Chris Broussard: Paul George's best destination isn't the Celtics, Lakers or Clippers
With his Indiana Pacers swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, Paul George has some thinking to do.
The 26-year-old All-Star can become a free agent following the 2017-18 season, and all indications are he wants out of Indiana. The assumption is he'll look to his hometown of Los Angeles, where he could join the Lakers or the Clippers. There's also the possibility the Boston Celtics might package some of their assets to trade for George before next season's deadline.
But on this week's episode of the "In The Zone" basketball podcast, FS1 NBA analyst Chris Broussard suggested a surprising destination that would be an even better fit for George: the Miami Heat.
BROUSSARD: "I think he wants to move on. I think we all feel the same way. The question is, what's the best fit for him? Where should he go?
"Everybody's talking the Lakers. This is my problem if I'm Paul George and I'm looking at the Lakers. Yeah, I know it's LA, it's the glamour franchise, it's where I'm from. But am I going there to be on a mediocre team for the meat of my prime?
"Because if you're in the West and you're not making the playoffs, you're not making the All-Star team. It's already tough enough with all the players they have in the West. So I think he needs to stay East. You could look at Boston.
"I think, though: Miami. Best fit. You need to go somewhere where they know how to win. Where there's a culture. The Clippers are a case in point of knowing the importance of knowing how to win. And I know Doc [Rivers] has won a championship, but he has not been able to put that culture with the Clippers.
"There's only a handful of teams that tend to win championships, and [the Heat] have got a coach. And obviously, you've got Pat Riley there. Look at when he was with Indiana, when they were a great team. They had a shot-blocker, Roy Hibbert. Now, you got Hassan Whiteside, who's better than Roy Hibbert. You had a good point guard, George Hill. Goran Dragic? Not the defender that George Hill was, but certainly a better offensive player and playmaker.
"You've got some role players. Now, you might have to trade some of them. Like, I'd trade for [George] this year rather than wait for him to become a free agent. You've got Justise Winslow, Tyler Johnson, you've got guys you could trade for him. Wayne Ellington. I would try to keep [Dion] Waiters.
"If I put Paul George on that team with a championship coach in Erik Spoelstra — I'm not going to say they're better than Cleveland, but I think they're right there close to Cleveland and certainly better than anybody else in the East."
Former NBA player Jim Jackson also joined Broussard on this week's episode to talk about George, the Golden State Warriors' real MVP, and Russell Westbrook, whom Jackson suggested could learn a thing or two about leading a team to the Finals from Allen Iverson.
Check out the rest of the "In The Zone" podcast for those discussions and more, then head over to iTunes to subscribe, give a five-star rating and share your hottest takes with Broussard.
