When Kawhi Leonard and Paul George teamed up with the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2019, many expected them to immediately rack up the trophies. Everyone knows how that's turned out thus far: in 2020, the Clippers squandered three double-digit leads against the Nuggets in their infamous 3-1 chokejob in the bubble, and in 2021, they lost Leonard to injury in the second round, effectively dashing their championship hopes for good. Last season, with Leonard still rehabbing from injury, George only played 31 games, his lowest total in a season since his return from the broken leg he suffered in 2014.
However, Paul George is confident about putting his injury woes behind him after an offseason of hard work and is issuing a warning that would scare the rest of the NBA, especially with reports coming out about Kawhi Leonard's clean bill of health,
Speaking with ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, George said: “I’m excited… you’re going to see the best of PG this season.” George also added that the only downtime he had during the offseason was when he went to Italy for his wedding.
Paul George says he is completely healthy going into the season and that the only time off he took this summer was for his wedding. He says he worked on his game and body. “I’m excited… you’re going to see the best of PG this season.” pic.twitter.com/1Jwzdscx4G
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) September 23, 2022
Paul George will be looking to enter the upcoming season with a vengeance. Clippers fans were excited for what George was about to accomplish last season without Leonard, especially after his performance in the 2021 postseason that saw him put the Clippers on his back against the Utah Jazz, which they knocked off without Leonard, and the Phoenix Suns, which they eventually lost in six games to.
Unfortunately for George, his elbow had other ideas, forcing him to miss most of the season. But when PG played, he did some damage, averaging 24.3 points. 6.9 rebounds, and a career high 5.7 assists a night. The Clippers had hopes that PG's return towards the end of last season could have led to a lower-seeded deep playoff run, but they ended up losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first game of the play-in and then, to make things worse, George couldn't suit up against the New Orleans Pelicans in a do-or-die game due to COVID protocols.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George getting up there in years (31 and 32, respectively), the Clippers need to maximize their window, and there might be no better time for that than the present, with the Clippers' depth arguably being the best in the league. If Leonard and George really are healthy, then there might be not be a more terrifying team in the NBA than the Clippers.
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