One superstar who has faced a lot of criticism over his perceived lack of clutch moments in the playoffs is Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George.
George struggled mightily last season in the playoffs and shouldered a lot of the blame for his team’s disappointing second-round collapse against the Denver Nuggets.
As it turns out, someone who George has sought guidance in is none other than Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. The two recently discussed their relationship following a Clippers game.
“D-Wade knows,” George said after dropping 36 points on his former team, the Indiana Pacers. ”We chopped it up earlier before the season started about watching film, watching edits. I’ve been doing a ton of that. It’s crazy, in year 11, I can still be a student of the game.”
Wade then went into what the two discussed over the summer.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations, especially over the summer,” Wade said to George during the interview. “It’s been a lot of noise about Playoff P and this and that. I’ve played against you in the playoffs. I played against you period. I know what you’re built of and I know what you’re about.”
Clearly, Wade has George’s back. Still, there’s no doubt that George struggled at times in the playoffs last season.
In fact, in the Clippers’ 13 playoff games last year, George scored just 15 or less points in six different games.
His most miserable outing came in the pivotal Game 7 against the Nuggets, when he recorded just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field.
Luckily, George will absolutely get a chance to improve his playoff legacy this season. The Clippers are currently the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.