Paul George: ‘Probably the most excited I’ve been for a team’

For the Pacers to reach their highest potential this season, Paul George has to be an assertive killer on the court.

During the Olmpics in Rio, PG showed he could play that role with some stand-out games while playing with some of the NBA’s best players. Now he is the best player for Indiana, with a new-look lineup around him heavy on experience.

PG talked about setting his sights on LeBron James and the Cavs, in fact directly saying ‘I’m ready for you’ when discussing his approach to facing LBJ this year, during an interview with Michael Lee from The Vertical. That sure sounds like the thing an assertive killer would say.

Words won’t get it done though and it was nice to see PG acknowledge he won’t be doing it alone and he appreciates the roster the Pacers put together over the summer. Now he has to build on his past playoff and Olympic efforts to make the Pacers contenders, but he sure sounds excited to make that happen.

The Cavaliers remain the favorite to send James to a seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance this season, but George has been encouraged about the Pacers’ prospects after many of his new teammates began gathering for summer workouts in Indianapolis while he was chasing gold in Rio de Janeiro. “They made that commitment to come early and want to be here, and that’s something else,” George told The Vertical. “This is probably the most excited I’ve been for a team, coming into the season. I think we have a lot of weapons, a lot of options. We’re very underrated for what we have over here. With everything that I’ve grown from this Olympic run, to the closing of last playoffs, I feel like I’m ready and poised for a big year.”

PG also spoke on Wednesday with local reporters which Conrad Brunner from 1070 the Fan chronicled quite nicely here.