGELES – Following an exciting Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the LA Clippers dropped their final game at Staples Center in the 2019 calendar year to the Utah Jazz, 120-107. Unfortunately, at the center of it all for all the wrong reasons was Paul George, who struggled for the fourth consecutive game.
George finished his fourth straight game shooting below 37 percent from the field, this time at the hands of the stifling Jazz defense. The 6-of-20 shooting effort for George against Utah continues what has now been a 21-of-60 shooting stretch for the six-time NBA All-Star.
George had an incredibly successful offensive stretch upon his return from injury, but admits that his latest shooting struggles are due to a lack of complete mental comfortability in his shoulders.
“I think it's just getting comfortable out there,” Paul George explained. “Getting comfortable using my body. I think just being more comfortable in my head, in my mind, of attacking, using my shoulders, being aggressive with contact. I've just watched a lot of clips and I’ve kind of been shying away from the contact so it’s not putting me in positions where I’ve been very successful scoring. I just gotta get over that hump.”
George underwent surgery to repair a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder in May as well as surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in mid-June. George's offseason consisted strictly of rehabilitation and no basketball.
Although he's shown sparks of his greatness, George acknowledged that he hasn't gotten over the mental hurdle that comes with taking contact at the NBA level right now.
“That’s just what it comes down to,” Paul George added. “A lot of plays that I’ve had and finished… Like Last year, I would say before the injury started, I was finishing through contact, finishing through defenders. This year, I’ve almost been shying away from the contact so it’s just getting it through my head that I’m fine with the physicality.”
Paul George admitted he's still getting mentally comfortable using his shoulders – "Last year before the injury, I was finishing through contact, defenders. This year, I've been almost shying away from it. It's just getting it through my head that I'm fine with the physicality." pic.twitter.com/j6ZXfEPMpw
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 29, 2019
The process of getting comfortable will surely come with time, but there is no timetable for something like this. It's strictly a feel-out process for George as he works with himself to get more comfortable with taking and finishing through contact like he did last year.
For what it's worth Kawhi Leonard isn't overly concerned about his running-mate's shooting struggles.
“I think he just missed some open looks tonight,” said the Clippers star. “He had some that were wide open off of offensive rebounds, kick-outs. It looks like he's getting to his spot, he's just missing. It happens to everybody, that's why he's great, he's gonna get through it and keep shooting the ball.”
Lou Williams, who knows what it's like to go through really hot and very cold streaks, also wasn't too worried about George's shooting.
“Nah, it happens,” Williams stated. “Shooters go through little stretches every season where the ball's just not going how you want it. I think Paul will be just fine.”
The Clippers will have another two days off before they close out 2019 in Sacramento against the Kings on New Year's Eve. That game will be a 2PM PST tipoff, giving everyone time to prepare for the New Year's festivities later that night. Doc Rivers' team will look to right the ship and start 2020 on the right foot.
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