Doyel: Play or not, Paul George, but just stop talking

Injured Pacers star Paul George spoke on Monday about his potential return this season, and he said something interesting. He always says something interesting, even if it's in contrast to what he said the last time he spoke. Which is one of the reasons he's so interesting.

We keep asking him when he's coming back, and he keeps giving a different answer.

So anyway, before we get to the most interesting thing he said on Monday, let's point out the most honest thing he said about his on-again, off-again status for the 2014-15 season:

"Honestly it's getting annoying," he said. "I think for everybody."

And the people said: amen.

Time is running so short on the season — the Pacers (30-39) have 13 games remaining — that it's time to stop talking, and start doing. And whether the doing ever gets done, refer back to the first part:

It's time to stop talking.

Because he's practicing, he has to speak with the media at least once a week. It's an NBA rule. But the weather vane? That's a problem.

At first George wanted to come back this season, and didn't just want it but was assuming it would happen. His people, whoever they are, were leaking a target date of March 14 against Boston as his first game back. That was good. No, that was great. George wanted to return this season, take the hits, miss the shots, absorb the punishment and the knowledge that his broken leg had fully recovered from that Aug. 1 injury. That would be good for this season and great for next season.

On March 6 the Pacers had the NBA's best record since February at 9-2, and George was eyeing a playoff spot and his role in it: "If I can make an appearance and start rolling leading into the playoffs," he said on March 6, "the story will write itself."

And it was a good story. Until a week later when George was no longer sure he wanted to come back. He said he was "on the fence." See, the Pacers were playing pretty well — against the weakest part of their schedule — and George didn't want to disrupt team chemistry. For whatever reason, he was fine coming back to a team that was 9-2 since February. A week later, with the Pacers now 13-2 since February, he wasn't so fine.

"To shake up the chemistry and add another body, another player in there ... " he said on March 13. "I don't want to be that guy that destroys what these guys have going."

That was no good. No, that was lousy. The return of Paul George to a team fighting for a playoff spot wouldn't disrupt chemistry. It would energize an entire franchise. The team's best player, coming back from a broken leg? Working, sweating, bleeding — that's a chemistry boost. If there's a player in the home locker room that would resent the return of Paul George, that's a player that needs to be gone next season. Because that would be a selfish player.

But that was so last week.

Here we are Monday, and George is no longer worried about messing up chemistry. Now he wants to come back. The Pacers have lost five in a row, they need a hero, and what do you know? No. 13 has a cape in his locker.

Someone is now leaking that George is eyeing the Pacers' game Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets. George suggested that leak didn't come from him or his people, and whatever. Maybe it didn't, maybe it did, surely it doesn't matter. Nothing he said about his comeback matters, is what I'm starting to think, other than the most honest thing he has said since this saga began, something he said Monday when he was saying his on-again, off-again, on-again return is on again.

"Honestly it's getting annoying," he said. "I think for everybody."

And the people said: You're right.

Find Star columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel