Paul George could make Clippers’ debut against the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets will face off against the Los Angeles Clippers soon. Here’s the update on one player who could make the difference in the matchup.

The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference thus far, and have been playing without Paul George, who is one of their star players. George has been recovering from shoulder surgery he had over the summer and has been held out of action through the Clips’ first eight games.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic (subscription required), the wait for PG-13 may not last much longer, as Amick reports that George could make his Clippers’ debut during the Nov. 13 matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets. George is one of the marquee 3-point shooters in the NBA and joins teammate Kawhi Leonard as one of the premier two-way players in the league.

The Rockets have certainly had their struggles on the defensive end, as they’ve been allowing 121.8 points per game, which is the most they’ve allowed since the 1969-70 season, in which they allowed the same amount of points per game.

George made 39.4 percent of his 3-pointers over the course of the last two seasons and is a career 37.8 percent shooter from deep, which could spell trouble for the Rockets’ defense. The Clippers have been averaging 114.2 points per game during the 2019-20 season without Paul George, which is 11th best in the league. The Clippers are shooting 35.4 percent from deep, which is 12th best in the league, and the Rockets are surrendering 40.3 percent from deep, which is second to last in the league.

It’s safe to say that George’s presence could mean trouble for the Rockets, especially on the defensive end. But if the Rockets are going to be legitimate contenders in the Western Conference, they will have to get past the Clippers in the playoffs, so it would be very beneficial for the Rockets to know what adjustments they’ll need to make.

This will ensure they will be able to defeat the Clippers in the postseason even with a fully healthy George. The Rockets will surely want to face a healthy Clippers team early in the year, as it will help them realize where they need to improve in advance of the postseason.