54d | RotoWire
News
George underwent an elbow procedure earlier in the offseason to address bursitis in his shooting arm, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post reports. According to Bontemps, George had "complained off-an-on during the season that he was dealing with 'tightness' in his forearm."
Impact
Despite having 18-to-20 ounces of excess blood sitting in the sac of his elbow, George still managed to shoot 40.1 percent from three -- the second-highest mark of his career. However, he did see his free-throw percentage dip from 89.9 to 82.2, suggesting the injury was bothering him in some way. This isn't the first news that George had been playing the season beat up, as he also underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May. On the knee, the All-Star notes, "It still has a long way to go. ... It looks like I'm doing well, but I'm still working through some stuff, and still working on trusting and putting full confidence in my leg. I'm a little ways away, but there's no pain, there's no swelling, there's nothing I'm concerned about. I'm just not at the level I need to be." Assuming he gets his body right, George could be in for an elevated second year in Oklahoma City, especially with the departure of Carmelo Anthony, which leaves 16.2 points per game on the table.
85d | RotoWire
News
George (ankle) will sign a four-year, $137 million max contract with the Thunder, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports.
Impact
George declined his player option last week to become an unrestricted free agent, but didn't take long to make a decision. He'll return to Oklahoma City after averaging 21.9 points per game for the Thunder in 2017-18.
87d | RotoWire
News
George (ankle) informed Thunder officials Thursday that he will decline his $20.7 million player option for the 2018-19 season and officially become an unrestricted free agent Sunday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Impact
George's decision was always viewed as an inevitably with the All-Star forward set to command a higher annual salary on the open market and likely to have a slew of teams interested in bringing him aboard. Wojnarowski relays that the Lakers, 76ers and Rockets are among the top suitors linked to George, who is eligible to sign a five-year, $176 million contract extension this offseason. In an effort to exert more control over his future, however, George may have more interest in inking a "one-plus-one" contract that would allow him to opt out of his deal again at this time next summer.
137d | RotoWire
News
George underwent a scope procedure on his left knee Wednesday and will be able to return to basketball activities in six to eight weeks, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.
Impact
George saw a heavy workload to end the postseason, playing 40 or more minutes in the last five games of the season. It's unclear how long the knee was bothering him, but the fact that he was able to push the procedure off until the end of the season likely means that the injury was anything too serious. The timetable puts George out until the end of June or early July, meaning he should be able to go once training camp starts.
148d | RotoWire
News
George posted only five points (2-16 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight assists, three rebounds and one steal across 45 minutes during Oklahoma City's 96-91 loss to the Jazz in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Impact
George couldn't have picked a more untimely juncture to have his shot go cold, and his final miss turned out to be a back-breaker for the Thunder. The All-Star forward's 29-footer with 18 seconds left came up short, and George couldn't get the benefit of a call despite Rudy Gobert making clear contact with him as he released the ball. George's 12.5 percent success rate from the floor was naturally his worst of the series, and it marked only the second time over the six games he'd shot under 40.0 percent. Despite the significant downturn Friday, he finished the first round with impressive averages of 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals across 41.8 minutes.
150d | RotoWire
News
George produced 34 points (12-26 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 8-10 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block across 45 minutes during Oklahoma City's 107-99 win over the Jazz in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Impact
Along with Russell Westbrook, George co-led the Thunder's jaw-dropping comeback from a 25-point second-half deficit, posting his second-highest scoring total of the series in the process. The 27-year-old has been sharp with his shot save for a ragged Game 2, and he now sports a solid 45.2 percent success rate from the floor over the five games against the Jazz. With the Thunder once again facing elimination in Game 6 on Friday, George is likely to be heavily involved once again.
152d | RotoWire
News
George totaled 32 points (9-21 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 12-12 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two steals across 40 minutes during Oklahoma City's 113-96 loss to the Jazz in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Impact
George's scoring total was tops on the team for the second straight game, but OKC dropped another double-digit decision to the Jazz. The All-Star forward has been spectacular in three of the first four games of the series, scoring between 23 and 36 points while shooting a solid 44.9 percent overall, including 42.5 percent from three-point range. George will undoubtedly be heavily involved again when the Thunder tries to stave off elimination on its home floor in Wednesday's Game 5.
155d | RotoWire
News
George posted 23 points (7-16 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 6-6 FT), three assists, two rebounds and two steals across 40 minutes during Oklahoma City's 115-102 loss to the Jazz in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Impact
George's scoring and minutes totals both paced the Thunder on the night, and he bounced back nicely from a 28.6 percent shooting tally in Game 2. While George's performance was encouraging, the Jazz did a highly impressive job containing Russell Westbrook, leaving the Thunder nowhere close to a win. George may have to push his shot attempts back over 20 -- as was the case in the first two games of the series -- for OKC to have a chance of evening matters up at 2-2 in Game 4 on Monday.
158d | RotoWire
News
George scored 18 points (6-21 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 2-4 FT) to go along with 10 rebounds, three blocks and one assist across 43 minutes during Wednesday's 102-95 loss to the Jazz.
Impact
George struggled with his shot in this one, connecting on 29 percent of his attempts from the field and missing eight times from beyond the arc. He achieved a double-double as he led the team in rebounding and played his usual tough defense, but one would think the team could have fared better had he come up with a better night at the offensive end. George, who enjoyed a terrific performance in the series opener, will take averages of 27 points, 8.5 rebounds and six treys per contest into Saturday's Game 3.
159d | RotoWire
News
George (hip) is not listed on the Thunder's injury report ahead of Game 2 against the Jazz, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman reports.
Impact
George was battling a hip bruise after Sunday's explosive Game 1 performance, but his status was never in much doubt. Expect George, who had eight three-pointers in Game 1, to start and be available in full capacity Wednesday night.
2010: R1 10th
