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