![]() George proved he could handle the burden after Leonard went down in the playoffs last season, posting per-game averages of 29.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals across eight contests as Los Angeles made a courageous run that ended up just short of the NBA Finals. The coming campaign should look notably different for George, who will be the unquestioned centerpiece of the Clippers' offense for most of the season while Kawhi Leonard recovers from ACL surgery. Despite a dip in his usually-hefty steals output (to 1.1 per game), George's numbers were good enough for a top-20 finish in fantasy on a per-game basis, largely justifying his position as a late second-round draft selection. He also ranked 13th in the league with 3.2 treys per contest, shot a career-best 46.7 percent from the field and converted 86.8 percent of his free-throw attempts while knocking down 41.1 percent of tries from beyond the arc. ![]() George played over four more minutes per contest last season than in his first campaign with the Clippers, and his output predictably increased to 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. There's little doubt that George is a fantasy stud when he's on the court, but you're justified in looking elsewhere if durability is what you're after in the early rounds of your fantasy drafts. Leonard is expected to be back to full health for the coming campaign, which will take some of the load off George's shoulders and should help him register better efficiency and fewer turnovers. George has now played in under 60 percent of regular-season contests in his three seasons in Los Angeles, so the injury risk must be considered seriously if you target him for your fantasy squad. To his credit, George returned for a handful of contests late in the season and put up big numbers, but he was forced to miss the Clippers' second play-in game while in health and safety protocols, and Los Angeles ultimately failed to qualify for the playoffs. Far worse, he again had trouble staying on the court, playing in just 31 games due to an elbow injury that sidelined him for three months. Sure, many of the veteran's per-game stats (24.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.2 steals) were up slightly, but George also shot just 42.1 percent from the field and committed a career-high 4.1 turnovers per contest. Many anticipated that George would have a monster campaign sans Kawhi Leonard last season, but those who used a prime fantasy draft pick on him were sorely disappointed. He was chosen by the Indiana Pacers with the 10th overall pick. After the season, the forward announced that he would forgo his last two years of eligibility and apply for the 2009 NBA Draft. George was named to the All-WAC Second Team and Fresno State posted a 7-9 conference record. He missed four games with a sprained ankle, but he returned to score a career-high 30 points in a win over New Mexico State. The 6-foot-7 forward took over the scoring lead as a sophomore, pacing the team with 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. ![]() The team went just 3-13, but George showed off his scoring potential by putting up 29 points in a win over Boise State. As a freshman, he averaged 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds and gave the team a solid frontcourt duo with Sylvester Seay. Once he became a Bulldog in 2008-09, he started every game in which he appeared. Learn more about George by following him on Twitter and on Instagram Before settling on Fresno State, George committed to both Santa Clara and Pepperdine. In 2015, George and his mother teamed up with the American Stroke Association and the Ad Council on a campaign to educate others about the warning signs of a stroke. He donated all of his old jerseys to Knight High School. In August 2014, George had his uniform number changed from 24 to 13. George was named the Golden League Most Valuable Player, the Antelope Valley Press Player of the Year, and a member of the Daily News 2007-08 All-Area Boys' basketball team. That year, he averaged 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game and led Knight to the Golden League championship. It wasn't until his senior year that George blossomed, however. He moved up to the varsity basketball team as a sophomore and averaged 5.4 points along with 3.0 rebounds for the Hawks. Paul George attended Knight High School in Palmdale, California. ![]() He has another older sister, Portala, who played volleyball at California State University, San Bernardino. Teiosha, played basketball at Pepperdine University. ![]() Paul Clifton Anthony George was born in Palmdale, California, to Paul George and Paulette George. ![]()
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