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SH Blog: Pacers, George hint at return this year; Jennings tweaks LeBron for free-agency departures

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DuBoseIs Paul George really out for the season? If the Pacers can make a playoff push in the weak Eastern Conference, it sounds like he might not be.

In a video interview on Tuesday, team president Larry Bird did not rule out the star forward’s return this season despite his horrific leg injury suffered last August.

PaulGeorgeSH1“We’ll see where Paul’s at. Still have no idea whether he’s coming back or not, but it seems like every week, he’s getting better and better. So, if we do have an opportunity to get in the playoffs and he can get some games under his belt and get ready to go next year.”

“I always say if the player is ready to play, he’s got to play,” Bird said. “We’re not going to hold (George) back if he’s able to go out there and play. I think it’s important because when you’re out like that, you lose something. He’s going to get beat up, he’s going to get knocked around, he’s not going to look good but I still think it’s important, if he’s able to play, he should be out there.”

George, who is expected to meet with the media himself on Thursday, fanned the flames by hinting on Twitter that his return could come as early as this March:

Pacers coach Frank Vogel has previously said he expects George to miss the entire season, and an NBA-appointed doctor came to the same conclusion, considering the league awarded Indiana a disabled-player exception worth over $5 million before the season.

But George has been working out regularly, traveling with the team and even dunking on occasion. So with over two-and-a-half months remaining until the season ends, it would certainly appear physically possible for George to get some playing time and gear up for 2015-16.

The question is whether pushing George’s return is worth it, considering the weak state of the franchise in his absence. The Pacers (17-32) have lost eight of their past 10 games and are now 4.5 games back of current No. 8 seed Charlotte (21-27), which has won seven of its last 10.

One could argue that the Pacers are better than their record shows, considering their point differential is only -2.0 despite being 15 games under .500. If that’s the case and the team can make a legitimate push toward the postseason, it certainly sounds like George has a realistic opportunity to return.  

JENNINGS TWEAKS LEBRON FOR ‘RUNNING’ FROM TOUGH SITUATIONS

LeBron Media DayBrandon Jennings and LeBron James probably didn’t exchange Christmas cards over the recent holiday season.

The Pistons guard, now out for the season with a torn Achilles, has historically mocked all sorts of items related to James, ranging from LeBron’s exit from Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals with cramps to his hairline to his initial signing with the Heat. (“I guess in three years, me, Tyreke Evans, and Stephen Curry should team up, too,” Jennings once said.)

Jennings laid out his list of all-time NBA greats on Twitter on Monday evening, leaving James off the list. When asked about LeBron’s exclusion, Jennings said:

The comments aren’t entirely baseless, but his criticism lacks context. Of the other players Jennings referenced, only Kobe Bryant played in the modern era of free-agency and had a legitimate chance to leave his organization. And while Bryant did re-sign with the Lakers each time he became a free agent, he did demand a trade at one point and only appeared to settle back down when the organization was somehow able to pry Pau Gasol away from Memphis to star alongside Kobe.

In LeBron’s case, he left the Cavs for Miami in 2010 — and the reverse in 2014 — because of the opportunity to play with clearly-superior talent on the other team. Given the inherently competitive nature of most all-time greats, it’s hard to imagine James’ perspective is an outlier.

Great NBA players typically want to win titles, and James has used the modern tools at his disposal to upgrade his potential to do so. That probably shouldn’t be an extreme black mark on his legacy.

Rather, it’s just a sign of the times.

DURANT BLASTS CHRIS PALMER OVER CRITICISM OF THUNDER RE-SIGNING COLLISON

Nick CollisonTimes are tense in Oklahoma City. Despite the return of Kevin Durant, it’s now February and they’re still mired in mediocrity at 24-24 and three games back of the final playoff spot in the West.

Even so, 34-year-old big man Nick Collison appears to remain in the team’s plans. Earlier Tuesday, the Thunder re-signed Collison — now playing the fewest minutes of his NBA career at 16 per game — to a 2-year, $7.5-million deal.

On the surface, it’s a bit of a curious decision given that Collison is shooting just 41.6% from the field. It’s by far the worst season of his 10-year career, in which he’s a career 53.7% shooter. It could be argued that age is catching up with the former Kansas product, which is why many on Twitter — such as former ESPN writer Chris Palmer — criticized the move:

Durant, though — who refers to Collison as “Mr. Thunder”, referencing his status as the longest-tenured member of the organization — was not very pleased.

Palmer left ESPN after his contract with the company concluded in July 2013. The reasons for the split weren’t specified, but Palmer badly misfired earlier that same month after saying he was “hearing strongly” that Dwight Howard would re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. (Howard, of course, signed with the Houston Rockets as most other league writers expected.)

Nonetheless, the story appears to be more about Durant than it is Palmer. The Thunder, in fact, are no closer to the Western Conference playoffs now than they were in early December when Durant first returned from injury. And with the season now well beyond the halfway point, the clock is ticking on Oklahoma City and its ability to remake itself into a contender again.

That puts immense pressure on Durant, as the reigning MVP and franchise centerpiece, to right the ship. He still has a bit of time, but the pressure seems to be growing — and he must know it.

OTHER NEWS AROUND THE NBA

Dwight Howard Rockets sleevesDwight Howard will likely be sidelined from the Rockets for at least another 10 days as he seeks to reduce the swelling in his troublesome right knee. He first went down in November for roughly a month due to the injury, then re-aggravated the injury after a Jan. 23 ankle sprain put more pressure on the knee.

Nonetheless, Houston’s franchise center is back to participating in some physical activities. He’s already ruled out for Houston’s showdown Wednesday night vs. Chicago, but Howard did appear at practice on Tuesday for a light workout.

Houston head coach Kevin McHale, however, said he was not particularly impressed.

Even with Howard missing a handful of games, the Rockets remain at 33-15 and holding strong as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. They are 11-5 in games without Howard this season.

MIL_Redick_JJClippers guard J.J. Redick was taken out of Monday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets after playing just four minutes with back spasms, which have now sidelined him indefinitely, reports Arash Markazi of ESPN.com.

Redick first injured his back on the final play of last Monday’s game (Jan. 26 vs. DEN) and sat out of last Wednesday’s win in Utah before returning for the club’s most recent three games in New Orleans, San Antonio and Brooklyn.

“It’s just spasms,” Rivers said after the game in Brooklyn. “I think it’s from that hit [against Denver]. He probably shouldn’t have played, who knows, but we’re just going to rest him until he’s right.”

Redick is averaging 14.7 points in just under 30 minutes per game this season. Without him, the Clippers (33-16) incredibly blew an 8-point lead over the Nets with just 1:10 left and lost, 102-100.

Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for both SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.

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