Pacers' George sounds off on 'frustrating' season

What was billed as a turnaround season for the Indiana Pacers has turned out to be a big dud.

Having added the likes of Thaddeus Young, Jeff Teague, Al Jefferson, and a new head coach in Nate McMillan in the offseason, the Pacers were expected to challenge the likes of the Toronto Raptors - who they took to seven games in the playoffs - for second in the East.

Instead, the Pacers sit three games under .500 at the moment, having dropped six of their last eight games. Their star player, Paul George, is fed up.

"It hasn't been (fun). We're trying to work through it," George told reporters Thursday, according to Shane Young from bballbreakdown.com. "It's been one of the most frustrating seasons I've been a part of.

"If I don't approach it to be myself, to enjoy the process, to enjoy the grind ... it's not only going to show on the court, but more so it'll show in the locker room. This is our work environment, and you know, everybody's got to enjoy coming to work."

These latest comments follow up George's scathing soundbites about officials swallowing the whistle against the Pacers made earlier this week. He was hit with a fine for that - his second of the season following yet another bit of frustration when he booted a ball into the stands in November.

"I just have to continue to enjoy playing this game. I've been caught up with officials, getting caught up with on-court stuff. And losing sight of how fun this game is to me. As long as I'm approaching each game to enjoy it ... whatever happens on the court, I (couldn't) care less. As long as I'm having fun and enjoying what I'm doing."

Given the context of how the Pacers have underperformed as compared to expectations, George's frustration isn't hard to understand. He once headed up a proud Pacers squad that seriously threatened LeBron James' monopoly over the East. Watching the Pacers drop off over the last three years has George wistful of his team's former glory.

"Maybe I'm just living in the past of how good we used to be, the personnel, the guys I had around," George said, per Young. "I'm still living in that moment, maybe. I gotta put myself into a different team and maybe I have to do more, maybe that's just what it is, maybe I have to do more now.

"Whatever it is I'm going to figure it out."