George faces long road to recovery

ByDR. MARK ADICKES
August 2, 2014, 4:06 PM

— -- Team USA Basketball and the Indiana Pacers suffered a serious blow when All-Star small forward/shooting guard Paul George suffered a gruesome right lower leg fracture 23 seconds into the fourth quarter of an intrasquad showcase game in Las Vegas. The game was suspended after the stoppage.

The injury occurred as George was sprinting to block a shot by James Harden, jumped and landed awkwardly under the basket, fracturing his right tibia and fibula. His lower leg bent unnaturally to nearly 90 degrees as both bones obviously broke and he immediately fell to the ground. Teammates, coaches, family members and medical staff immediately went to his side. He was placed in a splint and transported via ambulance to a local hospital.

Although a full recovery could take close to a year, I see George eventually returning to form. Let's look closer at the injury and what it means for him long term.