George Helped Pacers Behind the Scenes While Injured

On the surface, it appeared as though the Indiana Pacers labored through most this season without the face of their franchise. That is true when it came to game time, but Paul George had been making an impact on the team all year behind the scenes.

George returned from a broken leg last weekend after a seven-month recovery. The reality is, the Pacers star had been contributing to the team leading up to his comeback.

“Paul’s been around,” David West said last week prior to George’s comeback. “He’s been trying to lend support and help the guys, particularly at his position. He’s really been in a supportive role in terms of encouraging guys. He’s been in practice with us, pushing guys. He’s just being himself.”

Last season, the Pacers won 56 regular season games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Miami HEAT. They entered the summer poised to make another title push, until George broke his leg during a Team USA scrimmage in August. Championship goals were put on hold as he recovered.

Losing George threw the Pacers into an uphill battle. He had been their driving force in his fourth season, averaging 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 36.2 minutes per game. He was also named to the All-Star Team and All-Defensive First Team during that time.

George stayed closely involved with the team to help them move forward in his absence.

“He’s been around everyday, practice, film, pregame stuff, shootaround, giving us pointers, thoughts, experience guarding certain players we’ve had trouble guarding this year,” said Donald Sloan. “He’s been influential in that way. Not physically, but verbally, kind of being an uplifting voice when you need him.”

The Pacers rallied around George when he suffered the injury; this season he rallied around them in his own way. The team hit skids — a six-game losing streak to start the season, an eight-game slump shortly after, and others over the months — but George tried to provide a positive presence during the ups and downs.

“Throughout his situation, a lot of us tried to be there for him,” Chris Copeland said last week. “When we have our ruts as a team or individuals, he’s there for us. I think that’s what’s been a beautiful thing about this locker room and why we’ve continued to fight so long. … He’s been a great leader off the floor. He’s one of my favorite guys to be around. We laugh and joke all day long so he keeps our spirits up. It’s been big for us even though he hasn’t been playing.”

The Pacers (35-43) fell in the standings, but as other Eastern Conference teams struggled as well, their playoff hopes stayed within reach. They are one game behind the Boston Celtics for the eighth seed. George was there encouraging his teammates to keep their eye on the postseason.

“He experienced some losing at the beginning of his career,” said Sloan. “He (made) sure everybody meshes and stays together, that’s crucial. Whether we’re winning or losing, we’re still the same players that we were on either side, you’re still as good as you were.”

While sidelined, George transformed from a star player to a player-coach. He shared his strategies with his teammates, explaining how he defends certain opponents and the best ways to score against them. George had been tasked with guarding some of the best in the league and he passed along his knowledge to those given the assignment.

“He’s always giving input on how to guard people,” said Roy Hibbert. “His IQ is pretty high just because he’s been able to excel at a high level on both ends. He can talk about their weaknesses, what he does, how they dribble, how high they dribble, different aspects of playing defense.”

As time went on, George gained a new viewpoint from the bench. He imparted what he saw from afar, which helped those on the court.

“He’s been our motivator,” said Rodney Stuckey. “He’s out there teaching us, in huddles, and it’s important. He’s an All-Star on this team and he definitely sees things that he can help us out with. He’s been great this year.”

“I feel like he’s been a focal point as far as communicating what he sees on the floor from a different perspective,” George Hill echoed. “During timeouts, he’s telling what he sees and how I can get better at certain things — defensive schemes, what he sees on the defensive end that this team can use. I think his biggest attribute is his communication.”

George returned to practice in late February. Watching him back out on the court lifted the spirits of his teammates and helped bolster optimism for a postseason berth.

“It’s definitely uplifting, (going) from that injury to seeing him walking around with crutches and the boot and having to be helped up, now he’s out there jumping and dunking and twisting and turning,” said Sloan. “Some of the guys that aren’t in the rotation, we do 2-on-2 and 3-on-3. To see him scoring at will and moving around like that, it surprise(d) me every time. I think, ‘Oh no. He can’t possibly –‘ and then he does it.”

The Pacers are restricting George’s minutes as he transitions back into game action. In his first two contests, he is averaging 11.5 points (36.8% FG, 44.4% 3PG) and 2.5 rebounds in 15 minutes.

As he works to return to the “old George” on the court, he had been there for the Pacers all the while.