The Pacers suffered through some difficult seasons in the post-Reggie Miller era, missing the playoffs in four consecutive seasons in the late 2000s, but an unlikely new star emerged in the early 2010s.
Paul George was a lottery pick of Indiana in 2010, but few envisioned him becoming such a force on both ends of the floor so quickly. George was an All-Star in more than half of his seasons with the Pacers and reached the playoffs during each healthy season.
While his time in Indiana wasn't particularly long, was George's peak with the Pacers enough to place him among the franchise's greats?
Here's a look at where George ranks among Sporting News' 11 greatest Pacers players of all time.
MORE: Ranking the 11 greatest Pacers players of all time
Where does Paul George rank among Pacers legends?
George ranks No. 4 on Sporting News' list of the 11 greatest players in Pacers history.
While George is at high risk of eventually sliding to No. 5 with the young Tyrese Haliburton just behind him, he still safely ranks among the best Pacers ever after seven strong seasons in Indiana. In fact, George ranks second behind only Miller among Pacers players who played for the team exclusively after the ABA-NBA merger.
George led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals twice during his seven seasons with the franchise, also working his way back from a gruesome leg injury to become one of the NBA's better two-way players before a trade to Oklahoma City.
Paul George career milestones and achievements
Here's a complete breakdown of George's career achievements.
All-Star appearances with Pacers
- 2012-13 NBA All-Star
- 2013-14 NBA All-Star
- 2015-16 NBA All-Star
- 2016-17 NBA All-Star
George was a four-time All-Star with the Pacers, earning two appearances before the broken leg that cost him almost all of the 2014-15 season and two more after returning from the injury. He averaged more than 20 points per game in three of his four All-Star seasons.
All-NBA selections
- 2012-13: All-NBA Third Team
- 2013-14: All-NBA Third Team
- 2015-16: All-NBA Third Team
- 2012-13: All-NBA Defensive Second Team
- 2013-14: All-NBA Defensive First Team
- 2015-16: All-NBA Defensive Second Team
George earned three All-NBA selections during his time with the Pacers, landing on the third team in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16. He was also a three-time All-Defensive selection, earning a spot on the first team in 2013-14 and finishing seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Award voting
- 2012-13 Most Improved Player
- 9th in MVP voting (2013-14)
- 7th in Defensive Player of the Year voting (2013-14)
- 8th in Defensive Player of the Year voting (2012-13)
George was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after the 2012-13 season, during which he averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He would finish ninth in MVP voting in 2013-14 and earned top-10 finishes in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice.
Playoff appearances
- 6 playoff appearances
- 3 East semifinals appearances
- 2 Eastern Conference Finals appearances
George reached the playoffs in each of his six healthy seasons with the Pacers. Indiana only missed the playoffs when he missed nearly all of the 2014-15 season following a broken leg.
The Pacers went to the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back years, falling to the Heat in both 2013 and 2014 with George at the forefront of each run.
MORE: Have the Pacers ever won an NBA Championship?
Milestones
- 8,090 points
- 3rd in Pacers history in 3-pointers
- 5th in Pacers history in steals
George didn't stick around long enough in Indiana to threaten most franchise records, but he still ranks third in Pacers history in 3-pointers and fifth in steals.
Paul George career stats
George's best statistical season came with the Thunder in 2018-19, but he averaged more than 20 points per game in three seasons with the Pacers and posted his two highest-scoring seasons in an Indiana uniform after recovering from a gruesome broken leg.
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | FG% | 3-pt% |
| 2010-11 | Pacers | 61 | 7.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 45.3% | 29.7% |
| 2011-12 | Pacers | 66 | 12.1 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 44.0% | 38.5% |
| 2012-13 | Pacers | 79 | 17.4 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 41.9% | 36.2% |
| 2013-14 | Pacers | 80 | 21.7 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 42.4% | 36.4% |
| 2014-15 | Pacers | 6 | 8.8 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 36.7% | 40.9% |
| 2015-16 | Pacers | 81 | 23.1 | 7.0 | 4.1 | 1.9 | 41.8% | 37.1% |
| 2016-17 | Pacers | 75 | 23.7 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 46.1% | 39.3% |
| 2017-18 | Thunder | 79 | 21.9 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 43.0% | 40.1% |
| 2018-19 | Thunder | 77 | 28.0 | 8.2 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 43.8% | 38.6% |
| 2019-20 | Clippers | 48 | 21.5 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 43.9% | 41.2% |
| 2020-21 | Clippers | 54 | 23.3 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 46.7% | 41.1% |
| 2021-22 | Clippers | 31 | 24.3 | 6.9 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 42.1% | 35.4% |
| 2022-23 | Clippers | 56 | 23.8 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 1.5 | 45.7% | 37.1% |
| 2023-24 | Clippers | 74 | 22.6 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 47.1% | 41.3% |
| 2024-25 | 76ers | 41 | 16.2 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 43.0% | 35.8% |
| Career | 908 | 20.6 | 6.3 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 44.0% | 38.3% |
MORE: Inside the Pacers vs. Knicks playoff history
Will Paul George be in the Hall of Fame?
George still has a little while to go before he needs to start thinking about the Hall of Fame, but he has a compelling case. The Basketball Hall of Fame is known to be somewhat lenient, at least compared to other Hall of Fames, and nine All-Star appearances is often enough to push a player in.
George has been to the playoffs plenty of times but has never come particularly close to a championship, which could hurt his case, but he's on track to score more than 20,000 career points in addition to a strong defensive record. A healthier, strong finish to George's career could go a long way toward solidifying his Hall of Fame resume.
MORE: Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beaters and game-winners timeline
Paul George best highlights
George delivered his best playoff performance with the Pacers against the Wizards in 2014, posting 39 points and 12 rebounds in a come-from-behind road win.
George made headlines with a long-range 3-pointer against the Pistons, seemingly believing the shot clock was about the expire. The attempt might have been ill-advised, but it worked out quite well for Indiana.
A 23-year-old George went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals and forced a Game 7, leading Indiana to a home win in Game 6 over the eventual champions.