Friday night, I sat at my buddy’s card table, lamenting the crummy hand I’d been dealt. “I just can’t seem to get a break,” I thought to myself. I once again folded out of the hand, internally cursing my bad luck and checked the blinking notification light on my phone. Two similar text messages had arrived almost simultaneously from two very different people.
“Paul George broke his leg…OMG it’s nasty!” read the message from my friend Ryan, a hardcore hoops head.
“Did you see the leg injury Paul George had?” asked my wife. Though she doesn’t mind watching basketball, she would much rather watch Real R&B Basketball Housewives of Atlanta in Love & Hip Hop.
If these two people from opposite spectrums of the sports world sent me text messages at the same time, I knew the injury had to be major. I quickly headed over to YouTube where the eye-cringing footage had already been uploaded. When friends at the card table heard my empathetic cries of agony, they passed my phone around and took turns grimacing and groaning. The dreadful sight of George’s leg snapping at a 90-degree angle after he landed awkwardly on the base of the basket during a Team USA scrimmage is almost unbearable. I guess my luck isn’t as bad as I thought it was after all.
Sadly, PG24 and the Indiana Pacers can’t exactly say the same. After a tremendous regular season, that saw them finish first in the Eastern Conference standings, George and the Pacers faded down the stretch. They were eventually bounced out of the playoffs (again) by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Team chemistry issues were a big part of the reason for the crash. Lance Stephenson aka the LeBron Whisperer was allowed to walk in free agency partly because of on the court antics. Still, the talented Pacers had to be one of the preseason favorites to come out of the East. Why?
James hopped on a flight back to Cleveland and must get acclimated to playing with a whole new group of guys. There are almost always growing pains when star players come together, so even if Kevin Love comes aboard, the Eastern title is not guaranteed. The Chicago Bulls are a hot contender with the addition of Pau Gasol (and subtraction of Carlos Boozer), but much of that hope still resides on the fragile knees. At this point I’d almost be willing to wager that George will play a full season before Rose – especially considering Rose is also campaigning with Team USA.
Now that George is almost certainly out for the entire season, the Pacers’ offseason looks like a train wreck. Stephenson is now in Charlotte. Evan Turner, who was brought in via trade last season as “Lance Stephenson insurance” signed with the Boston Celtics. Essentially the Pacers have lost Stephenson, Turner and George and only added C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey. Ouch.
George’s injury should change Cavs Love strategy
It won’t happen, but if I was the Cavaliers GM, George’s injury would make me reevaluate my willingness to deal Andrew Wiggins for Love. Cleveland must now be considered the favorite in the East without Love. There’s zero chance the sweet shooting, rebound eating big man will re-up in Minnesota. Love has already shown interest in playing with King James and Co. Call the Timberwolves’ bluff, take Wiggins off the table for good and offer anybody else besides James and Irving. If the Wolves say no, the Cavs will go out and contend in the East and have an excellent shot at landing Love for free after the season or for pennies on the dollar at the trade deadline.
Sure it’s a risk, but a calculated one. The Cavaliers have young talent, cap room and draft picks, which are all invaluable in trade talks, especially for a team like the Timberwolves. I have a feeling that there aren’t many teams that Love would be willing to sign a long-term deal with before free agency, so other teams won’t be lining up to pay top dollar for a rental.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and GM David Griffin already won the lottery twice by getting the #1 overall draft pick (Wiggins) and the return of King James. They might as well test Lady Luck one more time. James couldn’t get the three-peat done in Miami, but maybe Gilbert can in Cleveland.
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