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Paul George is going into next season in a new home, as he was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer.
Of course, George will be joining Kawhi Leonard to form what is arguably the most fearsome duo in the league, and the Clippers also have a ton of other pieces to make them lead championship contenders. George is coming off of what was the best season of his career, a season in which his second half was marred due to shoulder issues that ultimately required surgery earlier this offseason and could sideline him for the beginning of 2019-20.
Now, George will be playing on what should be the best team of his NBA tenure, so this will be his first real shot at winning a title. Here are three early goals for George heading into this season.
3. Shoot 45 Percent from the field
George may be one of the top scorers in the league, but sometimes, his shot selection is a bit questionable.
As a result, George has shot 45 percent just twice in his nine-year NBA career and owns a lifetime field-goal percentage of 43.3 percent, which certainly leaves something to be desired.
It would be nice if George can make 45 percent of his shots next season, and given that he will be part of a terrific all-around roster that shouldn't rely as heavily on him to score, he should have the opportunity to do just that.
George is far too good of a slasher to not be able to shoot 45 percent from the floor regularly.
2. Remain Strong Through the Second Half
Now, obviously, the reason for George's drop-off during the second half of this past season was due to his shoulder issues, but he has had a tendency to fall off in the second half throughout his career.
As a matter of fact, in George's nine-year NBA tenure, he averages 20.7 points per game on 43.8 shooting from the field and 39.3 percent shooting from three-point range before the All-Star break, but afterward, those numbers dip to 18.4 points per game on 42.4 percent shooting from the floor and 34.8 percent shooting from distance.
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It's hard to pinpoint the reasoning for George's penchant for faltering during the second half of the season, but it would certainly be great if he put a stop to it during the 2019-20 campaign.
With Leonard representing the Clippers' No. 1 option, George should not be fatigued over the final few months, which should allow him to be just as effective in March and April as he is in October and November.
1. Play Fewer Minutes
Over the last two years, George has averaged 36.6 and 36.9 minutes per game, respectively. That is a lot of mileage, and for a guy coming off dual shoulder surgeries, it's something that needs to change.
Now, obviously, this could be considered more of a goal of the Clippers' coaching staff than George himself, but you're kidding yourself if you don't think star players have a say in how much they play.
I'm not saying George should go to Doc Rivers and specifically ask to play less, but if Rivers broaches the idea (and he might), George would be wise to be receptive to it.
Look how beneficial load management was for Leonard this past year. The Toronto Raptors managed his playing time very well during the regular season, and in the playoffs, he was fresh and prepared to dominate.
There is no reason why George should be playing 36 minutes a night yet again next season.
