NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 19: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Paul George #24 of the Indiana Pacers in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 19, 2014 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Indiana Pacers star Paul George heading into next season, NBA 2K16 rated George as the fifth-best small forward in the game.
The players ahead of George are all worthy.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant are probably the two best players in the game on paper (Durant's case depends on his health). Kawhi Leonard has blossomed into a top-15, if not top-10, player. The one player who may not belong so high is Carmelo Anthony, but he's a great scorer, and it's a video game, so his high rating makes sense.
Based on last season's production, and the fact that no one can project how exactly George will recover from last season's injury, one can make a case that Gordon Hayward merits consideration as the fifth-best small forward. But George is also the cover athlete for 2K16's mobile app, MyNBA2K16, so he probably gets a slight boost.
When healthy, of course, George is undoubtedly better than Anthony and possibly Leonard, so it'll be interesting to monitor how his rating changes by the end of the season. And who knows, maybe he won't be competing with small forwards anymore.
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