Paul George remembers his NBA Playoff debut because of Derrick Rose: "He was untouchable"

PG learned the hard way how dangerous Derrick Rose was.

© Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George is now one of the league's best two-way players. Even though he is a bit injury-prone, PG has established himself over the past few seasons as a legitimate threat in the NBA Playoffs and has shown all-around excellence on both sides of the ball. 

However, at one point early in his career, George was still finding his way, and he recalled drawing the assignment of guarding the Chicago Bulls superstar guard Derrick Rose in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. PG says the experience was an eye-opener and a jump-off point for him and his career.

Playoff debut

Geroge was just a rookie then, playing for the Indiana Pacers. He had just completed his first regular season and finished with solid averages of 7.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Much to his surprise, when the NBA Playoffs came, there he was—a starter with the task of defending the explosive Rose, who had just completed an incredible regular season for which he would later take home the MVP award.

"They're like, 'Yeah, you got D-Rose.' So I'm like, 'Alright, bet, I'll take the challenge.' It was crazy matching up with him and seeing him in front of me because, I'm not gonna lie, that year, he was untouchable," said PG.

Indeed, Rose was in a class all on his own during the 2010-2011 season, as he averaged 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game en route to becoming the youngest MVP in league history.

"He looked like he was bigger than what he was, he looked like he was taller than what he was, he just had a stature that was bigger than what he was," shared PG.

Rude welcome

PG recalls the Pacers coaching staff going over the matchups for Game 1, and to his surprise, he drew the assignment of taking on Rose.

"This is my first experience. Like y'all trust me guarding the MVP?" said PG with a laugh. "And I felt I played good against him, and I look at the box score, 40. Damn, I thought I was on his s*** today."

That experience did wonders for PG as it gave him confidence, knowing he could keep up with the league's best.

"All right, if I can guard him, I can match up with anybody," George continued. "I'm not gonna play nobody faster than him. I'm not gonna play anybody more explosive than him."