Reunion week continues for the Pacers.
On the second night of back-to-back – after handling the Minnesota Timberwolves (with Jeff Teague and Aaron Brooks) – the Pacers should be fired up as they face Paul George for the first time since dealing him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in late June.
George, through his agent, informed Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard that he would not be re-signing with the organization that drafted him in 2010 following this season, and would instead opt for free agency. That was a classy gesture. However, word spread across the league that he was determined to play for his hometown team, the Los Angeles — which diminished his trade value.
Just six players are back from last year’s roster, headlined by Myles Turner. The Pacers’ starting center, however, is in the concussion protocol and will miss his fourth straight game.
Royce Young does a terrific job on the Oklahoma City Thunder beat for ESPN.com. On this podcast, we look ahead to George facing off against his former team and how he has adjusted to the Thunder as well as playing alongside two other stars.
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Topics Discussed:
- Paul George’s outlook and goals for the season
- OKC general manager Sam Presti’s aggressive move in trading for George and Carmelo Anthony
- The culture of the Thunder and their impact on the community
- Domantas Sabonis being misused by the Thunder
- Victor Oladipo not being appreciated