THE LAKERS CAN’T SHOOT! 🗣️ Stephen A. picks the Warriors over Los Angeles to make the WCF | Get Up

THE LAKERS CAN’T SHOOT! 🗣️ Stephen A. picks the Warriors over Los Angeles to make the WCF | Get Up

So this is my top five and it’s the first basketball green list I’ve done so far this season these are the five people and I use the word people not players under the most pressure in the second half of this NBA season at number five I’ll put Anthony Davis because of

Course he is we all saw it last year Anthony Davis is basically in every other Game Force but he played well enough and LeBron played well enough to get that Laker team out of the playin all the way to the conference final can Anthony Davis be a consistent Force for

The the Lakers down the stretch and into the playoffs if so they can make a run all eyes are always on ad at number four I’m going to put Zion I don’t know how much attention you’re paying to what they’re doing in New Orleans but they are legitimately good do you know how

Many playoff games Zion Williamson has played in in his career none the last postseason he took part in was March Madness is Zion ready to actually for the first time in his NBA career put a team on his back and make New Orleans a team worth watching and number three I’m

Going to put and Tatum for exactly the reason we were just talking about Tatum is talking about wanting to be the face of the NBA the the Celtics are Championship or bust you win the whole thing and then Jason Tatum maybe you are the biggest star in the sport you lose

Somewhere along the line your coach probably gets fired and the questions get louder than ever in Boston at number two Let’s Talk About Kevin Durant we mentioned this yesterday Durant talking about his leadership style at the end of the day Kevin Durant needs to cement his legacy one chance ionship outside of

Golden State he might be in the right place to do it he might have the right teammates around him to do it leg said yesterday one title in Phoenix would equal at least the two that he got at Golden State there’s all the pressure in

The world on KD but at number one it’s not a player it’s Doc Rivers you step out of the broadcast Booth under the circumstances that he did and go to the sideline in Milwaukee we’ve all seen how badly it has started now that will be long since forgotten if it finishes

Strong but if this thing goes sideways if Milwaukee after the enormous acquisition of Dame and the mid-season coaching changed if this thing goes badly I don’t think the blame goes to Giannis I’m not even sure the blame goes to Dame unless he plays really badly I

Think the blame will go to Doc Rivers and so there you have it the five people legs come on back in here the five people in the NBA under the most pressure as we head down this stretch Anthony Davis Zion Jason Tatum KD Doc Rivers Wendy is with us this morning as

Well talk to me for the most part I love the list I think there is one major Omission on this list and you alluded to it but you went in a different direction I agree that Doc Rivers belongs in this Damen Lillard absolutely belongs in there because of his track record

Historically being in Portland all those years never coming close to a final the day you got paired up with Yos Santa TMO you expect to win a championship this year now it doesn’t mean it’s going to be a failure because they’ve got more years going forward but in this season

It would be a failure failure this is the best opportunity he’s had he’s finally on a team where he’s not the best player he’s got to rise to the occasion he’s got to be great he can he’s got to be better than he’s been so

Far for the bucks by the way he’s had moments it hasn’t been the consistent level of Excellence look part of that is because he’s working out this new rhythm with a guy that cast that kind of a shadow I get it it’s not easy and there’s a coaching change all that’s

True bottom line is Damen Lillard went there for a reason he’s going to have to deliver so I think Lillard belongs on that list I think Paul George also potentially could have been on that so Paul George was number six we were talking about him at length and when

Hembo and I were putting the list together Wendy we basically decided we’re only going to put one person from per team on the list and we chose doc over Dame because as you said Dame and Giannis we think will have other chances together doc the circumstances of this

Look Doc Rivers can do whatever he wants to do if he wanted to leave the broadcast after that short a period of time and go God bless him I’m not sitting here ripping him for doing it however it’s going to look awful bad and we’ve seen you know JJ’s comments all

The stuff that has surrounded that if that thing goes sideways Wendy I think it is going to stick to Doc as much as it sticks to anybody well it depends greeny do they lose in the first round to a playin team like they did last year to the heat do

They go seven games with the Celtics who are a superior team and then lose do they get up in a series which has happened with Doc repeatedly in his coaching career and then blow it it just depends I I think with the complete team that the that the Celtics are the Bucks

Are underdogs I don’t care if red arbach was their coach it would take a lot of them to get to the finals or some Fortune I will go back to the when the Dame liard trade happened the day it happened I said but where is Drew holiday going the advances that they

Made in that trade were nullified largely by holiday going to their opponent you can’t forget that yes Doc Rivers has got to get this team in shape this three and seven start is not acceptable but there’s a whole lot that’s got to happen between now and then before we can really evaluate it

Let’s go to number two talk to me about the pressure on Kevin Durant for this to be the time with this team with this Supporting Cast this group in Phoenix particularly Devon Booker no doubt about it and particularly with all just the negative attention that Kevin dur has

Garner because of the situations he’s been in and the failures of those teams everything’s lined up for him like this could end up being such a prolific offense it can over any defensive deficiencies that this group might have that’s how good these three guys have been together when they’re on the floor

It’s really actually mindboggling how good their offense has been when they all play be out again last night so if they ever get a sustained stretch we’ll see this team is good enough to win the Western Conference on paper they have enough to do it Kevin Durant’s going to

Be have to be the guy to get them through those big moments in those big series against other star players you know you’re just making me think about it because if you look at the Western Conference contenders right now Wendy you’ve got the Clippers they look good enough you’ve got the Mavericks they

Look good enough you got the Suns they look good enough who will be the last man standing nuggets from well but I’m saying from the ill- fated Brooklyn Trio the nuggets are the best team clearly the nugg forget about the Nuggets they’re the best team but I’m saying

From the ill- fated Trio in Brooklyn who’s the last man standing this year is it Durant with his sons is it Kyrie with his Mavericks or is it Harden with his Clippers that’s a fascinating question I will tell you that right now only one of them is in the playin and right now

After last night with the Mavericks beating the Suns you know Durant is in the playin and you know it’s hard to evaluate the Suns because they’ve had so many injuries but if they’re in the playin and they got to deal with LeBron and step in that potential situation

Just to get into the playoffs and then not have home court that’s a tough road to Ho there I I I think the Suns really will be more evaluated next year when they can build this team up but Kyrie has got to be happy with his situation and you know

James Harden’s happy with his so Stephen we’ve been talking about you know LeBron and Steph and you and I were together last year as we saw LeBron make that run from the playin all the way to the Western Conference Finals as you watch these two teams right now if I told you

One of them is going to make that run this year Steph or Lebron which one would you tell me it’s going to be for me it’s Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors I know that you look at the Los Angeles Lakers particularly considering their run last year to the Western

Conference Finals but Tim legler I’m going to say what I’ve been saying all year long they can’t shoot and I can’t rely on their shooting certainly I can rely on the greatness of LeBron James there’s no doubt about that and the greatness of Anthony Davis and let’s

Give Anthony Davis a lot of love because durability has been a question mark where he was averaging 28 missed games a year over the previous four years this year he’s barely missed any games I give him a lot of love and a lot of credit

For that and yes I did lose my bet to Shannon sharp I owe him a dinner because he bet me that Anthony Davis wouldn’t be missing games this year and he’s won the bet but still in all they’re not the Golden State Warriors I understand that double overtime loss

They had against LeBron James several weeks ago when Steph dropped 46 but it still wasn’t good enough but I’m looking at the greatness of Steph Curry I’m looking at the fact that they’ve been nine and three since Draymond Green has come back from his suspension I’m

Looking at the pace of play how that’s elevated B jinsky you pointed that out earlier in get up legs where they’re moving the basketball significantly better with him on the court as opposed to Klay Thompson and if you go back to the years when they were very very

Successful even though it wasn’t that long ago it wasn’t just their sniper likee shooting that we applauded it was their ball movement along with their defensive prowers and then you see a guy like kaminga who’s a young Thoroughbred and a Skywalker you know what he can do athletically you didn’t have that before

To have that athleticism to have the savviness and the knowledge and the efficiency of a Pinsky with Steph Curry still looking like a superstar with Draymond Green playing the best B basketball I’ve seen him play over the last few years to be quite honest with you and with this inherent belief that I

Have that Klay Thompson will answer the call remember guys he might be shooting 41% from the field he’s shooting 37% from three-point range those are career worse Tim legler you know this just as well as I do there’s at least 27 to 28 teams that would crave for a shooter

Shooting 37% from threo range so a bad year for Klay Thompson would be a decent year if not a good year for most teams with somebody at that position I think as the season progresses they only get more efficient they only get more fluid they only get more better not worse and

I would go with the Golden State Warriors by I I have no problem saying that I’m always going to give the Warriors a pulse always I’m never going to bury them as long as they have Steph Curry because I I’m never going to put anything past what he’s capable of doing

My answer to this question Stephen was that it’s a coin toss but I’d lean Lakers if I had to pick between these two teams and here’s why I still think the one thing with golden state that does rear itself despite how well they’re playing offensively they are too

Small at times and I think defensively it’s an issue it’s also an issue securing important rebounds when they have to have it late in the game you’re going to need some size to make a legitimate run at this thing in the Western Conference and that is where the

Lakers in the physical stature of a LeBron of an Anthony Davis the way that they can control their positions just because of how big they are how strong they are how athletic they are it’s a different element than what the Golden State Warriors have so look I don’t know

Necessarily that either of these teams is going to get out of say a first round series I don’t know that either of them are capable of it but if I had to really put money on it this year I probably would lean toward the Lakers because of

LeBron and AD and just the physical size that they represent Stephen I want to show you something else Len go ahead Steve I I don’t have a problem with what Tim leg what legs is saying greeny only this this is the only problem that I I’ll challenge him on Wendy or anybody

Else they keep forgetting this see we look at offense we look at defense we compartmentalize those two things and in the same breath we look at the size of a LeBron James and an Anthony Davis I get that you know what if we gonna bring

That up why not we why not bring up AG why not bring up the fact that JJ Reddit comes on first take and wants to educate the world with his cerebral Brilliance okay when he’s talking about spacing and pace of play and how you have to cover

More of the court now than you ever did in the past well last time I checked as far the time comes creeping up on you remember Lebron james’ hairline is just as is is is fading just as much as mine you know I’m 56 that brother’s in his

30s he ain’t reached 40 yet but my hairline is about the same as his I got some little you know thinness up top just like he does okay father time is creeping up on us and so when you look at it from that perspective and you look

At the fact that you look at Pinsky and you look at kaminga and you the fact that Steve Kerr has those bodies available to them you’re talking about the position the being in a position to push the ball up the floor increase pace of play making you run more being more

Efficient offensively bottom line from long range don’t get me started with their free throw shooting you take all of those things into consideration that puts more pressure not just on an opposing defense but on an opposing offense to be even more efficient because you can’t afford to make mistakes otherwise Golden State will

Make you pay people keep forgetting that I don’t Help

THE LAKERS CAN’T SHOOT! 🗣️ Stephen A. picks the Warriors over Los Angeles to make the WCF | Get Up

Mike Greenberg presents his list of the top five players and coaches under the most pressure, then Stephen A. Smith joins Get Up to discuss the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

0:00 The Green List
4:05 Mistake hiring Doc Rivers?
7:02 Stephen A. joins the show

#ESPN #NBA #GetUp

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