Brunt: Larry Bird wins again with Paul George’s All-Star selection
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
Is it possible to win executive of the year when you’re not an executive anymore?
Of course not. But make no mistake — Paul George’s ascendance to All-Star status in just his third year in the league makes former Pacers president Larry Bird look just as good as he did when he was executive of the year in 2012.
George is averaging 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and he has helped the Pacers become one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Bird’s imprint was all over the Pacers’ struggles in the years following The Brawl, all the way down to the infamous photo with Ron Artest on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Boy, did he make up for it.
Bird often said over the years that if anybody got out of line, he’d ship “them guys” out. He did, and it worked. He rebuilt through the draft and smart trades. He left in a blaze of glory after Indiana’s 42-24 season and trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Let’s not forget him, yet.
I remember being among the fans at Conseco Fieldhouse watching the big screens the night the Pacers took George in 2010. When George’s name was announced, it was as quiet as offering time on Sunday morning. The guy everybody wanted, Butler hero Gordon Hayward, went one pick before George, to Utah at No. 9.
With all due respect, Hayward isn’t an All-Star. Neither is John Wall, Evan Turner, Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson, DeMarcus Cousins, Ekpe Udoh, Greg Monroe or Al-Farouq Aminu. Those were the other players taken ahead of George in that draft. In fact, George is the only player in that draft who has ever been named to an All-Star team.
It’s not just George who makes Bird look like a genius. Bird was around when the Pacers took Danny Granger with the No. 17 pick in 2005. Though experts thought the Pacers got a steal, nobody expected him to become an All-Star or become one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. Granger was an All-Star in 2009 and was the league’s most improved player that year. He has become one of the greatest players in franchise history. For perspective, the six players taken before Granger in 2005 were Fran Vazquez, Yaroslav Korolev, Sean May, Rashad McCants, Antoine Wright and Joey Graham. Gerald Green was taken right after Granger at No. 18.
Roy Hibbert, the No. 17 pick the Pacers got in a draft-night deal in 2008, was an All-Star last year and has anchored arguably the NBA’s best defense this season. Only Hibbert, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love have become All-Stars out of that class.
There’s more. The Pacers already have gotten more out of 2009 first-round pick Tyler Hansbrough than just about anyone expected. Lance Stephenson, a second-round pickup, has become a productive NBA player.
As far as the draft goes, the only real bust since 2005 has been Shawne Williams, and he was a gifted athlete who would have been a star if his head was on straight.
Bird also excelled in free agency. David West, the team’s biggest free agent pickup last year, anchored the offense early this season while the team recovered from Granger’s knee injury and would have been a legitimate All-Star choice this season. George Hill, picked up in a draft-night deal in 2011, has been consistent and has proven his value.
Somewhere, Bird must be laughing at his critics. I would be.
George has done it the right way. The night he was picked, Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said George wasn’t a great defender yet, but he was active. To go from that less-than-ringing endorsement to the best defensive wing in the NBA in three years says something about George’s work ethic.
It also says something about Bird’s thought process. You don’t just scout talent, you scout willingness to work. You scout attitude. Bird often talked about selecting hardworking, high-character guys who know how to win. He hit the jackpot on this one. George has worked tirelessly, admirably defending Derrick Rose in the playoffs as a rookie and Dwyane Wade in the playoffs last year. George said last year after participating in the rookie-sophomore challenge and slam dunk contest that it was all about the real All-Star game, then elevated his game and got there.
He has taken advantage of the knee injury that has kept Granger out all season and blossomed into a star. He has done it all with calm, confidence and respect for the game. I’m not sure the 2016 Olympics are out of the question for him, depending on who else is around and how much more he improves.
George’s selection is a little more icing on the cake for Bird. Now, the Pacers are poised to challenge for an NBA title because of his moves.
Take a bow, Larry Legend. You won. Again.
