As far as dunks go, this one by Paul George is fairly plain. Yet for however mundane the dunk may be, it is nonetheless important, since it’s George’s first dunk since he returned from injury.
George’s return has been what most expected: rust, with flashes of his old greatness here and there. He’s shooting 40% from the the field and 50 percent from three (albeit on four total attempts), and showing little signs of hesitation when he drives to the rim. However, he’s also turning the ball over far too much, averaging 2.3 turnovers per game and still displaying some of the tunnel vision that plagued him even before the injury.
This is all to be expected, both the good and the bad. George was never going to come out guns blazing, 100% healthy, dunking on everyone and posting 30-point games right away. Recovery from any injury, minor or major, is a process. We won’t see Paul back at full health until next season. Until then, though, this dunk is a nice sign of what’s hopefully to come.
George scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-104
(Whitney)
