J-Speaks: The Return of A Former All-Star Pacer

Over the summer, the Indiana Pacers, and Oklahoma City Thunder completed a blockbuster deal sending All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist Paul George down south for guard Victor Oladipo, and Domantas Sabonis. On paper, the Thunder seemed to get the better end of the deal acquiring George to team up with fellow perennial All-Star Carmelo Anthony, and last season’s league MVP Russell Westbrook. On the season so far though, it has been the Pacers that have played better than the Thunder, led by the break out season of Oladipo. On Wednesday night, George played in his first game as an opponent at in Indianapolis, IN, and while his play was less than stellar, his team produced the same result as they did two months back, thanks to the play of the supporting cast. 

On a night when George, who spent seven season with the Pacers struggled mightily scoring just 12 points, going 3 for 14 from the field, including 2 for 7 from three-point range, and was booed repeatedly by those in attendance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Thunder (13-14) won at the Pacers (16-12) thanks to the 23 points, and 13 boards of starting center Steven Adams, who also shot 11 for 16 from the floor. 

“Yeah, I’m happy the circus is over with. Everybody can move on,” George, who has 19 field goals made, and 20 turnovers in his last four games said after the just the Thunder’s fourth win on the road in 14 tries, but their fifth win in their last seven games. “I understood what the environment was going to be, so it wasn’t a surprise.” 

Anthony also struggled offensively also, scoring just 12 points himself, going 4 for 14 from the field, but did have three blocks. 

While he was just 3 for 17 shooting, and just 3 for 7 from the charity stripe, Westbrook garnered his ninth triple-double of the season, and 35^th of 2017, and the 88^th of his career with 10 points, 17 boards, and 12 assists. The 35 triple-doubles by Westbrook this calendar year is the most in NBA history. He had shared the mark of 34 with the Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in 1961. 

Head coach Billy Donovan’s Thunder also got contributions from Alex Abrines, who had 14 points, going 4 for 6 from three-point range. Jerami Grant had nine points, six boards, and three blocks off the bench, and Patrick Patterson had eight points, hitting a couple of triples. 

George did manage to sink two crucial free throws with 10.7 seconds left to seal the victory for the Thunder, to capture the season series 2-0 over their Eastern Conference opponent. 

The Thunder took down the Pacers in their place, Chesapeake Energy Arena 114-96 back on Oct. 25, and George struggled on that night as well scoring just 10 points in 19 minutes, and fouled out. 

Oladipo led the Pacers in a losing cause with 19 points, but shot just 9 for 26 from the floor, including just 1 for 9 from three-point range, but did have five boards, and six assists. Sabonis had eight points, and six boards off the bench in 18 minutes.

“It was the first time I’ve had a defender guard me like that since I’ve been on this team,” Oladipo said of his rough shooting night being guarded by George. “They were just trying to deny me, and he (George) can move his feet.”

To say that this was very different day for George of this NBA season to this point. Everything was different for the four-time All-Star from locating the visitor’s locker room; to having the 18,165 fans in attendance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse that cheered him for his seven seasons in Pacers’ country to one fan shouting out to him when he first came on the court for pregame warmups, “traitor!” Being booed at a high crescendo during the starting introductions, and every time he touched the ball during the game. 

The only time that he got any cheers from those in attendance was when he was called for a foul or made a mistake from missing a shot, which he did plenty of on the night, to turning the ball over, which he did four times.

"I'm in my comfort zone when I'm on the court," George said before the game on Wednesday. "I might be nervous off the court being booed, but on the court, it's my comfort zone. It's basketball. It's what I do. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'm living my dream, getting to play in the NBA, playing basketball. So, I get booed, I get booed. It's part of the game. It will make for a good show, and I'm looking forward to it."

George elaborated on those thoughts by saying, “If for whatever the reason, I’m booed, I’ll embrace it,” George said earlier in the week about dealing with the fans reaction to his return. “I’m going to thrive on it, and that is going to give me the energy to play better.” 

George did embrace it, and while he struggled for most of the game, he would have the last laugh by making the previously mentioned two free throws to seal the win for the Thunder, but he came up with the final steal of the contest on Oladipo, and he pumped his arms, and he, and his teammates savored that moment. 

The former Pacer began his postgame presser with the question of "Vic is there guy here right? Right?"

His answered his own question was, "Don't let him get the ball. It's Simple. Ball game." 

George then tap his right hand on the table to close his case, and he walked away from the table. 

When this trade took place over the summer, it was considered highway robbery where Oladipo, and Sabonis were considered as valuable as a ham, and cheese sandwich of an elementary school kids’ lunch. 

To bring this point into clearer context, the Oklahoma City Police Department tweeted @OKCPD about the trade Thunder General Manager Sam Presti pulled back on June 30 said, “Thanks for the tweets reporting the “theft” of Paul George by @okcthunder. Our investigative findings: totally legal & very savvy.” they would begin an investigation to the theft the Thunder, and General Manager Sam Presti pulled off. 

One person who really liked that tweet very much was Pacers’ President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard.

Things have turned out well for the Pacers to this point in the 2017-18 NBA campaign season as they entered their Wednesday night tilt versus the Thunder No. 5 in the Eastern Conference. 

A major reason for that has been the career-year turned in by Oladipo, who as the No. 2 overall pick by the Orlando Magic in 2013, who entered the game averaging 24.5 points, 5.3 boards, four assists, and 1.8 steals per contest, on 48.5 percent from the field, and 44.4 percent from three-point range. He has also had five games so far scoring 30 points or more. 

In the Pacers 126-116 comeback win in overtime versus the Denver Nuggets (15-13), Oladipo scored a career-high of 47 points, on 15 for 28 from the field, hitting 6 for 12 from three-point range, and 11 for 13 from the free throw line, with seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. This was on the heels of a 33-point performance, going 11 for 24 from the floor, hitting six more triples on 13 tries, with eight boards, and five assists last Friday versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (20-8), ending their 13-game winning streak. 

For Oladipo, this season has been one where he has come into his own. Is that rare player that has shown he can thrive for a small market sports organization, and he simply made it a point to play at a high level, and if he keeps this could earn his first All-Star nod of his career. 

“I’m kind of sick getting sick, and tired of being compared with Paul George, and myself,” the former Indiana Hoosier said leading up the game versus the Thunder about him being compared to George. “He moved on, and I moved on from my situation. Life takes its course. I’m happy here. I wish him all the best. I’m feathery right now as a Pacer. I don’t have any disrespect toward him. I’m just grateful to be able to put on this jersey every night.” 

In his first two stops with the Magic for his first three seasons, and with the Thunder last season, Oladipo, who hails from nearby Washington, D.C. put up okay numbers, but he never lived up to where he was chosen in the draft. 

What needs to be remember though is he was selected by a team in the Magic that was trying to rebuild itself back into a playoff team with the departure of All-Star center Dwight Howard, and things never worked out. 

In his lone season with the Thunder, who acquired him during the June 2016 draft along with Sabonis for then forward Serge Ibaka, he was expected to be the sidekick to Russell Westbrook. An injured wrist, and an inability to find any chemistry with the reigning 2017 league MVP hampered those dreams, and resulted in Oladipo, and Sabonis coming to the Pacers where they both have thrived. 

“It’s another game we’re looking forward to on our home floor,” Oladipo said of the highly anticipated matchup. “We want to win every game really bad, no matter who we’re playing. I hope they feel that way about every game.”

For both the Pacers, and Thunder, their second matchup of the season brought a lot of hype, and the crowd was heard loud, and clear throughout the game.

That seemed to be the only consistent thing because both teams did not play with any flow at all on the night. The Thunder shot just 40.9 percent from the field, 62.5 percent 15 for 24 from the charity stripe, though they shot 13 for 29 from three-point range, and had 20 fast break points. The Pacers shot 44.9 percent from the floor, 11 for 31 from three-point range, but just 4 for 6 from the foul line; were out-rebounded 52-42; had just 18 assists; and gave up 17 points off 14 turnovers. 

Despite the loss to the Thunder on Wednesday night, their first loss in five games on their current six-game homestand, and look like a team that has a chance of making the playoffs, which seemed like a fantasy at the start of this season. 

It also gave the fans a chance to express their feelings on George leaving a team that he was a big part of them making themselves into a championship contender in the early part of this decade, where their dreams were shattered on three occasions in the postseason by four-time MVP LeBron James in his time with the Miami Heat. 

“He did so much for Indiana, and how well he played, and carried us when he was here. I think he’ll get more cheers than boos,” George’s former teammate Lance Stephenson, who had nine points, and eight boards off the bench said prior to the game. 

For the Thunder, this victory was major for them in the fact that it took the bitter taste out of their mouths from an abysmal 116-103 loss they had versus the Charlotte Hornets (10-17) just 48 hours prior. It was their sixth victory by five points or less, bringing their record in those games to 6-10, and they avoided their ninth loss this season where they had a double-digit lead, which was 11 points at one point in their game at the Pacers. 

As mentioned earlier, this was the Thunder’s fourth win on the road this season, bringing their record to 4-10. Coming into Wednesday’s action, the Thunder on the road were dead last in “The Association,” 30^th in field goal percentage; tied for 25^th in three-point percentage; 25^th in assists; and 29^th in points in the paint. 

Prior to their 102-101 overtime win at the struggling Memphis Grizzlies (8-20) last Saturday night, the Thunder had lost eight straight road games, and was averaging just 96.4 points per contest, which was ranked No. 29 in the NBA during that time. Their 40.3 percent from the field was ranked dead last, 30^th. Their 30.1 defensive boards in those eight straight defeats was ranked 27^th, and their 19.1 assists average was ranked 28^th. 

Anthony had 21 points, and nine rebounds, even though he was 7 for 20 shooting. Adams, who has averaged 19.0 points, 10.1 boards, on 71.3 percent from the field the last seven games, where the Thunder have gone 5-2 also had 21 points, and nine rebounds. Westbrook had a triple-double of 20 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds, while he shot just 7 for 29 from the field. Alex Abrines also had 20 points, which was a career-high, going 6 for 8 from three-point land.  

Entering their Monday night contest versus the Hornets, Westbrook, Anthony, and George, who returned from a two-game absence because of a calf contusion have shot a combined 10 for 42 from the floor in clutch situations, standing for with under five minutes left in the game, with the scoring margin of five points or less. 

On top of that, the Thunder as a unit with their win on Wednesday brought their record to 4-6 in games decided by five points or less. 

The reality is the Thunder expected to be better than this. The newest “Big Three” of Westbrook, Anthony, and George expected to be coordinated on both ends of the court, especially offensively. Even with their victory, they still look uncomfortable, and unless that changes, the talks of perhaps trading George, who is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end will continue. 

“It’s up to us honestly,” Westbrook said about what the Thunder need to do to turn things around after the loss to the Hornets on Monday night. “We just have to figure it out, and play the same way every night.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 12/10/17 2 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime," presented by Kia Motors with Matt Winer, David Griffin, and Brendan Haywood 12/11/17, and 12/13/17 6:30 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg; 12/11/17 NBA.com article, “Victor Oladipo ‘Sick, and Tired’ Of Paul George Comparisons;” 12/14/17 2 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime," with Jared Greenberg, Dennis Scott, and Shaquille O'Neal; www.nba.com/games/20171213/OKCIND#/matchup/boxscore/recap; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4251/paul-george; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2527963/victor-oladipo; and www.espn.com/nba/standings.