Paul George's Return Is Victory That Means Most for Pacers

While gracefully scaling the sky toward NBA stardom, Paul George has never been shy to show his appreciation, or seek the support, of those already in that exalted class.

He has made no secret of modeling his approach after Kobe Bryant, and he went so far as to publicly reveal, even as his Pacers were competing with LeBron James' Miami Heat for Eastern Conference supremacy, that he wished to "pick his brain, pick his mind and just be able to talk about the game" over the summer, something that James was "absolutely" open to oblige. 

But, whatever George has gleaned from the greats, he has been unable to apply this season, following a gruesome leg injury in a USA Basketball exhibition in August in Las Vegas.

At the time, the odds were against a return at any point this season, which is why Saturday's news announced by the team—that he will be in uniform Sunday night against the Miami Heat—is so welcome. Simply stepping on the court in a competitive game should be deemed an unequivocal success, a tribute to his desire and determination, and a sign that the Eastern Conference won't be so embarrassingly subpar next season.

Just don't be staring too hard at the stat sheet or scoreboard.

It's not time for that now. 

That needs to be stated clearly, even as the Pacers have recovered from a six-game losing streak to split their last six, which has been enough to stay breathing in the sadsack East.

They entered Saturday's NBA play just 1.5 games behind Miami for the eighth and final spot in the postseason bracket. If the hobbled Heat lose to Detroit on Saturday, and the Pacers beat the Heat on Sunday, they would be tied and, actually ahead, since they hold the tiebreaker based on the head-to-head record.

That makes Sunday's game about as must-win as any can get this season; except it's not, because it's not about this season. Not at all. Not for Indiana. Not when George's long-term health is the most important factor in the Pacers contending in the East into the future, especially with Roy Hibbert leveling off and David West already 34, and holding an opt-out clause this offseason.

There's nothing wrong with George returning, not if he, the doctors and Pacers executives are all comfortable that the titanium rod in his leg is strong and that his conditioning is adequate. It does seem as if they've been exceedingly careful, as coach Frank Vogel told reporters that they considered bringing him back earlier, but team president Larry Bird—a paragon of toughness as a player—didn't feel he was ready. 

"Him being out there is a home run," Vogel told reporters Saturday. "Him being out there is a great story." 

That's a sentiment that is undoubtedly shared throughout the league. Saturday, after Cavaliers practice in Independence, Ohio, James said that while "we knew eventually it would happen," no one knew it would be this fast. 

"But I think it’s great for our league," James said. "It’s great for the fans of Indiana, for sure, to have him back there, and I know that it’s a great feeling for himself. He probably had many dreams, or nightmares, about the incident that had happened and to see him being back on the floor Sunday, I think it’s a pretty good thing."

James was even more emphatic when asked about expectations.

"You shouldn’t ask much out of him at all," James said. "Be excited about him being back out on the floor and seeing him back in a uniform, but to ask of him what he was capable doing last year right now, I think is unfair." 

It's unfair, because it's impossible. Bird provided insight on how the team will handle George's return to the court, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears:

There's always rust when a star returns after a lengthy absence—Michael Jordan missed 21 of 28 shots in his return to the Bulls on March 19, 1995, and he wasn't returning from a traumatic injury but, rather, a stint with baseball's Birmingham Barons. And there's always an uncomfortable period of adjustment for teammates, no matter how slowly the star works back in.

There are countless such examples, but, since Miami is Sunday's opponent, consider the Heat's 2000-01 season.

Alonzo Mourning, then the franchise centerpiece, missed the first 69 games after a diagnosis of kidney disease, and Pat Riley's Heat actually fared reasonably well, winning 42 times, with the late Anthony Mason flourishing in a larger role, just as George Hill and Rodney Stuckey have elevated their games in George's absence.

They were 8-5 after Mourning's return, as he started three times and averaged 23.5 minutes. But they came unraveled in the first round, getting swept by Charlotte as Mason stewed about his reduced role.

The Pacers have only six games left and would need to win at least four, including Sunday night, to have any shot of extending their season, for four or five or at most six playoff games against Atlanta or Cleveland.

Certainly, the emotional impact of George's return could be significant Sunday, especially against the road-weary Heat (on the second night of a back-to-back) and in front of a packed Bankers Life Fieldhouse, on the night between the NCAA men's basketball semifinals and final. 

But it doesn't appear the Pacers' precarious position, in terms of qualifying for the postseason, played into Bird's decision to rubber stamp his return. In fact, several NBA insiders—with secondhand knowledge of the Pacers' practice sessions—have told Bleacher Report that they believe the Pacers would have a better shot in this closing stretch if they didn't play George at all, simply because they're hearing he is much less dynamic than his former self.

In fact, one popular insider's perception is that this is as much a reward, for all of George's hard work, as anything else, the sort that is commonly given to rehabilitating players so long as it doesn't come at their physical detriment and even if it might temporarily set a team back some. 

Even Vogel said Saturday that he didn't expect all of that explosiveness to come back until sometime next season. Game action won't expedite that, but it may alleviate any of George's lingering worries about his repaired limb, as he runs and jumps along with other elite athletes—in the Heat's case, desperate ones, too.

It will give him a better idea of how far he still needs to go, to get back to where he was. So, even if George plays poorly, in whatever minutes Vogel allocates, it shouldn't be held against him, or Bird, or anyone in the Indiana organization. It's all for a greater purpose. IndyStar Sports' Candace Buckner shared Vogel's expectations regarding George:

If George shows anything positive at all, that will also give NBA fans, especially those who haven't abandoned the Eastern Conference, a glimpse of what could be an exceptional 2015-16 season, one that may stop some of the calls for conference rebalancing or postseason reformatting. 

The Heat and Pacers—conference finalists in 2013 and 2014 and led by exceptional executives—should be serious threats to return to their prior prominence, each likely winning at least 50 games if the Pacers keep West, the Heat keep Goran Dragic and George and Chris Bosh both return to All-Star levels.

Provided that Kevin Love stays in Cleveland, Paul Millsap stays in Atlanta and Tom Thibodeau stays in Chicago—or someone competent takes his place—that's at least five solid squads, with Jabari Parker healing and likely improving for the intriguing young Bucks, and Washington and Toronto still talented enough to remain somewhere above the slop. 

That's next season, though. 

This season, for the Pacers and others, is nearly done.   

Paul George isn't a savior. 

He's a player.

That's not something he was supposed to be so soon.

That's an expectation he's exceeded, and the last one that's appropriate. Until next season. Then, perhaps, with the appreciation and support of others, he can start retracing those steps toward stardom. 

Ethan Skolnick covers the NBA for Bleacher Report.