Don’t worry, folks. Paul George, just over a year removed from one of the most gruesome injuries we’ve ever seen in a basketball game, is fine. The only pain afflicting the Indiana Pacers superstar following his team’s Thursday exhibition game, thankfully, was the result of his ego.
That’s George, an absolutely all-world defender, sliding more than halfway across the floor at the mercy of an absolutely filthy step-back move by J.R. Smith.
There’s a lot to appreciate here, obviously. The speed. The quickness. The ball control. The swagger. But a long underrated aspect of Smith’s game is his strength. At 6’6, 225 pounds, basketball’s walking heat check is very big for a wing. Did that size help him lose the even larger George here?
As the baseline replay makes clear, Smith gives the former First Team All-Defense member a very noticeable hip check upon stopping abruptly with his right foot. It’s clear that George was fooled by Smith’s behind-the-back move in general and might have lost his footing regardless, but what’s also obvious is that the Pacers’ starting power forward really, really felt that contact.
When it comes to raw offensive skills, Smith truly has it all: skill, athleticism and size to spare. Just imagine if his overall impact aligned with his most natural basketball gifts.
