Paul George not happy with his 2K16 rating
Give Paul George this much as he completes his comeback from the horrific leg injury that robbed him of most of last season: he’s shooting for the stars.
As he told USA TODAY Sports, he sees himself as the best player in the game going into this 2015-16 campaign. Yet make no mistake, he knows there’s no shortage of doubt surrounding him. His six games at the tail end of last season showed few signs of him returning to All-Star form, with George playing a reserve role as he worked his way back and the Pacers falling just short of the playoffs.
Five months later, even the business partnership that he spent recent days promoting – he’s the cover athlete for the NBA 2K16 mobile app – came with the same sort of justified skepticism attached. At least that’s how he sees it.
His player rating on the game was an 86, well below LeBron James’ top rating of 94 and in the neighborhood of players like the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard (87). Rest assured, George can’t wait for the game’s first in-season update that he’s quite sure will include an increase in his digital stock.
“I’m disappointed (in the rating), obviously, but again, I was out for a whole year,” George said. “There’s not much to expect when it comes to a rating. One thing I do like about 2k is they update it during the season, so I’ve got time to get to the 90s.”
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All things considered, George’s individual challenges this season may be easier than the collective.
The Pacers, who were challenging James’ Miami Heat for Eastern Conference supremacy before George’s Aug. 1 2014 injury during the Team USA showcase game in Las Vegas, have not only been rebuilt with less-compatible pieces but are taking the calculated risk of playing George (against his wishes) at power forward rather than small forward as a way to improve the offense.
The unexpected departure of veteran forward David West prompted that move and many others, as the resident locker room leader declined a $12 million player option in order to sign a minimum deal with the San Antonio Spurs. George, in turn, finds himself with the kinds of leadership responsibilities that simply must be fulfilled.
“Losing D-West, Roy (Hibbert via trade to the Los Angeles Lakers) and (veteran forward Luis) Scola (via free agency to the Toronto Raptors) were something that I didn’t see coming,” George admitted. “But…what I saw in (Pacers) Rodney (Stuckey), CJ (Miles), and George (Hill) made me excited to be coming into a new year healthy and being alongside those guys.
“Then you add guys like Monta (Ellis via free agency) and drafting Myles Turner (11th overall out of Texas) and (second-rounder) Joe (Young out of Oregon) and (second-rounder) Rakeem (Christmas), guys we’re really high on for our future. And for myself to step into a new role, and being a leader for this young team, I’m excited for it.”