Paul George has had a forgettable season with the Philadelphia 76ers, struggling with injuries and inconsistent performances. However, that hasn’t overshadowed the impact he’s made as an NBA player over the past decade, something Golden State Warriors icon Draymond Green recently reflected on.
During a conversation with Baron Davis on The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors forward was asked if George should be considered a first-ballot Hall of Famer. “I say one thousand percent,” Green responded. “If you look at some people who are in the Hall of Fame, Paul George has had a better career than them. Paul George is absolutely a first-ballot Hall of Famer with the body of work that he has.”
Without hesitation, Draymond listed some of George’s achievements. “Paul George has like 9 All-Star appearances, several All-NBA selections, a gold medal, somewhere close to 20,000 points, I’m sure, if not more,” he recalled. “Paul George’s resume says first-ballot Hall of Fame.”
Green pushes back against George’s critics
After defending Paul George’s case for being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Draymond Green addressed the usual criticisms that the Philadelphia star faces. “Are there some things you don’t like about Paul George? Of course, you can say he didn’t win, you could say, ‘Oh, he was a little soft,’ you can say whatever you want to say,” Green acknowledged.
Paul George and Draymond Green stand on the podium with gold medals after defeating Serbia during the Men’s Gold medal game on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
“They may be valid or not. Didn’t win? That’s valid, OK. Is he soft? That’s your opinion. Some people will say yes, that’s your opinion. Don’t really matter,” said the four-time NBA champion with the Warriors. “If you remove Paul George’s name from his resume, which allows you to remove your feelings about Paul George, and you put his resume there, and remove the feelings, remove the face, remove the name, that’s a first-ballot Hall of Fame resume.”
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Paul George’s career
Draymond Green makes a valid point when discussing Paul George’s career as a foundation for potential Hall of Fame induction. The forward was a key figure for the Indiana Pacers from 2010 to 2017, playing a pivotal role in their two deep playoff runs in 2013 and 2014, when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
After a brief stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he reached a career-high 28.0 points per game, George was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There, George once again emerged as a star, although he hit a ceiling in the Conference Finals.
George’s most recent season hasn’t lived up to his storied NBA career. With the Philadelphia 76ers, he had a disappointing campaign that mirrored the overall struggles of the team. To make matters worse, an injury to his left adductor muscle and knee cut his season short, while he was averaging 16.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds over 41 games.
