‘CATACLYSMIC!’ – Shannon Sharpe UNLEASHES on Paul George-Kawhi Leonard failure | First Take

‘CATACLYSMIC!’ – Shannon Sharpe UNLEASHES on Paul George-Kawhi Leonard failure | First Take

what we alluded to Shannon Paul George is signing a 4year $212 million deal with the sixes Mark in the end of his time sharing the court with kawh lonard after five years together the farthest the the farthest the pairing brought the Clippers was to the Weston Conference Finals back in 2021 and if you remember kawh didn’t play in that Western Conference Finals that’s where they lost to Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns in six games look at this full screen right here Shannon the Clippers gave up a lot to get Paul George back in 2019 including Allstar Shay gild Alexander my league MVP this year and five first round picks including one they used on Jaylen Williams so bottom line is Shannon was Paul George and kawh lonard was that eror a complete failure in Los Angeles in your mind it was Stephen A there’s no way around it they didn’t get to the NBA finals they didn’t win a title neither guy was MVP you have there’s no other considering what they gave up to put this together and as far and only as going far once to the Western Conference Final once let that sink in for just a second they only went to the Western Conference Finals once not the NBA Finals they didn’t win the title it’s a cataclysmic failure and what they gave up Shay gilges galinari all those pcks they still owe some pck swaps yeah there’s no other way around it no I don’t care who you are you could be the most stet uh uh di hard Clippers fan there is no way for you to view this other than a failure because it did not bear the fruit you look at an you no matter what you think about what what uh the Lakers gave up to get Anthony Davis they won a title and at the end of the day if you trade something and you win a title it’s a success this only getting to the Western Conference Finals once and the player that you had you must have was kawhai you outbid the Lakers for him you promised him Heaven and Earth and this is as far as you got and did what you gave up to get them yeah Stephen A this I don’t know I you know I’d have to like do some major major research but in recent memory this trade’s right up there with one of the worst that’s ever been made I don’t you know what I it’s hard for me to disagree with you Shannon on this because I don’t but I think that the important point to be made here because it’s obvious it was a failure no doubt but I think the way it ended just punctuated how big of a colossal failure it was to go in 2019 let’s Haw him back let’s rewind the clock back in 2019 after clay kawh Len guided the Toronto Raptors led the Toronto Raptors to a championship playing with Pascal se yakum you know Kyle lry and those guys uh you winning the championship major props in them with Nick nurse as his coach he departed from Toronto at that particular moment in time what did he do he basically blackmailed the Los Angeles Clippers he said you want me I need you to trade the farm do all of this to get Paul George otherwise I’m going to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles that’s what he did he basically blackmailed the Clippers Steve Balman and the Clippers couldn’t afford kawh L to go to the Los Angeles Lakers with what they were trying to build so what do they do they give up Gil say gilis they give up G Danilo galinari five first round picks and two first round pick swaps Shannon so you got basically seven first round picks if you really really want to get specific about it right and then we fast forward not only do you not get to an NBA Finals not only do you get to just one Conference Finals not only did you go to that Western Conference Finals without kawh Leonard who had gotten hurt the series before against Utah but on top of that kawh Leonard is perpetually injured he ends up missing 60% of your playoff games he doesn’t do a damn thing to promote the franchise or the market and what do you do not only do you re up with him again not once but twice despite his perpetual injury history although he played 68 games this year before being unavailable for yet another postseason but then on top of it all you go out there and you alienate Paul George by bringing in James Harden and and and compromising to some degree your style of play and then you let Paul George walk out of the door for nothing as opposed to getting compensation for him I know Wendy talked about them saving money and moving in a different direction but the bottom line is you paid kawh LED and you ended up paying James Harden so because you paid those two it ain’t some full-blown Reclamation project here you still trying to give the impression that you’re trying to compete but you did so by sacrificing Paul George the very person you sacrifice the future of the franchise for to acquire and so I think that is what makes it such a huge huge failure Shannon I’ll give you the last word Stephen A they gave up everything and got nothing in return and that’s how you have to look at it look at what they sacrificed and look at the net return and what it got the only thing that Clippers got out of this is us talking about them the national media talking about the Clippers more than we ever have before because it was always oh they got Kawai a proven winner they get Paul George Yad Yad y the 213 this is going to be it that’s the only thing the Clippers got out of this was a healthy discussion on National media we talking about them they got a new building out of this they’re going into their own building no more sharing the with the Lakers but that’s it this was a failure now I mean if you want to look at uh uh uh Ben Simmons and look at that trade but what was expected of Kawai and PG and what they net Return Man this is bad Stephen and like you said those first round draft picks are unprotected that’s right and Kawai like you said he stays hurt he stayed hurt and even when he played the 6 game that did that was such a shock to his body hell he couldn’t even play in the playoffs because body like what are you doing and then got the nerve to put on a and try try to take pictures with a Team USA uniform and you want to play this summer but your ass ain’t available we can’t if the Clippers if I’m the Clippers Stephen ain’t nowhere in hell he going to Paris unless it’s on his own accord he go s and hold it and put the lock on the bridges a he player and you that way in the playoff oh no please [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe reflect on the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard era with the Los Angeles Clippers.

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