Paul George is Amazing

First appeared on January 25th, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

Paul George is amazing. I’m fairly certain there isn’t anything the Pacers wing cannot do. At 6’8 and 215 he’s more versatile than an electric griddle. Need help rallying voters in Florida Mitt Romney? Call Paul George. Unsure of who to choose as your next coach Jim Irsay? Tweet Paul for help. And if Obama has any understanding of Mideast politics at all, he won’t hesitate to dispatch George there should Iran actually decide to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

Flat out the guy can do anything. He can be a lock down defender both on the perimeter and in the post. He can beat his man off the dribble and he’s the Pacers most accurate 3 point shooter. He can both lead the fast break and finish one. He is also one of only two Pacers capable of creating their own shot (I know what you’re thinking and the answer is not Danny Granger).

After seeing Paul George play, no longer am I impressed by the fact the Egyptians were able to maneuver the 2 ton stones of their pyramids into place without the use of modern construction equipment. In fact, all the achievements of mankind combined pale in comparison to the things Paul George can do on the basketball court; and yes those achievements include the Slap Chop and capitalism.

And yet with all this talent it would seem the guy’s either really bashful or completely unaware of just how good he is because he continues to take a backseat to Danny Granger and the other Pacer veterans. Perhaps it’s a coaching issue, maybe George needs more plays called for him. The latter is a definite possibility, however after a fast 11-4 start Indiana has cemented the second spot in the Central Division while demonstrating clearly that moving away from Jim O’Brien and the days of launching an endless array of 25 foot bombs as if there were some invisible Great Wall of China strategically erected by the opponent along the three point line was a good idea.

But let us not be distracted by the failures of the last 10 years, the point here is George and his possible ascension to greatness. Of course in the spirit of any part time pretend Sports Columnist worth his salt, I have no statistical data whatsoever to back up my argument. However after predicting the short-lived popularity of Acid Wash Jeans and the end of NSYNC, I do boast a somewhat robust track record of prognostication.

Albert Einstein said “generations will scarce believe that one such as this walked the earth.” OK, so maybe he was talking about Gandhi, but that’s simply because Einstein never saw Paul George play. It may be unrealistic for Pacers fans to expect George to lead the league in scoring or jump the Snake River Canyon anytime soon, but it’s not out of the question to expect him to be an All Star within the next five years. He has all the tools, he has the motor, all he needs now is to be handed (or accept) the keys to the car.

Clearly for the Pacers to be more than just a pleasant surprise and eventual Chicago Bulls punching bag, George needs to elevate his play to the point he cements himself as Alpha Male of Indiana’s wolf pack. Speaking of wolves, in his new movie “The Grey” Liam Neeson is forced to fight off a rabid pack of Alaskan Wolves and, while I don’t want to give the ending away or anything, let’s just say I bet Neeson wished he had taken Paul George with him.


© 2012 Eric Walker Williams

This Time you can believe the Heat

First appeared on January 7th, 2012
in The Lebanon Reporter

Somebody needs to save the talking heads the trouble of arguing for six months (and us the trouble of listening to it) and just give LeBron James the MVP trophy right now. After just two weeks of a condensed NBA season James has been remarkable. And barring a fourth quarter meltdown he will be the hands down MVP (on second thought, we better wait).

Someday my 3 year old will stand in awe of the fact LeBron caught an alley oop before throwing another aley oop during the same alley oop. And when I tell him how I fed his twin brothers each a bottle while giving him a bath at the same time, he will look at me like I am a Yak that has wandered into a tailor shop asking to be sized for a double breasted suit.
Watching the Pacers take on the Heat Wednesday night it became clear to me how good Miami is. And before you ask, no I was not watching in South Beach where it was sunny and 75; rather I was watching from my recliner where it was overcast and unable to decide if it wants to feel like late January or early November.

The Heat stifled the Pacers in the second quarter allowing just 1 field goal while outscoring them 33-12 on their way to a 35 point win. More impressively, everything Miami did was without the other half of their dynamic duo Dwayne Wade who was sitting out with a sore foot.

After last year’s Finals I’ll admit I’d written Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra off for dead (which in ‘NBA speak’ simply means soon to be unemployed). Wednesday night it became vividly clear he’s reinvented himself and given his team new purpose. Still it’s hard to get past the fact that Spoelstra looks more like a guy who should be selling phones at the Verizon kiosk in the mall as opposed to one piloting a team chocked full of some of the best talent in professional basketball.

While he may not look like the crusty, humor-less, chain smoking gamblers we’re used to seeing prowl the sidelines in the NBA, it doesn’t mean the guy can’t coach. Somehow Spoelstra has been able to meld a commitment to defense within his group of superstars while also convincing LeBron James and Dwayne Wade that the key to their success lies within the paint, where they can take advantage of their crafty skills and superhuman physical abilities.

All apologies to the ”Lob” Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls* (* here denotes a team that is wildly overrated) but, barring any major injuries or colossal miscalculation by the Mayans which might result in the world ending sooner than December 21st, Miami will win the Title this year.

But it all begs the question. If the Heat win a Title, James wins the MVP and Spoelstra is named Coach of the Year, will anyone in South Florida really care? After all who can forget Miami is the land where rivers of Mimosa flow through pearl white beaches festooned with listing palm trees. A place where one can get an authentic Cuban (sandwich) and a good facelift in the same afternoon. A place where a guy can vacation without the nagging worry of unexpected snowstorms or Chinese organ thieves. All things considered, something tells me they’ve got far more things on their minds in June on South Beach than championship basketball.

© 2012 Eric Walker Williams