Pacers' George glad Bird is adding talent, not letting him 'waste' prime
Paul George is happy the Indiana Pacers aren't throwing away the best years of his career by surrounding him with a mediocre cast.
To the star swingman's delight, team president Larry Bird made several moves this offseason to make the squad better, including adding veterans Al Jefferson, Jeff Teague, and Thaddeus Young.
"I'm glad he's not letting me waste years," George said of Bird before Thursday's USA Basketball practice, according to Nate Taylor of the IndyStar. "I think Larry and (the rest of the front office) have expressed how bad they want to get back to (the Eastern Conference finals) by these moves this offseason. I'm looking forward to getting us back there. He's putting talent around me to help me get to what we all want to accomplish, and that's a championship."
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George is the only player remaining from the roster that made the conference finals in 2013 and 2014. He's learned a lot from his former teammates, and while he hasn't been one of the vocal Pacers in the locker room over his first six years with the franchise, he's finally ready to take on the leadership mantle.
"I've been molded all the way up to this point with having great veterans and great guys around me," he said. "Now, it's my solo opportunity of really being the leader and really being the locker room voice. I'm really looking forward to it; this is my chance and I'm going to make the heck out of it."
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The 26-year-old added: "I think I'm still young. I can carry a team, I feel."
Under new head coach Nate McMillan, the three-time All-Star will be tasked with running a new offense with Teague. George singled out the point guard - who's also been an East All-Star and conference finalist - as someone who he can't wait to play with.
"I reached out to him, but I'm still waiting for the text back," the All-Defensive wing said with a smile. "Competing against him, I know he's tough, so that goes a long way. He knows what it takes and we both know what success is like. It's just about both of us coming together."