Is Paul George soft? It depends on who you ask.
To most, the thought of PG-13 being labeled ‘soft’ may come as a surprise. This is a four-time All-NBA defender we’re talking about.
Yet, if we ask his former teammate Evan Turner, he’d say the Los Angeles Clippers’ nine-time All-Star has a tendency to fold in the biggest moments.
“PG has a history of of not showing up, which is an understatement. I never met a human that would let a media rumor drive his energy or personality…Like somebody was like I heard he going to Philly. You know how soft that team gonna be if he and Embiid go together? It’d probably be the most skilled duo ever since Kobe and Shaq.”
Evan Turner on Paul George
Paul George's former teammate, Evan Turner, says George has a "history of not showing up" and believes a duo of Paul George and Joel Embiid would be "soft."
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 8, 2024
“I never met a human that would let a media rumor drive his energy or personality…You know how soft that team gonna be if… pic.twitter.com/lgcSxxwvZT
For the record, Turner and George only briefly overlapped for a total of 27 games during the 2013-14 season with the Indiana Pacers.
Still, it’s shocking to hear Turner trash-talk his former teammate so harshly, especially someone as respected as George. Yet, maybe there’s some truth to what he’s saying.
As talented as the six-time All-NBA star is, George has never made it to the NBA Finals, and he hasn’t participated in the Conference Finals since 2021. Not to mention, George’s playoff shooting percentage is noticeably worse in the playoffs (42% FG, 35% 3PT) compared to the regular season (44% FG, 38% 3PT). While postseason competition is always far superior, perhaps Turner’s comments have more truth behind them than we thought.
Related: 7 ideal Jimmy Butler trade landing spots this summer, including Knicks, Lakers, and 76ers