First impressions are everything, so when the Oklahoma City Thunder opened the season losing their first four games a lot of people wrote them off. Never mind that they won ten out of their next eleven games. That winning stretch helped kickstart the Thunder’s quiet rise up the rankings in the Western Conference Standings until December 10th when they reached the number one seed.
Not only do they currently hold homeport in the west, but they also have the best road win percentage in the west at 58%. This goes back to the old saying “defense travels”. OKC has no problem on the defensive end, leading the league in defensive rating allowing 101.6 points per 100 possessions. PG is currently the only player to average 24 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game. He’s leading the league in loose balls recovered with 2.2 per game showing how hard he is playing on a nightly basis. Paul’s off ball defense has been elite, using his length to disrupt passing lanes, helping OKC lead the league with 10.4 steals per game.
Of course Russell Westbrook is a huge reason for their success. He’s averaging a 22 point triple double, which seems to be expected. While Russ continues his reign as MVP, Paul George is making his case to be the next Thunder to win it. Side note; the Thunder have had 3 players on their roster who have won MVP: Harden, Durant, Westbrook. Between this abundance of talent they have yet to win a championship. Paul George could continue this tradition this year if he keeps it up.
George is averaging career highs in PPG, RPG, APG, STL, and BLK. During his 47 point outing against the Utah Jazz, PG hit his first career go-ahead attempt with 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter or overtime. It’s also worth mentioning that Paul George has one of the hottest shoes out on the market right now, including his calibration with Playstation for his PG 2.5.
2018 seems to be the year of George. With OKC being a top team in the crowded Western Conference and PG playing hard on both ends, The case is there for Playoff P to become MVP.
Make sure to follow Kyle Brandon on twitter @Goodluckkyle and follow 48 Minutes Network @48minutesntwrk.
