Sports
Report: Paul George to Make Clippers Debut Next Week After Shoulder Surgeries
Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated PressLos Angeles Clippers star forward Paul George is reportedly expected to make his 2019-20 season debut either next Wednesday against the Houston Rockets or the following night against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Frank Isola of The Athletic.George has been sidelined to start the season after undergoing two offseason shoulder surgeries.Sam…
Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press
Los Angeles Clippers star forward Paul George is reportedly expected to make his 2019-20 season debut either next Wednesday against the Houston Rockets or the following night against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Frank Isola of The Athletic.
George has been sidelined to start the season after undergoing two offseason shoulder surgeries.
Sam Amick of The Athletic added that “there is also a less likely chance he returns before (perhaps Monday at home against Toronto) or after (possibly the home game against Atlanta on Nov. 16), but the back-to-back set is considered the most likely for his Clippers debut.”
Andrew Greif @AndrewGreif
“Paul George went for it today” in practice, Doc Rivers said. Later added that team did a lot of “skeleton” drills and “didn’t do a lot of live action.”
It's a bit scary for the rest of the NBA that they Clippers will be getting George back in action soon. Behind Kawhi Leonard and one of the best supporting casts in the league, they have started 5-2, which included a season-opening win over their shared-city rival Lakers.
But George will help take some of the burden off Leonard, who has played like an MVP candidate thus far in 2019, averaging 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.3 steals and a block per game, shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three.
The combination of Leonard and George, both added in a wild offseason, will give the Clippers a pair of elite two-way wings, something no other team can boast.
It also sets them up as the favorites in the Western Conference, though LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the legion of Lakers fans might have something to say about that.
What the Lakers don't have, despite a 6-1 start to the season, is the same level of quality depth. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell are forces to be reckoned with off the Clippers bench. Patrick Beverley is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. JaMychal Green and Landry Shamet space the floor. Maurice Harkless was an underrated addition who gives the team quality minutes.
The Clippers are a balanced, well-constructed team, and getting George back will only make them more difficult to deal with on a nightly basis. It will also help alleviate some of the drop-off when Leonard sits in an effort to manage his minutes. George, after all, was a finalist for MVP last season—he can carry a team.
The Clippers are about to be even scarier upon his return.
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