The relief brought to the Indiana Pacers by the re-entry of Paul George can be a nightmare for the rest of Eastern Conference -- and it may already be upon them.

The assumption was that, after sustaining the gruesome injury (video available below) in a scrimmage last August with Team USA, George would be out for rehab the whole 2014-15 season, said Yahoo Sports.

The problem now is: George is back, practicing.

The two-time All-Star had participated in practice on Thursday, three days before the deadline he set for himself -- that is, March 1.

The swingman, a first-rate two-way player, felt positive about the development, noted the Bleacher Report, citing an Indianapolis Star article.

"Felt good. Felt really good ... to be able to go through a full practice now and go up and down, it's a big step for me," said George, per the report. It also said he was already playing with ease.

If he did make it to the games, he would be joining a high-spirited team, said the Bleacher Report. In February, the Pacers defeated the top-ranking Golden State Warriors and two times emerged victorious against the Cleveland Cavaliers, including a 93-86 on Friday.

According to the Indianapolis Star, George was optimistic that he could join the league mid-March.

"I'm still hopeful. That's the date that I wish to return. [But it's a] long ways away, still got some steps and some hurdles to overcome. That's still a goal of mine," he said in the report.

However, coach Frank Vogel was quoted as saying: "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,"

He said the question of readiness went beyond the medical clearance for the tibia-fibula fracture: "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."

We should learn that lesson from Derrick Rose, who was not in his element at games post-ACL rehab, commented Yahoo Sports.

With a 23-34 record, the Pacers are still in the running for a playoff spot, and if he exceeds expectations, George would be a spark plug in offense and many other plains, said the Bleacher Report.

His 21.7 and 17.4 points-per-game average in the past two seasons were sky-high against current top-scorer George Hill, 13.6, it noted. His 1.9 steals and 20.1 player efficiency rating were team highs in the 2013-14 span, too.

Not that the team has not yet learned to play sans their superstar, said the Bleacher Report. But even the slightest reason to believe he could be back in the game is probably enough to scare the other teams.