Team U.S.A Moving Forward

What started off as a pick up game full of anticipation to watch NBA superstars showcase their talent while wearing the Red, White, and Blue. Abruptly turned into a horror film starring small forward Paul George. Only 27 seconds had ticked off the clock at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Paul George chased down James Harden on a fast break contesting the shot at the rim. Now mind you this had happened multiple times during the week as the two played 1 on 1 after every USA team practice leading up to Friday nights Blue and White scrimmage. But this time Paul came down awkwardly at the bottom of the basket stanchion, which appeared to be closer than NBA regulation. The injury was immediately portrayed as horrific, or gruesome something like a Kevin Ware 2.0. 

Kevin Ware as we all know was injured in first half of the 2013 Elite eight game verses Duke. Oddly enough there was Coach Krzyzewski... Could he be bad luck?

Kevin Ware is now fully recovered playing for Georgia State. He says "it's very possible for Paul to have a full recovery and get back to playing All-Star basketball very soon. Plus P.G. is a lot stronger then i am, so i can only imagine how quickly he'll bounce back."

 George suffered a compound fracture to both the tibia and fibula. It was a clean break and had no ancillary damage. After a successful surgery his doctor's strongly believe he will make a full recovery and return to playing with the same athleticism he's always had. They also say the recovery process will more than likely take him through the entire 2014-15 season. 

  

George took to Twitter to thank his fans and supporters: "Thanks everyone for the love and support.. ill be ok and be back better then ever!!! love y'all!! #youngtrece"

With this injury to one of the NBA's brightest young players, it is sure to bring a mountain of questions. Should the NBA's star players be playing for team USA? Should the basket stanchion be moved back even further, as well as camera operators and photographers for players safety? A definite yes in my opinion, Paul George's injury wouldn't have happened if it would have been at NBA regulation. Will GM's vote to keep NBA players out of international play completely? We already know Mark Cuban's stance, will others join him? Adrian Wojnarowski reported one GM said its a "game-changer".

The Indiana Pacers released a statement on Saturday saying: "There is no question about the impact on our team but our goal is to be as strong-willed and determined as Paul will be in coming back. Our franchise has had setbacks in its history but has demonstrated the abilities to recover. Paul will provide the example of that off the court and it is up to the rest of us to provide that example on the court. Any discussion regarding the future of our team would be inappropriate at this time. Our focus is solely on Paul and doing whatever we can to help.

We still support USA Basketball and believe in the NBA's goals of exposing our game, our teams and players worldwide. This is an extremely unfortunate injury that occurred on a highly-visible stage, but could also have occurred anytime, anywhere."

Much like the stance Coach K. and Director of USA basketball Jerry Colangelo took during a post game media conference. Larry Bird is focussing on Paul and his recovery, not mentioning any roster implications or any other team related issues this injury may have caused. The Pacers can apply for additional money to help add another player to the roster, due to the fact that Paul won't return this season. Who can they get? Are there any free-agent players left that could help this team win? What other options do the Pacers have? Where are Danny Granger and Lance Stephenson when you need them? Many of the questions looming over a franchise that was a favorite to return to the Eastern Conference Finals.  

As Larry Bird said this injury could have occurred, "anytime, anywhere". The only reason these questions are being asked is because it happened during a nationally televised "glorified" pick up game. Is it unfortunate? Yes, but will it impact other players decisions to play for Team USA? I don't think so, and here's why. I can only imagine what its like to put on that jersey and represent your family, your NBA franchise, and your country. Something every athlete dreams of as a child. Not many people get the opportunity that's why everyone who is invited feels so honored and blessed to be apart of something bigger than themselves. It's a brother-hood, a fraternity, an experience that will be apart of you forever. I always think back to '91, (granted it was the year i was born), and the DREAM TEAM. They changed the world, they changed basketball as we knew it. They made it a global game, and gave every basketball fan something to be proud of. USA basketball has dominated the world stage and will continually do so. This is just a minor setback, something that we will have to move on from as Coach K. eluded to during the post game press conference. And i believe we will! #America #USAbasketball