Lance Stephenson most recently re-joined the Indiana Pacers, where he previously played for four seasons and found plenty of success before leaving for the Charlotte Hornets. Stephenson signed a three-year, $12 million deal with Indiana, which means he will become an essential part of the team.
With his future in Indiana secure for the next couples of seasons, Stephenson wants to make sure the Pacers maintain their level of talent. In the summer of 2018, Paul George will become a free agent, and there has been a lot of talk that he may leave the team to return home to play for the Los Angeles Lakers.
George’s decision is mostly based on Indiana’s future success. If the team is unable to progress, he will most likely leave.
Stephenson’s funny idea
However, Stephenson has a master plan to keep George in Indiana. “I got to get all my guys, tie him up on a chair and say you ain’t going nowhere,” Stephenson said. That may be one way to keep George in Indiana. Another would be to pay him a lot of cash and surround him with more talent. Ultimately, George wants to succeed and would like more help, as the 26-year-old superstar has stated many times before.
Stephenson providing a spark
Aside from having funny ideas to keep George with the Pacers, Stephenson has actually provided a major spark for the team.
Since re-joining Indiana, the team has gone 2-1, playing much better basketball. Their only loss was against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a double overtime game that went to the wire.
Most recently Stephenson also created a lot of controversy when he scored a late-game layup with the shot clock expired and his team up by 15. The Toronto Raptors immediately attacked Stephenson for being disrespectful, but the Pacers are probably happy to have him creating plenty of annoyance for the rest of the league.
Stephenson’s edge is exactly what Indiana needed, which may be why they are performing much better and playing with more inspiration.
Will it be enough for George to stay?
If Stephenson can ultimately help the Pacers succeed in the long run by returning to form, he could perhaps be the factor that forces George to stay. The Pacers accomplished a lot when Stephenson and George were together, making multiple Conference Finals appearances. It's going to be tough to keep George in Indiana, but winning will force his hand. Let’s see what the two can do in the post-season this time as a lower seed.
