Utah Jazz: ‘Playoff P’ is real, but he’ll come back to Earth too
By Ryan Aston
Paul George hyped ‘Playoff P’ ahead of his Game 1 outburst against the Utah Jazz, but I’m not banking on a repeat performance.
After practicing with his team on Saturday, Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George had a question for the assembled media, as well as his detractors. “Y’all ain’t met Playoff P yet, huh?” he asked. George went on to say that he’s an “out-of-body person.”
That assessment proved true during Game 1 of the first-round series between the Utah Jazz and OKC. In 37 minutes of play, George exploded for a game-high 36 points and hit 8-of-11 shots from 3-point range to propel his squad to a 116-108 victory.
Playoff P indeed.
Having said that, I would advise Jazz fans not to overreact to George’s big game. Despite the reputation, PG’s Game 1 outburst feels more like an outlier than business as usual.
Before Sunday, George had never hit that many shots from distance in a postseason game. And he’s coming off a 2017 playoffs during which he made less than 39 percent of his shots overall. Has he compiled more than his fair share of high-scoring playoff games since coming into the league? Sure — but you shouldn’t expect him to dominate nightly.
Granted, the Jazz don’t have LeBron James to check George like the Cleveland Cavaliers did last spring. And there’s no doubting that PG made Royce O’Neale, Joe Ingles and other Jazz defenders look silly at times. But a playoff series isn’t a footrace, it’s a battle of endurance.
Defensive execution will ebb and flow, as will George’s ability to cope with a Jazz front that has been the class of the league since January. Jazz headman Quin Snyder, a legitimate candidate for Coach of the Year honors, will make adjustments, too. During the regular season, the Jazz were top-five league-wide in limiting both 3-point makes and attempts. I trust they’ll do what’s necessary to get back to that with George (and his teammates).
In other words, the Jazz won’t allow him to simply run roughshod.
The physicality of playoff basketball is something to consider here, too. During Game 1, George suffered what was reported to be a hip contusion. He says he’ll be good to go for Game 2, but look for the Jazz to double down on showing George their toughness.
The tricky thing about OKC is that you still have to contend with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Steven Adams has a tendency to give Rudy Gobert fits down low as well. Such was the case in this game with Adams getting Gobert into foul trouble.
George, however, may be the key. And while stopping him is easier said than done, the Jazz have likely already seen his best.
Next: George's big night too much for Utah Jazz in Game 1
Playoff P is real; there’s no denying that. However, he’s much more a house guest than a permanent resident. And I don’t envision him getting too comfortable in this series.