With Paul George forcing LeBron James to shoot more than he'd like, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra asked his star to change the game. Spoelstra plopped LeBron in the post, where George's athleticism was negated by his inability to keep up with his counterpart's advanced post skills.
"I'm much better than I was two or three years ago," James said. "I've still got a lot of things to improve, but I could work down there all game now. That's something I probably couldn't have done two years ago."
James' prodigious ability and grace on the wing, as well as his more than competent shooting, make it easy to forget that he is listed at six feet, eight inches and 240 lbs. He is built like a power forward, and now has the array of moves down low to match his size.
In 41 minutes in a Game 3 victory, James was 8-of-17 from the floor, scored 22 points and attempted only one 3-pointer. George, who has cemented himself as one of the top defensive players in the NBA at his position, recognized the change in LeBron's approach and acknowledged he'll need to make adjustments of his own.
"I've just got to battle and push him out a little further," George said. "He's tough. He's obviously gifted physically and he's strong, so it's tough but it's something I've got to learn."
The physicality down low seemed to wear George down offensively as well, a development the Pacers cannot afford to allow to continue. George had his worst shooting night of the series, scoring 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting, and he missed three foul shots, going 5-of-8 from the line.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel may also want to consider matching up center Roy Hibbert on James occasionally, if the "King" parks himself in the paint early in certain possessions. Hibbert has been dominant this postseason, and although he lacks George's quickness, he could affect James' shots.
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