Paul George on his injury comeback and hitting All Star in Toronto
Itâ€
s amazing. This one is probably the one that touches the most … I just feel like that everyone that followed me through the journey played a huge part and Iâ€
m very thankful for all the fans that have and voted me back and got me into my third All Star Game.
No, Iâ€
ve only watched it once and I wonâ€
t watch it again. Itâ€
s a one-time thing. Just had to see what happened. Iâ€
ve put it behind me in the past. Passed that situation now.
Itâ€
s more so of just not being in competition for a little over a year. I think Iâ€
m still just getting adjusted to this. Trying to work my way through it, battling fatigue and legs tiring out. So just trying to build my legs back up and getting that endurance back up.
Yes, it definitely is a sign of both. Thatâ€
s the reason why this to me is so special. Itâ€
s not just because the love for them to vote me back to being starter, itâ€
s just the love. Then also, I expect a lot from myself. After the injury, going into the summer I expected to return to form. I expected to be my old self. I knew it was going to take some time to get back used to my legs, get back used to my body, get back top form on the court, but I did see myself being back to where Iâ€
m at now. I didnâ€
t know Iâ€
d be here so soon. I was kind of just playing it by ear, going through the motion of this being the last step of rehab more or less be ((inaudible)) and work out whatever I needed to work out. But I am very happy to be at the point where Iâ€
m at right now.
Yes. I mean certainly the gameâ€
s changed. Itâ€
s really the taller guys and stronger guys are really having the guardâ€
s skill set nowadays. The game has definitely transitioned to where youâ€
re playing it further and further away from the basket. Itâ€
s just a different game. Itâ€
s almost like having four guards now and one big man. Itâ€
s just a luxury to have a big guard that can play that forward spot and match up with a traditional big. The game is definitely changing. You know, itâ€
s changing and itâ€
s only going to I think at this rate and training I think itâ€
s only going to transition to more and more bigger guards and more perimeter oriented game.
I think I have but I havenâ€
t played forward since the beginning of the season. I moved back to the three-spot, but I have become a more complete player playing with a smaller group just because triple-drive game, understanding space and understanding where guys are at on the floor, playing a faster style. So it was a different adjustment that I think added on to me playing traditional big to now learning how to play with them. So Iâ€
ve definitely learned a lot.
I think weâ€
re doing a well job. We all here at Indiana think we should be a lot better than what we are, but bigger picture weâ€
ve lost a lot of close games that we possibly could have won. Just, you know, us being a new group and not understanding how to put it together yet and close games. But I donâ€
t think weâ€
re that bad off. Again, weâ€
ve challenged every team. Weâ€
ve challenged the best teams. Itâ€
s a tough game, but again, itâ€
s just our inexperience with us being together sort of our first year I think is – we took some growing pains and some learning pains but this is the type of group that if we continue to play well, we continue to learn each other, going into playoff time this is one of those teams that really ignites, come together at the right time and learn from our mistakes earlier in the season.
Paul George: I mean the rankings is what it is. The East is very tough this year. I think we definitely should be one of the top echelon teams in the East. We would have been had we learned how to close games out sufficient where we wanted to be. But the East is competitive this year and every team ends up slotted where they are right now is deserving of that position.
Q: What do you think your Pacers can do in the East and in the playoffs this season? You kind of – it seems like you have finally found a starting five you like and you can go on the whole season with.
Yes. Yes, we have a group thatâ€
s playing well. Our starting line-up is playing really well right now and itâ€
s good that weâ€
re getting some experience of chemistry with one another. But again, this team can really make a push late in the season if we continue to grow together. We started out hot and we kind of peaked, we kind of peaked early while the rest of the teams, or the rest of the league just gets better and improving. For us, itâ€
s just continue to improve, continue the chemistry and, again, weâ€
ll be pretty happy and satisfied at the end of the year.
I mean if we won the games that we should have and we were where weâ€
re supposed to be then yes. But right now Iâ€
m not doing a good enough job of finishing games for this team, and you look at the top guys that are performing well and in the MVP conversation, theyâ€
re doing an amazing job with their respective teams and thatâ€
s the point Iâ€
m trying to get to right now. I wouldnâ€
t even be satisfied if I was in the conversations right now.
NBA All Star 2016 sees the best players in the world go head-to-head in Toronto. Watch the game from 1.30am on Sunday night/Monday morning live via NBA LEAGUE PASS at www.nba.tv
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