The Golden State Warriors have already had a busy offseason, as they are dealing with the possibility of a franchise cornerstone, Klay Thompson, leaving town. But it seems they have found a potential replacement in Paul George .
The Los Angeles Clippers star has been reportedly viewed as a possible target for the Warriors. However, renowned analyst Stephen A. Smith doesn't like the fit between the two parties, inferring that George's inability to be an effective catch-and-shoot scorer would be disruptive to the Dubs' schemes.
"I just don't view him as a catch-and-shoot guy," SAS said on his show. "I view him as somebody...that has the potential to disrupt their rhythm. He's better suited for the Clippers. He's better suited for Philadelphia. He would have been better suited for the New York Knicks, to some degree, rather than Golden State. That's just how I view it. I could be wrong."
Stephen A.'s inaccurate claim
Perhaps Smith needed to take a look at PG's stats before saying what he said about the Clippers guard.
According to NBA.com's tracking stats , the nine-time All-Star shot 46.3% in catch-and-shoot situations, third behind Luke Kennard and Kevin Durant among players with more than 4.0 catch-and-shoot field-goal attempts per game. In addition, he made 45.4% of his catch-and-shoot attempts from beyond the arc, which was better than Stephen Curry.
One can only imagine how George would thrive even more with defenders trying to zero in on Curry and playing with Draymond Green, whose court vision is incredible.
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George's motivation
It remains to be seen, though, if the six-time All-NBA member would be willing to change teams this summer. He appears to be in a good spot with the Clippers, where he gets to suit up alongside Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. An argument can be made that they could have made more noise in the 2024 playoffs had everyone been healthy.
However, the reality about playing with Leonard is that injuries may be bound to ruin the team's momentum or chemistry at any point in the season.
George has recently opened up about what he wants to accomplish in the next few years of his career, and that is to contribute to winning basketball . Still, money talks in the NBA, and if the Warriors are willing to give him what the Clippers cannot, the two-way star might want a change of scenery.
If the Warriors manage to bring PG to the Bay Area, that would likely mark the end of an era because acquiring him and retaining Thompson might be financially impossible for the franchise.
Related: "Bron really wants to be a point guard" - Stephen Jackson on why Lakers should pursue Paul George or Jimmy Butler
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