While it seems that the rest of the world is mocking Los Angeles Clippers superstar Paul George at the moment, TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal believes “Playoff P” will finally show up versus the Dallas Mavericks in their next game.
During TNT's Inside the NBA broadcast on Monday, Shaq bared his prediction that the struggling superstar will finally produce his usual scoring output during the pivotal Game 5 of the best-of-seven first-round affair.
“I guarantee Playoff P getting 27 tomorrow,” the NBA Hall of Famer boldly proclaimed. “I guarantee it!”
.@SHAQ has a guarantee of his own regarding Playoff P 👀 pic.twitter.com/gegZX7NENf
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 25, 2020
His TNT co-host Kenny Smith upped up the ante by saying Paul George will drop 30 markers for the Clippers. Charles Barkley, meanwhile, was his usual skeptical self and dropped a hilariously exaggerated overview of George's woeful shooting in the series.
Article Continues Below“I told you, you can't be giving yourself nicknames and going 3-for-72,” Barkley said, in reference to the Clippers swingman calling himself Playoff P.
Judging by George's scoring capabilities, Shaq's 27 points is actually a rather modest output for the six-time All-Star. George, after all, averaged an even 28.o marker per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season.
However, that usually efficient and reliable scorer has disappeared so far for the Clippers ever since the playoffs started. To say that George has been in a slump against Dallas would be a total understatement. The 30-year-old superstar has been flat-out miserable and is a big reason why the seventh-seeded Mavs managed to tie the series at two wins apiece.
George fired 27 markers in Game 1 despite going 10-for-22 from the field. His confidence dipped greatly since then, going 4-for-17, 3-for-16 and 3-for-14 in the last three games. Overall, PG13 has only been making 29 percent of his shots in the series (20-for-69), marking the worst playoff shooting percentage of his career so far.
Shaquille O'Neal's prediction, meanwhile, is certainly a hot take considering George's ice-cold streak. Charles Barkley already apologized for foolishly predicting that the Blazers will sweep the Lakers. Shaq might follow suit if PG won't come through for the Clippers in Game 5.