Paul George works on post-up moves

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George says he plans on adding a more physical dimension to his play next season.

"I plan on being a lot more physical this year," George said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "I really plan [on] taking contact and wanting to get contact and finishing through contact. That's the next step for me."

The All-Star forward averaged a career-high 21.7 points per game last season but he posted up just 5 percent of the time, ranked 74th out of 74 NBA forwards with at least 50 plays, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

George told the Star that he has worked a lot on his post-up game this offseason.

"I've been spending a lot of time there. A lot of it is just working on footwork stuff and a lot of stuff just off the catch," he said, according to the newspaper.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound George said, according to the newspaper, he's trying to gain weight to help with his goal to be more physical and has a personal chef "helping me on what I put in my body."

"It's been night and day as far as my performance on the court. That's been the key for me working on my body. No more McDonald's," he said, according to the Star.

George's decision to make a concerted effort to beef up his post game comes after Pacers president Larry Bird said in his end-of-the-season news conference that he'd like better post play out of not just George but also center Roy Hibbert.

Improved play on the blocks from George would not only create more scoring chances for himself, according to Bird, but also create more opportunities for his teammates when he draws double teams.

In regard to Hibbert, Bird said he'd like the 7-footer to spend some time this summer under the tutelage of a Hall of Fame center.

"Roy's never asked us to go bring someone in," Bird said in June. "I always say big guys are different. I would encourage Roy to try to get with one of the greats. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the best teachers. Bill Walton is great. They know how to play the position as well as anyone ever has. I would encourage that."