Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George is not expected to play in the 2014-15 NBA season after undergoing major leg surgery, but team president of basketball operations Larry Bird is still hoping that their superstar will return at some point this season.

Bird told reporters on Tuesday that George has been responding well to treatment and his condition is continuously improving. The Hall of Famer said that if the opportunity comes, George might eventually decide to make his comeback earlier than what was initially projected.

"It seems like every week Paul is getting better and better," Bird said via ESPN. "So if we do have an opportunity to get into the playoffs and he can get some games under his belt and get ready to go next year ... I always say if a player is ready to play, they gotta play."

The 24-year-old superstar suffered a horrific leg injury in a USA Basketball scrimmage in August, and underwent a surgery, which was projected to put him on the inactive list for the entire 2014-15 NBA season.

But over the past several weeks, George has been making progress in his recovery. Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said that their superstar forward has been participating in non-contact drills, but he declined to give specifics about the former Fresno State standout's activities.

Teammate Roy Hibbert revealed, though, that George has started dunking in practice, including between-the-legs moves, which indicates that the All-Star forward is regaining his confidence. Once given clearance to make his return, Bird sees no reason to delay George's comeback until next season.

"We're not going to hold him back if he's able to go out there and play," Bird said via USA Today. "I think it's important because when you're out like that, you lose something. He's going to get beat up, he's going to get knocked around, he's not going to look good but I still think it's important, if he's able to play, he should be out there."

Vogel echoed Bird's statement, saying that he will not hesitate to play George once team doctors give him the green light to make his comeback sooner than expected, but he is unsure if the four-year veteran will be able to get back in shape quickly for a possible return next month, which George hinted on his Twitter account.

George averaged 21.7 points to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season. Without him this season, the Pacers are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings with their 17-32 record.

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