Paul George Will Prove He's the NBA's Most Underrated Superstar During 2013-14

The Indiana Pacers saw everything they needed to see from Paul George last season.

Just months after the former Fresno State star secured the Most Improved Player award and nearly guided the Pacers to the NBA Finals, Indiana rewarded the swingman with a five-year maximum contract extension.

Already that contract looks like a bargain. The Pacers (4-0) hold the league's only unblemished record, and the 23-year-old is making a compelling case to become the league's first repeat M.I.P. award winner.

Frankly, he's set himself up for a strong run at a different kind of NBA hardware. From most improved to most valuable? Anything is possible for the league's most overlooked superstar.

"Tremendous Upside"

George has shown a little bit of everything since the Pacers snagged him with the No. 10 pick of the 2010 draft.

He's silenced opposing scorers at the defensive end. He traveled the long road from complementary piece to go-to scorer in a flash, adding nearly 10 points to his scoring average from his rookie season (7.8) to his third run through the league (17.4 in 2012-13).

He's changed games with his rebounding, passing and frenetic defending. He's found comfort shooting from inside and out, frustrating defenders both with silky-smooth triples and explosive finishes above the rim.

George was good, but the potential for greatness just oozed out of his 6'8" frame. Pacers coach Frank Vogel gushed over George's ceiling after Indiana locked up its rising star, via NBA.com:

"

I think there's a tremendous amount of upside. He's probably the best wing defender in the game already and he's only 23, and when you have the work ethic and drive he has, there's tremendous upside there.

"

That potential is gone now. It's been replaced by wild productivity and a simple message to the rest of the league—George isn't coming, he's here:

Through four games, George leads the Pacers in scoring (27.0) and steals (2.3). He's tied for the team lead in rebounds (8.8) and ranks second in assists (4.3) and fourth in blocks (0.8).

It's a minuscule sample size, for sure, but his across-the-board production is currently registering at a historic level. Only once in league history (Michael Jordan—of course—in 1988-89) has a player averaged at least 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

How sustainable is his current pace? That probably depends more on the players around him more than it does on George.

Lance Stephenson (16.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists) isn't going to make Danny Granger's eventual return easy. Roy Hibbert (46.4 field-goal percentage) and David West (35.9) have to find their offensive footing to keep defenses from swarming George.

George has too many roles right now. He's transitioning from scorer to distributor, rebounder to perimeter stopper, all while logging over 36 minutes a night.

Sustaining that kind of effort over a full 82-game schedule might be asking a bit much. Then again, it might not be possible to put too much on his plate.

"I Want This Moment"

Few players entered 2013-14 with more pressure than George.

After his strong showing against four-time MVP LeBron James in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals and subsequent jackpot payday, all eyes were locked on the Circle City's star.

In other words, it was exactly how George wanted it:

These weren't just empty words, though. The proof was in the production and the way he went about compiling that sizzling stat sheet.

He was an adequate floor-spacer last season (36.2 percent) and has returned as an elite-level sniper (45.2). The Pacers' lack of competent ball-handlers spelled their postseason demise; George looks like he spent his summer at street ball camp:

His offense is trumping even the most glowing projections from seasons past. His offensive rating (118), true shooting percentage (66.7), effective field-goal percentage (62.9) and player efficiency rating (30.6) are shattering his previous career highs.

He's a tough cover regardless of the situation. He's shooting 50 percent on his drives, 66.7 percent from in close, 52.4 percent on catch-and-shoot looks and 43.2 percent on pull-up jumpers, via NBA.com. Send multiple defenders his way and he'll pick you apart with pinpoint deliveries. Force the ball out of his hands and he's still a threat moving off the ball.

And his defense is as good as it's ever been. He's the top perimeter defender on the league's stingiest defense—Indiana leads the NBA in defensive rating (86.1), points against (85.5) and field-goal percentage against (37.9)—and a pest as a thief, shot-blocker and rebounder.

He has the traditional numbers to excite common fans and the advanced stats to please the analytical crowd:

Even this extra attention doesn't feel like enough, though. But that will change shortly.

Work To Be Done

For everything that George has already flashed this season, there's still so much room for him to grow.

His decision-making needs polishing (3.5 turnovers per game). His newfound handles still have to survive the swarming defenses he's sure to face.

But all of this is good news for the Pacers.

They have one of the league's most talented players, and he's just starting to scratch the surface of his full ability.

Unfinished business seems to be the phrase that pays for these Pacers.

Indiana had the Larry O'Brien trophy within its sights last season, before the two-time defending champion Miami Heat ripped it away. George was preparing for his moment in the sun, before James sent him into the shadows.

This is a show-and-prove season for the Pacers, and George is passing all of his tests with flying colors.

Putting any label—underrated, overlooked, unheralded—before the word star in George's title seems like a slight. Luckily, he's shedding those labels by the second.

*Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.