Paul George participated in his first full practice this season with the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, beating his personal goal of March 1 by several days.
"Felt good. Felt really good," George said, "to be able to go through a full practice now and go up and down, it's a big step for me."
George does not yet have a firm date for his return from a right leg injury.
"I'm still hopeful," George said. "That's the date that I wish to return. (But) long ways away, still got some steps and some hurdles to overcome. That's still a goal of mine."
Frank Vogel said Thursday was the next step in the process for George.
"We want him to come back when he's ready to come back. He's eager to get out on the court, but he's not going to do it before he's ready," Vogel said. "We understand once he's medically cleared to play in a game, then there's going to be: Is he ready to play in a game? And that could be a few more weeks beyond that. It's really going to be something we monitor almost on a daily basis and hopefully it progresses as well."