Countdown to the trade deadline - Paul George

Paul George is not a happy guy lately, and it’s hard to blame him.

Larry Bird might be a genius on the court, but it’s getting harder not to blame him for the sad state of the Indiana Pacers, and it might be starting to get to George. Forcing him to play out of position in an attempt to mirror the “small ball” trend coursing through the league without the appropriate supporting cast to make it work had predictable effects, and firing coach Frank Vogel for trying to win with a play style appropriate for what he had (slower, half-court sets) after small ball didn’t work - only to replace him with a coach (Nate McMillan) not exactly known for uptempo play has more than a few people scratching their heads.


Now, with George seemingly having reached the point of devising conspiracy theories about preferential play calls by refs to explain the Pacer's woes, it’s not unfair to wonder if this is a sign of deeper problems, problems that could see George opt out of his final contract year after next season. Indiana is still pretty far from being in a Sacramento Kings-like situation, but it’s unclear how their relationship with George is at the moment, and the time might be right for an offer from one former Boston Celtic to another - which was the topic of a recent podcast by CSNNE’s A. Sherrod Blakely and Kyle Draper as they spoke with Indiana beat writer Nate Taylor.

As you might expect, the analysis was measured - while Boston might have the goods needed to make a deal go down, you have to have willing parties to dance with, and it’s unclear where the Pacers are at just yet. Sitting two games under .500 and in ninth place in a competitive east, it’s quite likely the team does not make the playoffs as currently constructed, particularly if the animosity currently being directed at the league and referees turns inwards.

Continuing with the series of articles polling YOU, the Celticslife readers and Celtics fans in general on trade rumors and proposals making the rounds in the NBA media, we decided to test the waters on this recently (and increasingly recurrent) trade suggestion. Do you think Boston should make an offer for Paul George? If so, what should it entail? Make sure to take the Twitter polls, and leave us detailed comments in the mentions or comment section below. We’ll use the best - and funniest - comments in our write-up of your view on a Paul George trade.


For more stories about Paul George on Celticslife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.





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