Paul George reveals Joe Ingles is his most challenging match-up but credits him for keeping him locked in during the 2021 Playoffs

 

Paul George has revealed that the player match-up that he finds most challenging is Joe Inglis. The topic was raised at Paul George’s recent episode of Podcast P where Los Angles Clippers star Terence Mann spilled the beans.

When the topic was raised, Mann answered, “When I first got here, it was Joe Ingles… That’s who he was for the longest [time].”

George had to admit that he finds it irritating to guard or be guarded by Joe Ingles. He feels that Ingles has helped him get locked in many times while others feel that his opponent is getting under his skin.

“I would say he gave me problems from like an annoying standpoint like he was just such an annoying player. And for me, he doesn’t know that, but he helped me — people think like oh I’m getting under his skin like I’m gonna make him off his game — but that actually locks me in,” Paul George explained.

George explains how playing against Ingles inspires him to forget his offensive struggles only to make a shot against him. He feels that in a way Ingles helps him in improving his game. “I could be shooting badly or going through a rough patch. That locks me into like right now, everything’s about to be calculated like I’m gonna make sure I get a bucket on you,” George added.

Mann and George remembered when they had to face the Utah Jazz and Joe Ingles in the 2021 Western Conference semifinals. The Clippers won the series 4-2 after going down 2-0, they won the next four games.

George was exceptional in that series as he and Kawhi Leonard combined and made it very difficult for the Jazz. Hence, Terence Mann says that George was totally locked in.

“I may have shown him that Utah series like you were locked in. Every game, he was locked in,” Mann said.

Paul George explained how the Jazz were keeping him at bay and guarding him very closely. He shared how Royce O’Neal also did not give him an inch but that worked in his favour as he got locked in and started dropping in those shots.

“I was locked in because then he taught… I don’t know if he taught Royce O’Neal some of his b*******… but then Royce and the whole team were doing it. I’m like ‘Come on bro!’ It was just corny s*** going on in that series that I was like, ‘Alright, I’m locked in. Let’s go!”

Courtesy of Leonard and George’s heroics, the Clippers knocked out the Jazz in the 2021 Western Conference semifinals in six games as they made their way to the Conference finals, which unfortunately they lost to the Phoenix Suns.