Two years ago, Damian Lillard hit what has been to this point the biggest shot of his career when he buried the Oklahoma City Thunder with a deep three at the buzzer that has become part of Trail Blazers lore.
After the game, Paul George was asked about how you defend something like that, and he responded that it was “a bad shot,” which earned him plenty of backlash from fans and was really the beginning of the public somewhat turning on George.
On Sunday night, George watched as Lillard and Stephen Curry buried deep three after deep three in the All-Star Game, capped off by Lillard’s 42-foot game-winner for Team LeBron and was asked if he’s changed his tune on that shot. George, to his credit, said he was rightfully criticized for his past comments on the long threes, which for guys like Dame and Steph have become part of their game, and now has done a 180 and now calls it a “great shot” after seeing them go in for his squad in the All-Star Game.
I asked Paul George about the range in today’s NBA.
PG: “Well I guess i was criticized for the right reason for calling Dame’s shot in the playoffs a bad shot. I mean I see this guy’s range is crazy.”
Me: “So is that no longer a bad shot?”
PG: “It’s a great shot. 2 thumbs up.” pic.twitter.com/fFZhlNREvc
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 8, 2021
It is fascinating to see in real time how quickly that shot has become just part of the NBA game, albeit not a halfcourt heave quite in the way Dame and Steph were pulling in the All-Star Game, and for those two and a select few others, it really is a good shot because of how it warps the defense. Obviously it helps to be on the right end of that shot, but it seems George has come around to the new reality of that shot being not just a part of the game today but a good shot for the right guys.