Pacers' Bird: Paul George could return if playoffs a possibility

Paul George's 2014-15 may not be lost entirely after all.

The Indiana Pacers wing broke his right leg in a USA Basketball scrimmage this summer, a gruesome injury that was expected to end his season before it started. That timeline was never made official, and on Tuesday team president Larry Bird spoke about the possibility of George returning.

Bird, who said the team is always in win-now mode, suggested that if George continues progressing well and the Pacers have a shot at a playoff spot, the 24-year-old star could make a late-season cameo. From a series of tweets from the Indy Star's Candace Buckner:

Seems like every week (Paul George) is getting better and better, so if we do have an opportunity to get into the playoffs and (George) can get some games under his belt and get ready to go next year.

I always say if a player is ready to play, they gotta play. We're not going to hold him back if he's able to go out there and play. When you're out like that, you lose something ... I still think it's important if he's able to play, he should be out there. ...

I have no clue on whether he'll play or not but if he gets healthy and they say he can play and he wants to play we'll put him out there.

Whether that's actually possible remains a question mark. Bird said that he's been told that the bone George broke should be completely healed after seven months, which would be sometime in March, and beyond that it's a matter of how everything else heals and responds.

George has progressed as far as running and dunking in recent weeks and has always been adamant that he thought a return this season was possible.

There's a lot of wiggle room in Bird's comments, so Pacers fans probably shouldn't get their hopes too high. Getting George some end-of-season playing time may be beneficial for his 2015-16 campaign, but it may also represent a risk depending on how his leg is healing a month or two from now.

The Pacers also aren't particularly close to a playoff spot, sitting four-and-a-half games out, playing poorly and with four teams to jump to secure a spot. Even a rusty George would help with that push, as he's by far the team's most gifted offensive player, but the Pacers could be too far out of the race for it to matter come March.

Even if they can make a play for eighth, there's an element of risk here that will rub some the wrong way, with the reward being nothing more than a first-round playoff exit. But still ...