What a difference a year can make.

Paul George and the Thunder no longer have to worry about his future with the team following a four-year, $137 million contract.

With a year of experience together with his teammates and a long-term commitment to Oklahoma City, George told reporters that he believes that he can become a more vocal leader and be more hands-on.

Paul George on if he feels more ownership and a larger leadership role this season now that he’s committed long-term: pic.twitter.com/pep2fx0sMc — Royce Young (@royceyoung) September 27, 2018

Leadership hasn’t always been easy for George, at least not while he was with the Indiana Pacers.

His former head coach, Nate McMillan, told reporters after a practice before George made his return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to play the Pacers last season that Geroge wasn’t a ‘natural leader.’

“Things changed for him,” said McMillan. “Some guys just want to play. Having a C (for captain) on their chest doesn’t mean anything to them. They just want to play. “You have to be yourself, and not try to be something that you’re not. I think Paul just wanted to play. The leadership, and the captain, and all of that? Sometimes people put you in that position because of your status. I think his thing was, ‘You take care of you, and I take care of me. Get yourself ready to play.’ Going to OKC, he’s back in that role of – I play. The leader is going to be Westbrook. I can go here and play.”

George appears more comfortable with his role with the Thunder. He an All-Star sidekick to a former league MVP and face of the franchise, Russell Westbrook.

Being in a more comfortable position and having more familiarity with his teammates could help George as a leader, as evidenced by his early interactions with rookie Hamido Diallo. During the team’s practice today, George even pulled Diallo aside for a teaching moment after noticing something that he could fix.

Billy Donovan mentioned Paul George taking Hamidou Diallo. Said it was a good leadership moment. Here is what PG said about it. pic.twitter.com/J1pVuiCGAP — Brady Trantham (@BradyDoesSports) September 27, 2018

The value of having a good mentor cannot be understated.

In George’s case, in particular, having Danny Granger take him under his wing played a key role in his development by going from a good player to an All-Star.

“Well, me and Danny have an unbelievable bond,” George said. “It was more than teammates. I look at Danny as a big brother and a mentor for me. So, he’s been real instrumental with my whole progress, and elevating to the level I am now.” “I’ve seen him work hard. I’ve seen him play at the highest level, night in night out, putting up 30, 40 points. It taught me a lot. It really did.”

A recent example of the importance of mentorship from a Thunder basketball perspective was how Russell Westbrook played a key role in Victor Oladipo taking the next step as a player.

“Going there and seeing him do that, just seeing his year overall last year definitely helped me realize that I gotta put in a lot of work to get on that level,” Oladipo said. “So, he definitely helped influence my growth both on and off the court. He was an amazing resource, especially last year, to learn from him. And I apply it to everyday life today.”

While it may sound like a cliché to some, being able to learn what it takes to truly be great by seeing the daily process of how it happens and having a mentor to teach you is a great luxury.

This coming season, the Thunder hope to experience that first hand.