The Pacers are in the mix for a playoff spot, but coach Frank Vogel indicated Sunday that the team isn't counting on the return of Paul George to boost their chances, the Associated Press reports.

"Honestly, we're not even thinking about Paul George right now," coach Frank Vogel said. "Hopefully he can make it back this year and get in some games, but how effective is he going to be having not played in a year? This is a serious injury. He still has a lot of hurdles to pass before he's even able to get back on the court. So our whole approach has been that he's not going to play with us this year. Even right now, we're trying to become the best possible team we can without him and if he gets back, that's just going to be a bonus."

George suffered a broken leg during an exhibition game with USA Basketball last summer.

"I think our approach shouldn't be thinking about him. It should be just playing hard, building a team, make sure we're ready to compete and to play with anybody, and then if he comes in, he's in good health and he's in good shape, then maybe he can take us to the next level," forward Luis Scola said. "But expecting him to come back and help us right away, I think it's unrealistic but also it's unfair to him. We've got to take care of our own problems ourselves and be in a great situation for when he comes back."