Colin Cowherd has shared his unfiltered thoughts about what the Dallas Mavericks need next to Luka Doncic after losing the 2024 NBA Finals. Cowherd believes that even with Luka’s success with Kyrie Irving this season, someone like Paul George would be a better fit as a two-way second option.
“I think literally a perfect player for Luka is Paul George. Probably, privately, doesn’t want the final shot, but Luka does. Excellent defender. Can give you 30 in the non-pressured situation. Can really have night where Luka can take a backseat, but in the big moments Paul takes weird or bad shots, Luka doesn’t.”
Cowherd broke down why he doesn’t think Kyrie is the right co-star next to Luka.
“Kyrie’s not the fit. A poor defensive player, who’s hot and cold and needs the ball. Paul George is one of those guys who kind of works with everybody. He kinda fits everywhere.”
"A perfect player for Luka is Paul George"
—@ColinCowherd on where the Mavericks go from here pic.twitter.com/LRhLwvSot9
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) June 19, 2024
This is a bold take, especially with Doncic and Irving proving their potency as an offensive duo this season. Despite the concerns everyone had, the pair made it to the NBA Finals in a very challenging Western Conference. They even beat George on the way there, with the Clippers being the first team they eliminated.
Irving averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists as a proven co-star next to Doncic. George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in a three-way offensive setup with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, ending the season as their second-highest scorer.
The fit-on-paper with George is smoother as he is less ball-dominant than Kyrie and could be a two-way weapon that benefits from the open looks Luka creates for him. However, the Mavericks need Kyrie’s versatility to make their offense unpredictable. While George would be a fantastic option alongside Luka, it’s hard to say the Mavs should pursue that over what they know works with Doncic and Kyrie.
Raymond Felton Wants The Mavs To Create A Big 3 With Luka, Kyrie, And George
Cowherd described a situation where Luka is playing alongside George instead of Kyrie, which could be doable through a trade but neither team would realistically look to make that swap. But xx-year NBA veteran Raymond Felton believes the Mavericks should find a way to acquire George and put him alongside the superstar backcourt in Dallas.
“[The Sixers are] trying to do three guys, three All-Stars in Philly, so why not try to do a three [on the Mavs]? If you can bring PG with them two and put PG as the three or the four.”
"[The Sixers are] trying to do three guys, three All-Stars in Philly, so why not try to do a three [on the Mavs]?"
Raymond Felton wants to see Paul George team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the Mavericks.
Thoughts? 🤔
(via "To The Baha", @tidalleague) pic.twitter.com/ExLzRak9eR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 20, 2024
George is a free agent this summer, but the Mavericks don’t stand a chance at signing him. They might not have enough money to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., let alone pursue George. They could try to entice the Clippers into a sign-and-trade, but it would lead to the Mavs losing key pieces such as P.J. Washington or Josh Green alongside contracts like Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. to make the money match.
If the Mavs could do the deal while retaining Washington on the roster, they could consider it. A big three would balloon the cost of the roster and the limitations of the salary cap would make this a very ineffective way to build a contender when the Mavs have a young core of stars outside Kyrie already. It’d be a phenomenal trio, but might not be based on reality.
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