Charles Barkley on Tuesday blasted Paul George and his defenders for whining about how much criticism he receives.
DeMarcus Cousins was among those who gave an impassioned defense of George following PG’s big 41-point game to help his Clippers avoid elimination against the Suns in Game 5 on Monday. He said he didn’t understand where the narrative about George being a choker came from. Cousins questioned anyone who thinks George is a choker.
George also said it was a “fact” that he is unfairly targeted.
Paul George was asked if he, too, thinks he's picked on more than other stars: "I do. And it's the honest truth. It's a fact. But I can't worry about that. It comes with the job, I guess."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) June 29, 2021
During “Inside the NBA” on Tuesday, Barkley blasted all that talk. He said the scrutiny George faces is no different than what any other excellent/franchise player faces.
Charles Barkley is fed up with people saying Paul George is the "most scrutinized" player and is being treated unfairly pic.twitter.com/M3kLjh24Uw
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) June 30, 2021
Barkley is right. George wants to be considered a top player in the league and a franchise centerpiece. Part of the responsibilities of such a player is to carry his team in the postseason, which George consistently has failed to do. He also brought even more attention to himself by dubbing himself “Playoff P” and then failing to live up to the moniker.
The scrutiny George has received has been commensurate to his status as one of the top players in the league. Any extra criticism has been the result of George’s own doing.
