Paul George likes his long jumpers: ‘I’m not a fan of analytics’

Indiana Pacers star Paul George doesn’t care for “analytics,” whatever the heck that means in 2015. He doesn’t want to be bombarded with statistics that dive deeper into the game than your usual box score ticks, and in a lot of ways this is understandable.

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George, who oddly lost out on Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday, discussed as much with the Indianapolis Star’s Candace Buckner:

The Pacers lead the NBA in attempts from 15 to 19 feet (19.3 per game), an area deemed the most inefficient shot in basketball for those who subscribe to analytical theories. And guess who ranks second overall in shots from the mid-range?

“I’m not a fan of analytics,” said George, who takes 4.9 shots per game from 15-19 feet, second only to Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin for most in the NBA.

“The greatest player to ever play this game was a midrange jump shooter in Michael Jordan,” George continued. “At that time no one had nothing to say. It’s about what’s best for that player and what’s the skill set of that player. We have a lot of guys who are more than capable at shooting well from the midrange. So I don’t know what to say about analytics. It works for some systems. I’m not a believer of analytics. That’s just how it is.”

As with most that like to cast a wide net, George’s hyperbole actually confirms that, yeah, he’s kind of into analytics without being “a fan of analytics.”

Indiana’s offense, currently stuck at 23rd in the NBA, could use some tidying up, but George’s game is doing just fine. Yes, he shoots quite a few long two-point jumpers, but he also makes them at a rate that is more than acceptable for someone with his level of volume in this realm. You’d like to think that those long twos would be better served as mad dashes to the basket, but George’s 7.4 free throw attempts per game rank him sixth in the NBA thus far in 2015-16.

The Pacer swingman averages 24.3 points per game on 43 percent shooting, he’s made over 38 percent of his three-pointers thus far, and he contributes 8.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest. His statistics are right in line with how he ran in 2013-14, when he was an MVP candidate, and while he’s shooting slightly more long twos this season, it’s hardly a worrying uptick (especially when you consider that George’s Pacers are only 10 games into the season).

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It’s understandable that for some players, especially younger players, that they might not want to be bombarded with the sort of new information that could set their heads a tizzy. George might need to know where his best spots are at when he’s declining in his 30s, but for not letting him play free and easy might be the best course – akin to a batter not wanting to know what pitch is coming up next, so as not to overthink things.

Equating “analytics” with “don’t ever take long twos” would be missing the point, though. As George points out, some players are just fine feasting on long perimeter jumpers, with Jordan as the principle avatar. MJ was a knockout midrange shooter and a lacking three-point shooter (especially when the arc was where it’s currently placed), and his line-drive 18-foot fadeaway was certainly a preferable option to him lining up from long range, or risking his 30-something body on a drive to the hoop.

Players as disparate as George, Ray Allen, Chris Paul, and even an iffy shooter like Derrick Rose are just fine to fire away from 19 feet, as they’ve developed the talents needed to make that shot a threat. Yes, the shot limits your access to the free throw line, and “three” will always be more than “two,” but that doesn’t mean the shot needs to be banned outright from every player’s repertoire. Statistics would also say not to make a one-handed pass or jump in the air without knowing what your next move will be, but Steve Nash and Russell Westbrook’s play would disabuse any coach of that notion.

George’s shots from around the rim have fallen this season, his first full campaign since gruesomely breaking his right leg during a Team USA scrimmage in 2014, but those attempt counts can partially be blamed on just how often the Pacers swingman is earning trips to the line. Whatever he’s doing now, it’s working – maybe teammate C.J. Miles should pass on hoisting 19-footers, but George is good to go.

For now, at least. Because to completely dismiss any new information as “analytics” and something to disregard full swipe would be doing your game and the game an injustice. Paul George may not need any new information at age 25 and in full health, but as his career rolls along he’s going to have to learn to be open to the fact that this game never stops teaching us new things.

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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops