Larry Bird on Paul George not wanting to play PF: 'He don't make decisions around here'
After an offseason that's left the Indiana Pacers devoid of traditional big men, team president Larry Bird said he hoped Paul George could fill some of the team's minutes at power forward.
"I'm the one that thinks he can play the four position," Bird said last week.
There are a number of reasons why George - a much more natural fit at small forward and coming off of last summer's gruesome broken leg - may not want to shift to the bigger forward position.
Bird is apparently having none of it, according to Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star.
Pacers' Larry Bird on Paul George not wanting to play major minutes at power forward: "He don't make decisions around here." Column coming.
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) July 14, 2015
George entered the NBA predominantly as a shooting guard, but eventually moved over to a full-time small forward, logging 94 percent of his minutes between 2012-13 and 2014-15 at the three-spot, according to Basketball Reference.
The two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, and two-time All-Defensive Team member has emerged as a legitimate superstar and two-way force at the three. While George may not make the decisions, the Pacers probably don't want to stray too far from a recipe that has worked for the 25-year-old, who's under contract through the 2018-19 season.
Having said that, given the way the league is trending, particularly at the four-spot, George can certainly serve a role as a small-ball power forward with both floor-stretching and defensive ability.
The Pacers added guard Monta Ellis, forward Chase Budinger, and big man Jordan Hill in a summer that's seen them lose starting bigs Roy Hibbert and David West.