Playing alongside Russell Westbrook has been a learning experience for Paul George.

After serving as the go-to scorer on the Indiana Pacers over the last handful of seasons, it’s taken him some time to find his groove with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he has.

Since Oklahoma City’s offense flows through Westbrook and George plays more of a secondary role on the offensive end of the court, he has been able to focus on making more of a defensive impact on his new team.

Heading into Saturday, PG-13 ranks first in the NBA in steals per game, with 2.19. His 125 overall steals also rank 12 ahead of Westbrook, who comes in at second place on the list.

He has also been extremely efficient on the offensive end, averaging 22.6 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting, including 43.1 percent from three-point range. But, his elite on-ball defense has been what has really stood out. As a result, the Thunder have been regarded among the best defensive teams in the entire league all season long.

“Defense is a side of the ball I take pride in. So, why not want to be rewarded for something that you do?” George recently told Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript regarding the idea of winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. “I’m not out here to play defense to try to win it, but that’s just who I am.”

Part of what has made George’s defensive season so impressive has been his willingness to guard the opposing team’s best player. There are only a handful of dominant wing defenders in the entire NBA, and George’s play has landed him the discussion of being the best. One can easily make the argument that no other player with his offensive skill set has been able to make the defensive impact that he's made.

“He always wants to guard the other team’s best player. That’s something he wants,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “In talking to him, he feels like his engagement in the game is much more predicated on his defense than it is his offense. He feels like he’ll get shots or be able to make some plays and whether the ball goes in or out, he understands its part of the game.”

Overall, establishing a defensive identity has allowed George to enjoy another All-Star campaign. Therefore, he’d be more than happy to accept the Defensive Player of the Year award if the voters decided to honor him.

“That’s a part of my game and what’s made me special on the court,” George said. “So, absolutely. That’s definitely an achievement I would love to receive.”

Per Katz, only four non-big men have won Defensive Player of the Year since 1989: Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics, Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) of the Pacers and Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs, who won it twice. There’s a strong possibility that George adds his name to that list at the end of the season.