Paul George wants MVP: 'This is my year to go get it'

Paul George has his sights set on a huge season for both himself and his Indiana Pacers.

With a new head coach in Nate McMillan, and an overhauled roster that appears better equipped than last season's version to realize Larry Bird's run-and-gun dreams, George has said that he sees the Pacers challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers for Eastern Conference supremacy.

If they do that, you can be sure George will be in the MVP conversation. And he very much plans to be.

"I definitely want to be MVP this year," George said on Sirius XM NBA Radio on Wednesday. "It would be a challenge, but with coach Nate and the guys that I got here, I'm in position to move into that spot, as long as I remain being me, being a leader, being aggressive, and wanting that. It's not mine for the taking. I gotta go get it. And this is my year to go get it."

George had a career year last season, averaging 23.1 points, seven rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.9 steals in 81 games, on his way to earning All-NBA third team and All-Defensive second team honors. His MVP case was hindered by a mediocre supporting cast - he didn't garner a single vote - but his value was on full display in the postseason, where he very nearly dragged the Pacers past a superior Toronto Raptors team in the first round.

But George won't settle for "almost" this season. He's looking to do something special.

"Really, what I'm looking at is it coming down to me getting us past the conference finals," he said last week. "I'm confident in myself. I'm confident in what I can do."