NBA Analyst Makes Bold Claim For Clippers’ Paul George After NBA Playoffs Collapse

The title favorites had to come face to face with a reality they were not ready for. After losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, they have been the dartboard for many accusations. First, Doc Rivers was criticized for leading the Clippers to lose another 3-1 lead like the one in 2005. Then, Kawhi Leonard was bashed for not standing up to the expectations set for him. Now, the next man in line is Paul George. One NBA analyst believes that George is following in the footsteps of another former player.

Is Paul George following Dwight Howard’s road to regression?

NBA Analyst Stephen A. Smith has some strong perceptions about Paul George’s fate. Regarding the Clippers’ series against Nuggets, Smith stated, “We can’t ignore the situation involving Paul George. He is a star in this league but nevertheless, boy did he not show up.”

He continued to count down George’s faults and said, “It was brick city. It was a straight choke job on his part as well.”

Finally, he made a very unexpected statement. “What the biggest thing about Paul George that he needs to pay attention to. Paul George is in danger of becoming the second-coming of Dwight Howard.” asserted Smith.

“Remember, Dwight Howard was the man in Orlando, just like Paul George was the man in Indiana. He wanted to leave. He goes to LA, he ends up going to Houston and before long he is a journeyman. The star that he once was, he was no more.”

Entering the Rockets and Lakers, Dwight was not the primary scorer anymore and his production was extremely limited. Just like that, George was the key player while he was in the Pacers and OKC. However, he has become the second option in Clippers and that does not sit well with a player like George. Smith comparing the two means that George is on a downward spiral, just like Howard was.

This comparison was not gulped down well by Kendrick Perkins

While the pattern might be a little similar, but Perkins is hell-bent on refusing to accept this comparison. He took to Twitter and wrote, “Wrong – Don’t disrespect Dwight like that. He’s a future hall of famer and one of the most dominant forces this league has ever seen and deserves a statue in Orlando! Paul George? Not a chance in hell!”.

Whether Perkins is right or Smith, we can’t make a decision. Although what we know is the Clippers really need to sit down with Doc to figure out how they plan on working out their dynamic for the next season.