Paul George thinks the new Wilson basketball is to blame for the league-wide shooting drops: “It doesn’t have the same feel and smoothness as the Spalding ball”

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Credit: USA TODAY Sports

The 2021-22 NBA season required players to adapt a lot for the first time in years. First, the NBA’s new rule change has removed the convenience of relying on free throws for many players. On top of that, the league also changed the official match ball from Spalding to Wilson.

The result? We are seeing a drop in player shooting percentages throughout the league. Instead of putting in monster numbers, players always adapt to these changes. But it looks like Los Angeles Clippers superstar Paul George is still playing at an elite level.

In the absence of Kawhi Leonard, George has a huge responsibility on his shoulders this season. He needs to lead the team to a decent regular season and, if possible, a deep playoff run. So far, PG13 has done a great job of keeping the goals within reach for the team.

Although he played well, even he thinks the Spalding ball was better than the new Wilson.

“To make no excuses or anything, it’s just a different basketball. It doesn’t have the same feel or the same softness as the Spalding ball. You will see this year there will be a lot. bad failures. “

While George averages 28.3 points per game while shooting 49.2% from the field, the same can’t be said of some other prolific shooters. For example, Damian Lillard currently averages just 18.3 PPG on average while achieving 35% from the field and only 23% from beyond the arc.

Likewise, Bradley Beal is also going through a shooting crisis with 24.3 PPG at 37.9 shooting percentage from the field. Additionally, Beal’s three-point shooting is at a career low of 22.9%.

The players mentioned above are considered some of the best shooters in the league. Seeing them wrestle is something fans aren’t used to. Maybe the NBA made a bad decision changing the ball? The league is unlikely to bring the Spalding ball back again, so the only option players have is to adapt.

Paul George has already proven that this is not an impossible task. Hopefully other superstars will follow in his footsteps sooner rather than later.

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