Paul George ‘completely high-quality’ being Clippers’ No. 2 behind Kawhi Leonard

LOS ANGELES — Paul George put aside any ego and made it clear that Kawhi Leonard is the LA Clippers’ No. 1 possibility and that he’s the second star within the All-Star duo’s pecking order.

As they enter their fourth season along with championship expectations, George was requested if there are any previous championship wing tandems that he and Leonard can use as a possible blueprint.

“Yeah, have a look at the [Miami Heat] wing-wing DWade [Dwyane Wade] and LeBron ]James],” George mentioned Sunday following the Clippers’ 119-117 preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Area. “I feel it simply comes all the way down to — pay attention, Kawhi is the No. 1. And I’m completely high-quality with that. I feel I attempt to complement him with with the ability to take the load off of him.

“All people says, ‘Kawhi [and] you might be 1 and 1, [or] 1A, 1B.’ I am going to publicly say, I am the two. Kawhi’s the 1, I am the two. In order that half we nipped within the bud. Like there isn’t any ego in the case of that.”

It is a pivotal season for Leonard and George, who want to make their first journey to the NBA Finals collectively since teaming up on the Clippers in the summertime of 2019.

Leonard, describing how he and George have grown collectively as leaders and their dynamic as a duo, pointed to their “real relationship.”

“We’re each unselfish,” mentioned Leonard. “My twelfth 12 months, his thirteenth 12 months … we have been via this earlier than, so I really feel like simply having these years below our belt and clearly, like I mentioned, now we have a real relationship and it simply carries over [into how we lead].”

The Clippers’ season opener towards the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 20 would be the duo’s first significant sport collectively since Leonard tore his proper ACL in Sport 4 of Los Angeles’ second-round playoff collection towards Utah on June 14, 2021. George picked up the load and led the Clippers to their first-ever Western Convention finals look that postseason with out Leonard.

With Leonard lacking the whole lot of the 2021-22 season, George carried the Clippers till he suffered an elbow damage to his taking pictures arm that stored him out for 3 months. He got here again late within the common season however missed the Clippers’ second and closing play-in sport as a result of COVID-19.

Since teaming up in L.A., George and Leonard have performed in a complete of 104 regular-season and postseason video games collectively. Now the 2 are again sharing the court docket with George having been the Clippers’ high scoring possibility since June 2021. And George says he’s completely high-quality with Leonard returning to the position of first possibility.

“I consider in my expertise and what I can do,” George mentioned. “And I consider on any night time of what I’m able to. However I really feel my job is to make all people higher. That’s what I attempt to do when I’m on the ground, simply make the sport simple for everyone, whether or not it’s creating or simply being aggressive … and making reads off of that.

“I feel we’ll go a protracted methods if all people simply is aware of their position and what we deliver to the desk. The whole lot else is simple, we simply roll the ball out and we get after it.”

George and different teammates say Leonard has proven a pleasure in being again after spending the final 13-14 months bulking up and strengthening his knee. Clippers coach Ty Lue says his reserved star has even opened up extra.

“I imply I missed a complete 12 months lacking basketball,” Leonard mentioned. “I went down in one of many worst methods, in a playoff run. Simply do not wanna take something as a right and simply attempting to stay in that second and produce a way of power for the staff.”

“I am younger nonetheless,” added Leonard, who’s 31. “So any probability you get that taken away from you and you do not really feel such as you’re accomplished … You simply miss it, you already know what I imply?”