Clippers' DeMarcus Cousins Calls Out 'Trolling Bulls--t' Directed at Paul George

Los Angeles Clippers center DeMarcus Cousins came to his teammate's defense after Paul George dropped 41 points and 13 rebounds in a 116-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals on Monday.

Cousins told reporters following the game he "[doesn't] know where this trolling bulls--t comes from" and that George is "one of the most special players ever to lace his shoes up" (warning: tweet contains profanity):

George echoed a similar refrain when he said it's the "honest truth" and a "fact" he received undue criticism at times.

The seven-time All-Star was masterful in Game 5, and his 20 points in the fourth quarter were pivotal in warding off the Suns.

To some extent, though, that performance underscores why some are so vocal in wanting to see more from George in the playoffs. Few stars are better two-way players, and the 31-year-old has shown on multiple occasions he can be a No. 1 scoring option on a playoff team.

George raises the bar so high for himself that it becomes tough to ignore when he doesn't live up to the billing in the postseason.

You wouldn't expect an All-NBA player to shoot 4-of-16 from the floor as his team puts the finishing touches on a complete meltdown after leading a playoff series 3-1. Similarly, you can't sugarcoat George having 20 points on 7-of-37 shooting in back-to-back elimination games. He's simply too good to let that happen.

Having said that, the commentary can go overboard at times, most notably when George started receiving the "Pandemic P" moniker. Since earning his first All-Star appearance in 2013, he's averaging 23.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the playoffs.

In general, the occasionally harsh judgments—whether fair or not—come with the territory for a player in George's category. And narratives are inevitable in a situation that presents a clear winner and loser.

Just this offseason, the floodgates have opened for Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons after Philly's conference semifinals exit. Should the Milwaukee Bucks fail to win a title, Giannis Antetokounmpo's two MVPs won't make him immune to questions about whether he's a good enough playoff player.

As much as George is getting his deserved plaudits in the wake of Game 5, the conversation will shift in an entirely different direction if he runs out of gas and lays an egg in one of the next two outings.