The Injury to Paul George: Devastating
Paul George is one of my favorite players in the NBA. He was drafted in the same class as Evan Turner. I am certainly glad that the Sixers did not sign Evan Turner to a maximum salary contract in the NBA. He is currently signed to the Boston Celtics for a mid-level exception. I especially liked Paul George because he worked really hard to transform his game and help the Indiana Pacers become a threat in the Eastern Conference. A certain player by the name of LeBron James would not let him ascend to the Championship level that I know he coveted. Now that LeBron has left Miami to return to Cleveland, I think the Pacers could have contended again for the Eastern Conference championship.
I awoke to the crushing news of his gruesome injury this morning. He was hurt while trying to make a defensive play against James Harden. Paul was a lock to make the international team that was going to represent the United States in World Cup play this summer. Some owners are against the use of NBA players risking their earning capacity by playing in these exhibitions. We had already seen the defection of Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwyane Wade from these games. The Dream Team was enough for me but we own international basketball right now.
I was watching some of the game last night but I was fortunate enough to turn it off before the tragic accident. It bought back memories of the injury that the Kevin Ware from Louisville suffered a couple of years ago. I can never remember this happening to basketball players when I was growing up. We used to play on courts that had metal poles holding them up. It seems like we avoided running into poles with the agility and awareness that these elite athletes should have.
Paul George was quoted as saying that the pressure was on him to raise the level of his game in the upcoming season. The Pacers worked hard to gain home court advantage in the season that just past. They did not possess the killer instinct that they needed to advance to the NBA finals. They had to scrap hard to get past the Hawks. Roy Hibbert disappeared for long stretches during the playoffs and just never rose to the level of his previous play. Lance Stephenson was a force but no one could slow down the Heat before they eventually lost to the Spurs in the NBA finals. I think that the determination of Paul George would have propelled him to take his game to an even higher level.
One of my concerns for Paul George is how he recovers from an injury as severe as this. He is 6'9'' and the weight bearing bones on his right leg snapped in half. It is a preliminary estimate that he will be lost for the 2015 - 2016 season. Many of the players on the court with him last night were devastated by the severity of the injury. His parents were at the game and were able to go to the hospital with him. I can imagine the horror and concern to see your NBA All Star son lying on the floor in excruciating pain. I feel sorry for Paul George and the Indiana Pacers. Injuries like this should not happen but the reality of sports is that they do. Godspeed on your recovery Paul George and I wish you a return to your magnificent future.
I awoke to the crushing news of his gruesome injury this morning. He was hurt while trying to make a defensive play against James Harden. Paul was a lock to make the international team that was going to represent the United States in World Cup play this summer. Some owners are against the use of NBA players risking their earning capacity by playing in these exhibitions. We had already seen the defection of Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwyane Wade from these games. The Dream Team was enough for me but we own international basketball right now.
I was watching some of the game last night but I was fortunate enough to turn it off before the tragic accident. It bought back memories of the injury that the Kevin Ware from Louisville suffered a couple of years ago. I can never remember this happening to basketball players when I was growing up. We used to play on courts that had metal poles holding them up. It seems like we avoided running into poles with the agility and awareness that these elite athletes should have.
Paul George was quoted as saying that the pressure was on him to raise the level of his game in the upcoming season. The Pacers worked hard to gain home court advantage in the season that just past. They did not possess the killer instinct that they needed to advance to the NBA finals. They had to scrap hard to get past the Hawks. Roy Hibbert disappeared for long stretches during the playoffs and just never rose to the level of his previous play. Lance Stephenson was a force but no one could slow down the Heat before they eventually lost to the Spurs in the NBA finals. I think that the determination of Paul George would have propelled him to take his game to an even higher level.
One of my concerns for Paul George is how he recovers from an injury as severe as this. He is 6'9'' and the weight bearing bones on his right leg snapped in half. It is a preliminary estimate that he will be lost for the 2015 - 2016 season. Many of the players on the court with him last night were devastated by the severity of the injury. His parents were at the game and were able to go to the hospital with him. I can imagine the horror and concern to see your NBA All Star son lying on the floor in excruciating pain. I feel sorry for Paul George and the Indiana Pacers. Injuries like this should not happen but the reality of sports is that they do. Godspeed on your recovery Paul George and I wish you a return to your magnificent future.
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