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It certainly seems like Paul George did not exactly cover himself in glory on his way out of the Los Angeles Clippers. During media day, George received no love whatsoever from his former teammates following his free agency move to the Philadelphia 76ers this past offseason. In fact, Norman Powell even called George's departure as “addition by subtraction”, according to ClutchPoints Clippers beat reporter Tomer Azarly.
“I saw it as addition by subtraction. Like I said, more guys get more opportunities, not only myself. I was excited,” Powell said in his media day presser.
George is a consistent 20+ per game scorer who can defend well on the perimeter, but Powell believes that the Clippers have the personnel to deal with his departure.
With the financial flexibility that George's exit created for the Clippers, the team was able to bring in Derrick Jones Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and Kris Dunn, to name a few, while they were also able to engineer contract extensions for the likes of Ivica Zubac and Terance Mann.
But Powell knows that he will be the main benefactor of George's departure, and he's ready to show the Clippers and the world that he's capable of being more than one of the best sixth men in the association.
“What I've said in this media day since being here is that I wanna be the starting two-guard. The opportunity is in front of me. I've prepared myself. I've always seen myself as a star in this league. I feel like I've put the work in. I feel like the numbers show for itself when I am starting and what the output is. I'm excited to take on that role, the pressure that comes with it. The good, bad, and ugly,” the Clippers guard added.
“I feel like, mentally, I'm ready for it. I've always been ready for it. Physically, I put the work in. It's not a question of that, it's just being fully able to show the work that I've put in. So I'm excited for the full opportunity and everything that comes with it.”
The Clippers' hopes of playing above expectations is for Powell to deliver on his promise of supplying the production the team lost with the exit of George.
The Clippers say good riddance to Paul George
Paul George raised some eyebrows when he said that one of the main selling points that led him to the 76ers was that they “play the right way”. Russell Westbrook also mentioned something similar when asked about what made signing with the Nuggets very appealing to him.
Nevertheless, the Clippers are a defiant franchise. They do not know when to throw in the towel, and as long as Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the roster, they have a chance to be competitive.
The loss of George will hit the Clippers hard on the offensive end of the floor. George also acts as insurance for Leonard in the event of an injury. His size on the wing made him the ideal secondary star.
Powell will have major shoes to fill, although he has at least shown that he can do damage when given the opportunity. In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Powell averaged 21.8 points on 47/41/77 splits amid the injuries to Leonard and George. The team will need a similar level of production from him to replace the scoring they lost with George's departure.
