Paul George staying another four years with the Los Angeles Clippers is a cause for celebration. The team did disappoint last season but appeared ready to move forward by opting for stability. Controversial as he was, PG has the skills that merit the $190 million contract awarded to him.
But to be clear, George did not get the deal out of thin air. The Clippers front office made the decision to stick with the 30-year-old as they were convinced that having PG around will work best for the team.
Also, the organization went through a process that led to George getting his supermax. According to Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer, the Clippers did ask around on trade possibilities for the superstar and concluded that signing him to a long-term contract is the best option available.
"The market for George around the league would have likely gotten him that same contract elsewhere. George is a number two that you have to pay number-one-level money," Fadeaway World reported Uggetti as saying.
The extra work conducted by Los Angeles was understandable. While PG has proven time and again that he deserves his superstar status in the league, his playoff records have been a source of concern. This was proven last season when George's uninspired showing in the postseason led to the Clipper's early exit from the Orlando bubble games.
There were too many questions that need answering such as PG's age and his recent injury struggles but in the end, the Clippers moved to keep the tandem of George and Kawhi Leonard intact. And for his part, the six-time All-Star is even more pressured that he is worth the trust showed to him by the LA club.
Another likely worry by the Clippers is the tendency of George to generate news for the wrong reasons. Just recently, the star raised eyebrows by sharing his experience with the team's former head coach Doc Rivers.
PG claimed Rivers' tactics did not suit his natural game. The Clippers star insisted that his offense took a hit last season and Rivers was partly to blame.
In response, Rivers, who now calls the shot for the Philadelphia 76ers, clarified that his coaching style saw George playing on a position where he was optimized to score big. Per Bleacher Report, the Clippers indeed did well in the scoring department and ended the season as No. 2 in the offense.
To highlight that, the Clippers also finished as No. 2 in the Western Conference and were among the favorites to contest for or even win the championship.
Rivers said the Clippers had no issue on scoring and it was the same thing with George. The coach added his former team's main problem is picking up the wins that matter. And the concern on his coaching approach is but an opinion of PG, Rivers added.
