Houston Rockets acquire Russell Westbrook from the Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul, the right to swap first-round picks in 2021 and ’25, conditional first-round picks in ’24 and ’26 and cash. Nevertheless, the Clippers’ future has never looked brighter after enduring decades of tough luck and scrutiny as the Lakers’ ‘little brother.’ Though he has tweeted that he’s now fully healthy after undergoing offseason surgeries on both shoulders, George could be in line for a slow start much like his first season in Oklahoma City as he attempts to find his footing alongside Leonard.
He still ended up averaging career-highs in points, rebounds and 3-point field goals (3.8). Perhaps it was no accident then that George was one of the favorites for the MVP award before injuring his right shoulder in late February. With Westbrook having one of the worst shooting seasons of his career in 2018-19, George became more assertive – whether it be by design or necessity (or both) – as his usage rate became more balanced at 28.0% with Westbrook on the court and 32.6 when Westbrook was off.
#Paul george stats per game full#
As a result, he finished with a scoring average of 21.9 – his lowest in a full season since 2013-14. That year, George had only a 23.1% usage rate when Westbrook was on the floor compared to a 36.2 mark when Westbrook was not on the floor. That was the case when he became Westbrook’s sidekick in his first season with the Thunder in 2017-18. Among players that averaged at least 25 points last season, only Golden State’s Stephen Curry (43.7%) had a higher 3-point percentage than George (38.6%) and Leonard (37.1%).īut it remains to be seen how effective George will be if he takes a backseat to Leonard in the Clippers’ offense. George and Leonard have earned the reputation as two of the league’s most elite defenders, but they space the floor with range on offense too. George finished third in the league MVP voting while Leonard averaged 30.5 points and 9.1 boards in the postseason on the way to his second NBA Finals MVP award.Īmong small forwards that played at least 50 games in 2018-19, only Kevin Durant (8.4) of the Golden State Warriors had a higher +/- per game than George (6.4) and Leonard (5.9). Leonard averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in his 60 games last season, while George had 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game over 77 contests. You may be wondering how two players can cause such a seismic shift in the NBA landscape? Using data easily accessible on Stats Perform’s STATS PASS, we can take a look at just how much these stars bring to the table. In fact, the additions immediately position Los Angeles as the favorites to win the 2019-20 title, vaulting them from +1600 odds to +350 (the crosstown-rival Lakers are second at +400). Now the Los Angeles natives join the 48-win Clippers and expectations couldn’t be higher. In 2018, George told NBA.com: “If ya’ll didn’t quite get it, let me say it again: I’m here to stay.” After saying that, the Oklahoma City crowd erupted in a wild celebration as George repeated, “I’m here to stay.”
#Paul george stats per game free#
In what’s been the most exciting and unpredictable NBA free agency period in recent memory, these have been perhaps the most surprising moves of all.Īfter leading Toronto to its first title in his lone season as a Raptor, Leonard became the most sought-after player in the world when free agency opened on June 30.Īt the same time, while countless other free agents transferred across the league, no one expected George to be part of the historic movement given that he signed a four-year contract with the Thunder roughly one year earlier. July 5, 2019: A day that no Californian will soon forget.Īside from the massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake that shook the state, the Clippers pulled a late-night stunner by landing both Leonard and George.
Los Angeles Clippers sign Kawhi Leonard for three years, $103 million acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, first-round picks in 2021, ’22, ’24 and ’26, a conditional first-round pick in ’23 and the right to swap first-round picks in ’23 and ’25.
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