What to look for during Celtics vs. Lakers on Christmas Day | NBA Countdown

What to look for during Celtics vs. Lakers on Christmas Day | NBA Countdown

This is one of my favorite days of the NBA calendar to me it’s really hard to not be looking at the Celtics and the Lakers as the piesta res itance here but what is your Magnum o biscuit well for me it’s it’s this game it’s the Lakers Celtics I’m looking at the Boston

Celtics right now they’re my favorites to win the chip which I said at the beginning of the season I didn’t have to Wi I I didn’t have to wait to see those 30 games in but that’s acep for another day big perk at the end of the day

Here’s my concern my concern is their Reliance on the three-point shot they’re shooting over 43 threes per game I don’t believe that’s how win the championship they’re number one in attempts they’re number one in in in in in threes made but they’re like ninth in terms of percentage all I’m saying is against

Some of the better teams you’re going to need to show an ability to do something on the interior to some degree tonight is not going to be the perfect indication if Chris porzingis is not available he’s not expected to be available if that is if that is the case

Okay then the chances are they’re going to launch a whole bunch of more threes okay so it’s not going to be the ideal indication of what we’re going to see as the season and wayes I just need to see them do something other than shoot threes especially with Jason Tatum and

Jaylen Brown because obviously they’re the cornerstones of this franchise you want them to get to the free throw line what do you want to see to Celtics Lakers I’m more concerned with with with porzingis is absence Stephen A the other things just adjustments it’s not like

The the Celtics don’t have the people on board to do exactly what you’re saying they need to do and they they will do it they have to do it no it’s not sustainable to win a championship by shooting 53s which is sort of amazing I think the the the cel are biting their

Time until they get to this point porzingis in that lineup to me look he what he played two 36 games last year that’s not going to get it we talk about the health of AD and LeBron porzingis is health and his availability is critical for the Celtics that is the matchup

There’s some other themes yep I mean I’m interested to see Dallas and the Suns who’ve been the single most disappointing team and there’s always fireworks go head tohe the single most disappoint but you know what Stephen A is not injuries they have no fire that team plays like they’re on a low simmer

You can’t be on a low simmer if you don’t have your three starters out there and they haven’t shown anything in the west you got to crawl over too many teams I’m with Willborn on that one and say we can’t make excuses for the Phoenix Suns I won’t let you do it okay

I won’t let you do it today but here’s the thing I’m looking forward to the Celtics the city of Champions and the Los Angeles Lakers right and I think the fan base is as well but when I think about it I’m looking at the big right hopefully Pingas plays but I’m looking

At Anthony Maron Davis right we we we we criticize him when he match up with jic and rightfully so because yic stand on business when it comes to playing ad so so do MB when he plays ad but then ad revers the script and stand on business

When he plays guys like Miles Turner and Pingas he’s averaging 301 and two blocks on Pingas throughout his career this is ad’s moment tonight today not Brun not not nobody else Anthony Davis to dominate on both sides of the floor he shown us time and time again he’s

Capable of doing that and then here’s another thing if zingas do play the lights are bright the way the Boston Celtic fans have been raving and praising about him I haven’t seen this much praise since they uh acquired Kevin Garnett that’s how much they love the

Pres but he’s averaging 19 a game I will say this though if he doesn’t play it’s not about hoping from ad it’s about expectations cuz who are you going against Al Horford that’s really the only other big that they have you’re averaging 24.3 points per game Anthony

Davis right now is a leading candidate for defensive play of the year he’s one of the leading candidates I mean he is playing at an elite level yeah but what what we what we constantly let him get away with because we get we on occasion some people listen to the idiot idiot

Trolls out there when then you’re acting like ad can’t play we all know ad is great what we’ve questioned is the level of consistency that you bring with the greatness in other words you can’t drop 40 on yic one day and and 11 the next

Yish might do 30 but it’s 30 game after game after game after game like you said he stands on business he brings what he brings night in Night Out ad is a been a roller coaster so in a game like this this Christmas Day if porzingis isn’t available to you considering the the

Bodies that Boston has to throw in your direction you’re Anthony Davis you’re supposed to handle your business tonight and that should be the expectation not to mention this could be a litmus test right when you look at these games today which ones are the ones that we could potentially be [Applause] seeing NBA is

On NBA Countdown, Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and Michael Wilbon join me to discuss the best NBA matchups on Christmas day.

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