Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird has insisted that Paul George is in no shape to be playing 30-minute games for the team this season.
George has been made available for the Pacers's remaining fixtures, but Bird has suggested that he will only be used sparingly as the shooting guard looks to make a full recovery from a broken leg.
"Everybody thinks Paul George is coming back, he's 100%," said Bird, according to the NBA's official website.
"He's not 100%. He's in no condition to go out and play a 30-minute game.
"He's still got a ways to go. But we know where he's at, our medical staff knows where he's at, Paul knows where's he at, and that's all that matters."
George picked up the injury during a training game while on duty with the USA national team last year.