8 NBA Teams That Had a Horrible Summer
Indiana Pacers
Major Additions: Darren Collison (free agent), Cory Joseph (acquired from Toronto), T.J. Leaf (drafted), Victor Oladipo (acquired from Oklahoma City), Domantas Sabonis (acquired from Oklahoma City),
Major Subtractions: Paul George (traded to Oklahoma City), C.J. Miles (traded to Toronto)
Major Problems: If you didn't like the Jimmy Butler trade, you probably hated the Paul George-to-OKC deal. And rightfully so.
Granted, George is an exceptionally unique talent -- few 6'9", 220-pound players in today's NBA have PG-13's guard-like skill set -- but all they could get from the Oklahoma City Thunder was a disappointing Victor Oladipo and an unproven Domantis Sabonis. Neither plays George's position, neither has All-Star potential, and neither is pleasing the fan base.
The Pacers aren't planning on starting Sabonis at the 4 are they?
— EvanZ (@thecity2) August 2, 2017
To further torture Pacers fans, here are George's 2016 stats, and their ranking among small forwards.
| Player | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | FG% | FT% | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul George | 23.7 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 46.1% | 89.8% | 20.3 |
| NBA Ranking | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 6 |
The numbers are an accurate reflection of what George is all about: A do-it-all, stat-stuffing wingman. Who happens to be 6'9" and 220. And who is nearly impossible to replace.
Takeaway: This season will be all about Myles Turner. The newly-legal 21-year-old center will be given every opportunity to make the team his own. Barring unforeseen growth from Sabonis and a massive turnaround from Oladipo, that's great for Turner, but not so great for the Pacers.
