- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,152,448
- Reaction score
- 59
WASHINGTON -- When the Philadelphia 76ers received the news back on Jan. 31 that Paul George was going to be suspended for 25 games, it seemed as if it was another blow for the Sixers. The suspension meant less time for George to build chemistry with teammates and it seemed like another lost season.
Fast forward to now and that suspension might have been the best thing for George and the Sixers. He looks spry and looks like he has much more explosion to the basket at this stage of his career. After scoring 39 points on 15-for-22 shooting and knocking down six triples in Wednesday's 153-131 win over the Washington Wizards, the 9-time All-Star opened up on using his suspension wisely.
"Yeah, that time off," George started. "That time off was the time I needed for my body. That's been, really what unlocked me to kind of play free and play aggressive."
With that being said, while George was certainly in the midst of finding his rhythm with the Sixers, the time off has proven to be such a big help for both him and the team. He looks much better than he ever has during his Philadelphia tenure.
"I don’t want people to get it confused," he explained. "I was healthy, but I needed time. I was coming back to try to hopefully, the games would’ve gotten me into shape, but the games were coming too fast and my body wasn’t responding quick enough as the games were going on. So, I knew. It was a hard decision. Like, do I keep playing? And I knew my body needed a little time to kinda heal without so much pounding and wear and tear. So, I knew this 25-game suspension, I was gonna use it wisely."
George used that time to get in the gym on a daily basis. He was able to stay with it every single day and not have to worry about recovering from all of the bumps and bruises that come with playing in games. That allowed him to strengthen everything and help him get back at it.
"I stayed in shape, made sure I was still working, but again it just wasn’t the pounding and wear and tear of going through a game," he continued. "I was working hard, but I was able to recover and carry it over to the next day. I knew this was kind of a blessing in disguise. I was gonna get the time off I needed to get ready."
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it right now. George looks really good. He was taking guys off the dribble, creating separation, and knocking down tough shots against the Wizards. Yes, it was just the Wizards, but George wasn't able to do that much before the suspension and getting the time off needed to really get his body.
"It feels great," George finished. "It feels great. It feels like I'm back to myself. Again, it's a mind (expletive). Sorry for the language, but it is a mind (expletive) when you mentally can see yourself doing things and you physically can't do it. That's the hardest part, I think, for an athlete that goes through injuries and their body is rejecting them. It doesn't get talked about enough, but it is mental. You know the word, but again, it just came down to my body. Getting that time that I needed to kind of recover."
The Sixers will return home to play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers' Paul George discusses using suspension as time to get right
Continue reading...
Fast forward to now and that suspension might have been the best thing for George and the Sixers. He looks spry and looks like he has much more explosion to the basket at this stage of his career. After scoring 39 points on 15-for-22 shooting and knocking down six triples in Wednesday's 153-131 win over the Washington Wizards, the 9-time All-Star opened up on using his suspension wisely.
"Yeah, that time off," George started. "That time off was the time I needed for my body. That's been, really what unlocked me to kind of play free and play aggressive."
With that being said, while George was certainly in the midst of finding his rhythm with the Sixers, the time off has proven to be such a big help for both him and the team. He looks much better than he ever has during his Philadelphia tenure.
"I don’t want people to get it confused," he explained. "I was healthy, but I needed time. I was coming back to try to hopefully, the games would’ve gotten me into shape, but the games were coming too fast and my body wasn’t responding quick enough as the games were going on. So, I knew. It was a hard decision. Like, do I keep playing? And I knew my body needed a little time to kinda heal without so much pounding and wear and tear. So, I knew this 25-game suspension, I was gonna use it wisely."
George used that time to get in the gym on a daily basis. He was able to stay with it every single day and not have to worry about recovering from all of the bumps and bruises that come with playing in games. That allowed him to strengthen everything and help him get back at it.
"I stayed in shape, made sure I was still working, but again it just wasn’t the pounding and wear and tear of going through a game," he continued. "I was working hard, but I was able to recover and carry it over to the next day. I knew this was kind of a blessing in disguise. I was gonna get the time off I needed to get ready."
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it right now. George looks really good. He was taking guys off the dribble, creating separation, and knocking down tough shots against the Wizards. Yes, it was just the Wizards, but George wasn't able to do that much before the suspension and getting the time off needed to really get his body.
"It feels great," George finished. "It feels great. It feels like I'm back to myself. Again, it's a mind (expletive). Sorry for the language, but it is a mind (expletive) when you mentally can see yourself doing things and you physically can't do it. That's the hardest part, I think, for an athlete that goes through injuries and their body is rejecting them. It doesn't get talked about enough, but it is mental. You know the word, but again, it just came down to my body. Getting that time that I needed to kind of recover."
The Sixers will return home to play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers' Paul George discusses using suspension as time to get right
Continue reading...
