Paul George got into his defensive stance and exhaled as he readied to bear the weight of his defensive assignment, DeMar DeRozan.
Their bodies and their wallets were much lighter in 2008, their games less polished, both of them living under the shadows cast by their potential. They were high school seniors in Los Angeles. DeRozan was a highly-touted USC-bound prospect at Compton High School. George flew high on the court but went under the radar at Knight High in Palmdale, Calif., before eventually ending up at Fresno State.
“They were good matchups,” the 25-year-old George said Sunday, standing on the court at the Air Canada Centre and casually tossing a basketball between his hands.