How likely is it for PG to have a bounceback season?

OkcSinceSGA · Post #1 » by **OkcSinceSGA** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 5:55 pm

Maybe not quite 2018-2019 MVP caliber form, but at least much more consistent than this year? PER 36 he wasn't all that much worse and minutes were down due to coming back from double surgery. His movement and energy just wasn't there though. He just never found his flow this year. He was finally starting to look better, then the COVID paused the league.

His defense fell off a cliff bad, but in the playoffs he played really good D more often than not. Do you think the PG of 2020 that never found his groove is here to stay? Is this just who he is now? Or do you expect something of a bounceback season for him? Can he be more effective under Lue? I know a lot of the sets Lue runs could help him and Shamet get more open 3s.

He's come back from worse than this with the leg injury years ago. I'm hoping this set back and collapse in the playoffs isn't the final straw for a guy who turned 30 this summer.

Should we have hope? Or expect the worst?

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Homer38 · Post #2 » by **Homer38** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:00 pm

He can bounce back but the question will be how good he will be in the playoffs, especially when the games are going to be crucial and a lot of pressure in his games.

NoZoLakers · Post #3 » by **NoZoLakers** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:09 pm

yes playoffs is the issue, hes had issues both yrs in okc when there was no bubble scenario

NZB2323 · Post #4 » by **NZB2323** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:14 pm

I feel like he had a really hard time adjusting to the bubble. As long as we get a season that isn’t in the bubble he should do better.

Mamba Mentality · Post #5 » by **Mamba Mentality** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:18 pm

NZB2323 wrote:I feel like he had a really hard time adjusting to the bubble. As long as we get a season that isn’t in the bubble he should do better.

I'm of the same belief. As much as I enjoyed watching him struggle I think he'll bounce back under normal circumstances.

NoZoLakers · Post #6 » by **NoZoLakers** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:21 pm

Mamba Mentality wrote:
NZB2323 wrote:I feel like he had a really hard time adjusting to the bubble. As long as we get a season that isn’t in the bubble he should do better.

I'm of the same belief. As much as I enjoyed watching him struggle I think he'll bounce back under normal circumstances.

might want to check his stat lines the 2yrs he was in okc during playoffs, its a trend now

picc · Post #7 » by **picc** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:22 pm

Who cares what he looks like in the reg season.

mademan · Post #8 » by **mademan** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:25 pm

Bounce back? He was who he was all year. Decent star level RS player who's hit and miss in the playoffs. He had 1 special year, which, at this point, is the outlier in his career.

LakersSoul · Post #9 » by **LakersSoul** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:25 pm

Again, PG will excel in regular season. The playoffs is another and the most important story.

I don’t see PG excelling in the playoff unless something/someone shakes him up. The Clips need a real leader pushing PG to take it to the next level. They need a real leader in that team and as great as Kawhi is, he is not that leader.

NZB2323 · Post #10 » by **NZB2323** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:26 pm

NoZoLakers wrote:
Mamba Mentality wrote:
NZB2323 wrote:I feel like he had a really hard time adjusting to the bubble. As long as we get a season that isn’t in the bubble he should do better.

I'm of the same belief. As much as I enjoyed watching him struggle I think he'll bounce back under normal circumstances.

might want to check his stat lines the 2yrs he was in okc during playoffs, its a trend now

In the 2019 playoffs he averaged 29, 9, and 4 on .58 TS%.

Calamity_Cometh · Post #11 » by **Calamity_Cometh** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:27 pm

I don't think that it is impossible. A lot of it has to do with his shoulder, to be honest. Is it or is it not capable of holding up.

Assuming that it is, that locker room and really the entire organization needs to have a heart to heart. But I would be lying if I said that PG and the Clippers have no chance next year.

The return of the Splash Brothers won't make it any easier.

NoZoLakers · Post #12 » by **NoZoLakers** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:27 pm

NZB2323 wrote:
NoZoLakers wrote:
Mamba Mentality wrote:
I'm of the same belief. As much as I enjoyed watching him struggle I think he'll bounce back under normal circumstances.

might want to check his stat lines the 2yrs he was in okc during playoffs, its a trend now

In the 2019 playoffs he averaged 29, 9, and 4 on .58 TS%.

closing gm?

Post #13 » by **bisme37** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:27 pm

I think it most depends on his mentality and headspace. When the Clips lost to the Nuggets I was shocked at how PG took no responsibility at all and didn't even seem to care that they lost. I question his dedication and motivation.

therealbig3 · Post #14 » by **therealbig3** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:28 pm

He's extremely reliant on his jumper and when that isn't falling, he really struggles to create efficient offense. He doesn't have the handle to consistently break down a defense and get to his spots.

IMO, his defense has fallen off too. Isn't as good as he used to be in terms of containing dribble penetration, reaches a lot more now, and that leads to foul trouble (if the refs aren't letting him skate by on his defensive rep).

I think he'll be fine in the RS, but in the PS, when he can't get the same number of easy baskets, he'll still be prone to the same issues unless he becomes a better contested jump shooter.

But as a #2, he's not supposed to be a a perfect offensive weapon. He's actually one of the most talented #2 options around the league. The thing is, Kawhi doesn't really make things easier for him. Their fit isn't ideal, and Kawhi's not the kind of guy that's going to spoon feed George with easy baskets the way LeBron or Curry could.

LAvision · Post #15 » by **LAvision** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:48 pm

The bubble was a blessing for players like PG, just wait for the meltdown next year in the playoffs when crowds are chanting Pandemic P.

nzahir · Post #16 » by **nzahir** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:51 pm

He shot 41% from 3 and had his best efg and TS% ever as well

He had slight injury issues, which is probably now the usual for him.

I only see things getting worse for him, at least in the regular season.

Who knows if he can even stay healthy...

Lost92Bricks · Post #17 » by **Lost92Bricks** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:03 pm

NoZoLakers wrote:closing gm?

36 points on 14-20 shooting.

Cavsfansince84 · Post #18 » by **Cavsfansince84** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:09 pm

It would be higher if I didn't think that PG has some sort of legitimate mental blocks which carry over to his play on the court. Its sort of similar to the stuff Derrick Rose went through imo.

celticfan42487 · Post #19 » by **celticfan42487** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:11 pm

He essentially had his career averages in last year's regular season for a team that won a lot of games.

I'm not sure there's anything we can use to predict how he'll do in the playoffs.

But that was Paul George last year, with the exception of two years when he was the man in the 13 - 15 seasons he's generally a high volume with perhaps questionable efficiency and a negative ass/to ratio.

This year being the number 2 worked for him because he actually had a positive ass/to ratio and while his fg% of 39.8 is ugly... looking back 2 years ago for OKC he show 40.8% the playoffs before that 38.6% like... you would expect that to go up as he plays off ball. But on a similar number of attempts from 3 he honestly shot about the same as last year's playoffs percentage wise.

He's an all-star because of his versatlitity and great defense as a wing. Not because of his like Luka level passing or KD level scoring. His overall package is a lot.

And again he produced at career averages in the regular season in his age 30 season. I don't expect him to add new things at this age but it isn't like he bombed this year. There is a reason the Clippers were the overwhelming favorite for the chip from all analysts and ex (as well as current players like KD and Draymond) players to win the chip. PG13's performances where a large part of that reason.

Clemenza · Post #20 » by **Clemenza** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:16 pm

Most definitely. I see him bouncing back strong. He has to. All the jokes, memes, and reticule he's getting. Get back in the gym, rework his game, get a head doctor.. whatever he's got to do make it happen. He's got to come out gun-a-blazing and dead all this bullsh*t surrounding him. Put this way, I'm hoping this is the case. He has to do it. And hopefully Ty Lue is devising an offense to put these guys in a better position to score and win some games. That and adding a point guard to the team

Will PG have a good bounceback season?