Clippers’ Paul George selected as a reserve for the NBA All-Star game

Clippers star Paul George was selected for the NBA All-Star game for the seventh time in his 11-year career Tuesday when he was announced as one of the reserves for the league’s March 7 exhibition in Atlanta.

It is George’s first selection since joining the Clippers in 2019 via a trade with Oklahoma City, and it will give the Clippers two representatives in this year’s game, along with Kawhi Leonard, who was voted a starter last week.

After saying before training camp that he was “in a great place” because he was healthy enough to train in the offseason, the 6-foot-8 George is off to one of the best starts of his career, averaging 24.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and a career-high 5.5 assists while shooting 51% overall, 47% on three-point attempts and 89% on free throws.

George, who in December agreed to extend his contract an additional four seasons and $190 million, is the only player this season to average at least 24 points while shooting at least 45% from behind the arc. On Feb. 3 he became the first player in Clippers history to record multiple games with at least eight made three-pointers.

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Because of injuries and being placed in the NBA health and safety protocols, George has missed 10 of 32 games. The Clippers (22-10) are 5-5 without him and have averaged eight fewer points per 100 possessions, while allowing four more points defensively, when he isn’t on the court.

Votes by players, fans and media decided the All-Star game starters. A vote of the NBA’s 30 coaches determined the reserves. The teams’ captains, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, will draft their teams from the pool of starters and reserves March 4.