Kawhi Leonard says Paul George's leadership goes beyond scoring

Paul George was "unstoppable" against the Lakers, but that's not the only thing that mattered

In the words of Clippers head coach Ty Lue, Paul George was "unstoppable" against the Lakers. Last season, George said he wanted to make Kawhi Leonard's life easier, that's exactly what he did on opening night. 

George had 33 points in 35 minutes on 13/18 shooting. It didn't matter what the Lakers did in the second half, he seemed to just sink every single shot. Through that momentum, the Clippers were able to rally and win the game in the fourth quarter.

"Just being assertive, being aggressive," George said.

While everyone was impressed with George's shooting stroke, Kawhi Leonard said that's not the determining factor in what makes him a leader. In a rare moment of emotion, Kawhi Leonard strongly emphasized post-game on how it's not fair to judge someone as a leader based solely on their points. 

"He is making my job easier by talking to people," Leonard said. "Giving instructions to missed assignments, or if we're not running the plays right."

It was only one game, but George's performance was exactly what he needed on opening night. The All-Star spent an entire off-season dealing with slander, and the NBA world constantly making memes of him. Things almost went disastrous for him and the Clippers last night - when the team blew a 22 point lead that was catalyzed by George accidentally passing the ball to a referee. Fortunately for George and the Clippers, he came through.

The Clippers have a ton of work to do both offensively and defensively, but their ceiling is higher than ever before. If they want to win an NBA Championship, this is the level of play and confidence Paul George must maintain.