The Los Angeles Clippers have done better than expected this season without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Currently, the team sits at the eighth seed with a record of 37-39.
That’s not great, of course, but it’s better than some had imagined.
But the team’s luck may be turning around because George returned to the team on Tuesday night and he was in fine form yet again
Paul George in his first game of 2022:
34 PTS (20 in the 3rd)
6 AST
5 STL
6-9 3PIn 31 minutes. pic.twitter.com/rzuM45Ppmu
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 30, 2022
With 34 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 6-of-9 three-pointers in 31 minutes, George looked like no time had passed at all.
How does this help the Clippers as the playoffs begin?
Play-In Paul
At eighth seed, the Clippers are currently set to participate in the NBA play-in tournament.
That means they will have to battle it out to secure a spot in the playoffs.
It’s likely they will square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now that George is back, the team’s offense was just upgraded in a huge way.
But as his five steals from Tuesday prove, their defense will be taken up a notch as well.
If George remains a great two-way player, the team could foreseeably take down the Timberwolves and start their postseason run.
However, the road ahead for the Clippers isn’t easy.
They next face off against the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Phoenix Suns.
They will need to make sure to stay strong in the next couple of weeks to ensure they enter the play-in in good shape.
Before he was injured earlier this season, George was playing some of the best basketball of his career (25 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists).
If he returns to that level of play, there is plenty of hope for the future of the Clippers.
NEXT: Paul George Is Moving Like Someone Ready To Play Again