NBA News: Stephen A Smith warns Paul George could be the next Dwight Howard, Steve Nash labels Miami Heat as championship contenders

The LA Clippers' suffered a shocking loss in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. As experts continue to dissect the reasons behind their defeat, Stephen A Smith has criticized Paul George for his dismal performance in Game 7. In this article, we'll take a look at Stephen A's comments along with other big NBA news updates.

NBA News: Stephen A Smith compares Paul George's career to Dwight Howard's

Miami Heat v Washington Wizards

Paul George scored just 10 points in Game 7 and went 2-11 from the 3 point line. He didn't score a single point in the 4th quarter as Denver Nuggets took the game 104-89. On ESPN's first take, NBA analyst Stephen A Smith compared Paul George to LA Lakers' Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard had a great start to his career and was the face of the Orlando Magic's franchise. He later asked to be traded from Orlando for a better team and has been a journeyman ever since. Aged 34, he's now just a role player for the LA Lakers and is still looking for his first championship.

NBA News Update: Steve Nash believes Miami Heat is very close to winning the championship this year

Miami Heat v Indiana Pacers - Game One

Miami Heat is the most successful team so far in this year's playoffs. After finishing in 5th place in the regular season, they have lost just one game in the postseason and are looking like the favorites to come out of the East.

On the JJ Reddick's 'The Old Man and The Three' podcast, Brooklyn Nets' coach Steve Nash talked about Miami's performance and their chance of winning a championship. Steve said:

"Miami is this close to winning a championship right now. I don't think anyone was predicting that. I think it is a testament to them, their player development and the way they built their roster"

Nash further praised the Miami Heat for signing Jimmy Butler last season. Jimmy Butler has said that it's been a match made in heaven and that he's the perfect fit for the Miami culture. Steve continued:

"Jimmy has a weird reputation that not everyone's on board. But he's clearly an incredible fighter, teammate, winner. Miami's like 'no, that's our guy and we build with him'."

Miami Heat is just 3 wins away from making it to the 2020 NBA Finals. This will be their first Finals since 2013-14 back when LeBron James was still a part of the team.

---