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The Los Angeles Clippers may not have their first option in Kawhi Leonard at 100 percent, but they have a great partner alongside him in Paul George. If there were any doubt that George could still carry a team, those were put to rest on Saturday night. Head coach Tyronn Lue also made sure of that.
With the first half of a back-to-back set on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings, Paul George led the Clippers to a big road win. George poured in 40 points to go along with his six rebounds, six assists, and two steals. He scored 10 of the final 12 points for the Clippers, ensuring that his team came out on top.
“I thought he just took his time and got to his spots,” Tyronn Lue said of Paul George after the win. “I thought down the stretch he really carried us. They started double teaming, so we got to work on our double team spacing more. I thought he did a really good job of just settling down and taking what the defense gave him. Then going small in that second half really opened up the driving lanes for him to get to the basket and to get to his mid-range. He was really good tonight.”
George struggled in the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring just 12 points and turning the ball over five times. At times, it appeared as though he was taking a bit of a back seat to Kawhi Leonard, trying to get him more involved.
Kawhi Leonard sat out Saturday's game due to return from injury rehab. With the Clippers' home opener on Sunday, the team decided to rest both Leonard and John Wall in the first half of the back-to-back set. Paul George took full control of the offense this time, carrying the Clippers to a 111-109 victory.
That's exactly who Lue wants to see out there night in and night out, regardless of whether Kawhi Leonard is playing or not.
Ahead of the season opener, Lue met with George to talk about a few things but namely to say, ‘You're still that guy.'
Clutch step-back by Paul George pic.twitter.com/gAaanjmpPY
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 23, 2022
“I don't think he has to change roles,” Lue said on George's role with Leonard and without Leonard changing. “It's not 1-2, it's 1 and 1. Those two guys gotta produce at a high level for us to win on both sides of the floor.
“I had that talk with PG. You can't take a back seat. You've gotta be aggressive. Both of y'all gotta be aggressive because Kawhi's gonna be a process. It's gonna be a while before he's back to the Kawhi we know. So like tonight, I thought he was aggressive, I thought he was great.”
Paul George scored just four points in the first quarter, but he finished with 15 points in the second quarter, 11 in the 3rd, and 10 in the fourth quarter.
The Clippers held on to win behind George's 40 points. No other individual really stood out for the Clippers like George did, but it was another well-balanced attack by LA. Four players finished in double-figure scoring, while seven players scored at least seven points.
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On a night like this one, however, it starts and ends with Paul George.
Tyronn Lue provided a bit more context on the conversation with George.
“It was before the first game, I know that,” Lue said. “I think after y'all told me what he said. That's the kind of team we have. We just without any ego, we just wanna go out and play and try to win games and have one common goal. But I wanted to let him know how I felt about the situation. He totally understood.”
For those unfamiliar with it, here's what George had to say a few weeks ago following the team's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in
“Listen, Kawhi is the No. 1. And I am totally fine with that. I think I try to, I guess complement him with being able to take the load off of him. Everybody say, ‘Kawhi, you are 1 and 1, (or) 1A, 1B.’ I’ll publicly say, I’m the 2. Kawhi’s the 1. I’m the 2. So that part we nipped in the bud. Like there’s no ego when it comes to that.”
"Kawhi is the No. 1, and I'm totally fine with that. I try to complement him to take the load off of him. I'll publicly say I'm the 2. That part we nipped in the bud. There's no ego when it comes to that. That being said, I believe in my talent and what I can do."
Paul George pic.twitter.com/WgRb63MTYa
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 10, 2022
George admitted Thursday's win against the Lakers was more of a feel-out game for him with Leonard back. Saturday's win over the Kings was more of the old-school Paul George that has made him one of the best two-way players in this league.
“Game 1 was just more of me before I get my feet wet,” George said. “That was everybody playing against real competition where it counts. I was really just feeling it out. We had new guys, so we had to get them comfortable. Then you know it was a big-time game. I was not happy with my performance, and that was the reason why I came out aggressive tonight. It had nothing to do with John and Kawhi being out. Regardless of who is in the lineup I was going to come out and be aggressive.”
The Clippers have 14 more back-to-back sets this season, including four more before the end of November. George should be at the forefront of the team leading the charge every night.
“When it’s Kawhi [Leonard], John [Wall], and the full roster, there’s ways for me to find other areas to be effective. I think it’s just that balance of having that level of aggression throughout the game with or without those guys in the lineup.”
