The Block Heard 'Round the World

What does Paul George's injury mean for basketball?

If you are a sports fan and do not live under a rock, you have either seen or to some extent know what happened to Paul George's leg in the USA scrimmage in Las Vegas Friday night.  A routine hustle play turned the basketball world upside down.

I cannot imagine the pain this guy is in

Before I get any incensitive backlash on this, I will take a moment and give George his due moment of silence....

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Alright, the more I think about this injury, the more and more I see the implications of this "fracture" having a ripple effect throughout the backetball world.  Oh, you want me to explain?  I thought you would never ask!  How about I start small and work toward the big picture?  That works!  Awesome.  Saddle up!

What it means for the World Cup:

I might be alone in this, but I think these two in the back court
 would  be more than enough to carry this team

No, not that World Cup.  The FIBA World Cup, or whatever the hell they are calling it now.  By most opinions, George was projected to start at the small forward spot for this team.  He provides scoring, leadership, length, and as evident from his final play, hustle.  The move opens up playing time for guys like Kyle Korver, Gordon Hayward, and if they play big, DeMarcus Cousins.  While the staff is not thinking about who will take the roster spot right now, this could make room for a guy like Mason Plumlee, who is really impressing the staff.  While George was intended to be a large part of this team's success, this should not cause much of a bump in the road on the way to a World Cup victory.

What it means for the career of Paul George:

Remember me...

This is a huge set back.  George, in my mind, was a top 5 player in the NBA this season.  Had Indiana finished with a better record, the MVP in my opinion.  He has an athletic gift few possess and tops it off with a killer instinct and hustle.  George was becoming quite the nemesis to LeBron in the East and would make a strong case for Hall of Fame consideration when it is all said and done.  First reports are good as far as recovery ability on this, but next season is all but out of the question at this point.  Missing an entire season as your career is hitting the peak is devastating to a player.  Will he be timid coming back from this?  Will he have recurring leg issues?  We will have to wait and see, but those are not questions I want to be asking about a player with his game at his age.  A tough blow.  

What does this mean for the Indiana Pacers:

How much is Lance Stephenson worth now?  This coming season, the team that won the East last year now has this lineup:

PG-George Hill (who will now be asked to run the offense and be a major scorer)

SG-CJ Miles (who lead the Cavs last season to a strong....oh wait)

SF-Chris Copeland (who could be mistaken for Brittany Griner)

PF-David West (the team's best player, an out of shape pick and pop big guy)

C-Roy Hibbert (who fell out of favor after a terrible postseason, and may not turn it around)

Not exactly the team you want going into the season, especially with LeBron is your division now.  The can take out insurance on the max deal they owe George and may be able to get some extra guys to fill the void for now, but this season's selection of available players is down to...ummmmm...Shawn Marion?

Did someone say Matrix?

What this means for the future of USA Basketball:

This is the biggest blow of them all.  Remember when USA basketball used college players?  Remember when we got embarrassed in the Olympics?  Yeah, that may be coming back.  Mark Cuban said before this all started that there should be some protection on each player for the NBA team, just for this reason.  Yes, this injury could have happened in a pick up game anywhere, or in camp.  The fact is, though, it happened here.  I can foresee player contracts including clauses keeping them from playing for their national teams, players opting to not play, like Kevin Love did, or college players to become more popular to use.  This could be the beginning of a depression in USA national basketball for quite some time.  

These days could be long gone....

-Matt