Zaza Pachulia: “Dallas is Paradise”

Getting big-name free agents to join the Mavericks has been difficult. Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan and Carmelo Anthony are top names that visited with the Mavericks but elected to ultimately go elsewhere.

With Dirk Nowitzki still playing at an elite level, Zaza Pachulia wondered why no marquee free agents have chosen Dallas.

“It’s my first year for me being here so I don’t exactly know what happened previously,” Pachulia said. “But the one thing, whoever will come here and play for this team and this organization would love it. Very few percentage of the players – very few – wouldn’t like it. The city, the fans, the organization, the personality and the heart. This team is all about winning. So if you are a winner definitely this is the place to be.”

Pachulia, of course, will weigh the Mavericks heavily against other teams as he enters free-agency this summer.

“Well, I wish I had a lifetime contract,” he said. “I’ve been a free agent a couple times now. It’s a process. You got to be smart with your decisions. I’m looking forward to it. We’ll see what’s going to happen.”

 

In his recent interview with KTCK-FM 96.7 and KTCK-AM 1310, Pachulia gave his take on adaptation to life since leaving Atlanta Hawks.

On Pachulia’s career season in Dallas:

“Coaches are a huge part. They’re putting me in the best situations and giving me opportunities and putting me in a comfort zone offensively and defensively. Second thing, if you look at my career probably 80 percent of the time I was with a young team. Here it is a total different situation. It’s a bunch of veterans that know how to play the right way. They appreciate and understand the importance of the little things. It’s a perfect fit for me.”