Paul George ranked 5th best small forward by Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report recently released their rankings of the NBA’s top 15 small forwards for the 2018-19 season. Oklahoma City’s Paul George came in at No. 5 on the list. The two-way star was highlighted as a premier three-and-D player with the ability to take over as a primary scorer.

“As a shooter, George is a deadly presence who requires constant attention. He can knock down triples off the bounce. He can shoot in rhythm when passes hit him right in the pocket, and he’s adept at catching slightly off-target feeds from a driving Russell Westbrook before recovering and finding nothing but twine. Hitting 40.1 percent of your shots from outside the rainbow is never easy; it’s particularly challenging when you’re taking a whopping 7.7 attempts per game.”

George’s tremendous defensive play makes him a versatile star. The combination of Andre Roberson and George on the perimeter makes OKC’s perimeter defense one of the toughest matchups in the NBA, while the 28-year-old is consistently towards the top of the league in deflections. Bleacher Report’s profile did a nice job of touching on this.

“Though plenty of players are capable of jumping passing lanes and racking up deflections, few are able to do so with such remarkable frequency, to the point that his mere presence can force plays to unfold on another portion of the court. Fewer still can gamble incessantly but still recover to their assignments.”

Read the full list here.

George and the Thunder close out their preseason slate tomorrow night as they welcome in the Milwaukee Bucks to Chesapeake Energy Arena.