FIRST TAKE | “I’m sick of Suns” – Stephen A. rips Suns drop in Playoff Standings after Thunder loss

FIRST TAKE | “I’m sick of Suns” – Stephen A. rips Suns drop in Playoff Standings after Thunder loss

Next no why first of all I got to wonder about the health their health all the time Bradley Bill Devon Booker Kevin Durant have only played 23 games out of the 61 um that’s number one I mean I believe in them offensively I know they’re all World they can score on

Anybody so in that regard I’ll believe in them but I got to tell you something right now you know what Shannon you’re watching games this maybe I maybe I watched the games this week and it just altered my thinking because I know you going get on me about that too I know

You’re gonna get on me about that too but but but listen I’m going tell y’all why I wanted to bring up this subject because it’s something that’s very interesting that I couldn’t wait to bring it to both of y’all because I know how y’all are on subjects like this we

Were arguing on NBA Countdown yesterday about Kevin Durant who by the way since he arrived in Phoenix is averaging 27 on 43% shooting from three-point range and we know from a skilled position how all World Kevin Durant is no question about it but Bob Meyers was talking about you

Know how expecting too much etc etc and I was like yo yo did you know this Kevin Durant ain’t been out of the second round since he left Golden State it’s Kevin Durant we talking about that is not good that is not good now obviously if Kyrie hadn’t gotten hurt against

Milwaukee I thought they would have won it all but it happened but he has not been out of the second round since he departed from Golden State and by the way there’s a sweep in the first round at the hands of Boston not this Boston

Team from a couple of years ago when he was in Brooklyn that happened with him and Kyrie on the floor so we got to pay attention to that and what I was saying guys yesterday was this at some point in time when we talk about leadership because leadership became a part of the

Discussion and Shannon and you and I talked about this last week with Kevin Durant what I said to Bob Meyers was when you go to the negotiating table do you just sit up there and say I’m gonna put up numbers but we gonna lose or whatever or do you say I’m a Difference

Maker because they were talk he was talking about how people lead in different ways and I said when you it’ be one thing if you never won but when you have won because this is a two-time champion we’re talking about at Kevin Durant and a two-time NBA Finals MVP

That means you know what it takes that means you’ve been surrounded in an environment where you saw what it would take in order to capture it there isn’t something a little extra if necessary required of you to do that you extend beyond yourself if the chip is that

Important that was the kind of discussion that we were engaging in and I was saying that’s what the sons appear to be lacking and if somebody doesn’t step up and step out of themselves to give you a little something extra than what we’re accustomed to seeing from them they’re not going anywhere that’s

Where I was standing on it I wanted to know how y’all felt about that because that’s how I feel about the Suns go ahead go ahead Shannon I ain’t gonna beat you up because we had this conversation me you and perk had the conversation last week and y’all beat me

Over the head told perk told me I need to watch more games even though I watch gam is he watch because I got to come out here and talk basketball with Stephen A the concerns that I’ve always had with the Phoenix Suns is their injury history Kevin Durant has had KNE

Has knee injury problems Booker has had a hamstring ISS had hamstring problems Bradley beill has had injury history so my concerns were can they play enough games together that when they get to the playoffs and it’s a meaningful game that they know each other well enough that’s

Always been my concern they’re a very offensive heavy team uh it’s going to be it’s dependent on Ste uh uh legs as you said are they going to leave enough skin on the floor defensively nerk has been doing a great job on the glass he had 31

Rebounds last night which set a son’s record but the question is in can they stop people we know they can get bucket they got two guys that bill is averag 30 in the season KD is average 30 in the season and book giv you 26 27 on the

Night basis so we know they have the offensive fire power but at some point in time leg you got to stop somebody and especially especially in a nip tuck ball game you miss but you can’t stop somebody that’s when you get into trouble so I’ve always had my concerns

About the Suns even though they’ve had goty had we know what Kevin Durant is a MVP a Finals MVP a historically great player we know what book is offensively so it’s Bradley Beal but I had I’ve had my concerns since they put this team together together just for their injury

History listen I’ve got I’ve got some serious concerns about him for for a couple reasons one you guys have both touched on it but listen can you three guys ever play together can you just get on the floor on the same night so we can really evaluate what it’s going to look

Like they’ve hardly played together so there’s always that caveat when you talk about the Suns well man you know we need to see a larger sample size of what those it looks like with those three players I don’t know if we’re going to get it I feel like as soon as one guy

Comes back from an injury another guy gets gets tweaked or banged up and and goes and sits so we never really see him at full strength so that’s obviously one concern that has to happen between now and the end of the season like you need

To see me give me a 15 game stretch where I see you guys every single night they have a brutal schedule coming up over the next two weeks got Boston twice you got Denver you got Milwaukee and you got the Cavaliers that’s five of your

Next seven games now if we can get all three guys on the court maybe it gives you a better idea how they stack up with these teams we haven’t seen it but here’s the actual bigger concern for me there’s no real flow to what they do offensively because they don’t have a

True point guard they don’t have a table sitter an organizer offensively what they have are three great offensive players who sort of operate independently of each other we roll with this guy for a few possessions then we roll with this guy for a few possessions and then the other guy for a few

Possessions but when you watch teams with great flow and Rhythm to their offense and he ran into one last night Oklahoma city that has a clear identity every trip how they are going to play it’s going to be sheay gilgas Alexander in the middle of the floor either ISO

Wing or ball screen and then they space out off of that and they move it with great Rhythm so you look at every team in the league really there’s an identity trip after trip I don’t necessarily see that with the Suns I see a series of

Tough shots and a lot of tough shots that are made and it reminds you with the greatness of these players that is not going to be good enough against the competition level in the Western Conference look they’ve got what 23 24 games left whatever it is to change our

Minds but right now it sounds like we’re all in agreement we have high skepticism when it comes to the Phoenix Suns actually making a run through the Western Conference so again I asked the question uh somewhat rhetorically but in all seriousness I just I I would like a

Quick answer on this what do we make of a team when you have a superstar because he is a superstar that is Kevin Durant and it’s like yo I am who I am this is what I do work around it what do you do when it’s it’s something more that’s

Required when we think about the great ones that we’ve talked about you know it’s easy to point to MJ it’s easy to point to Kobe what about Isaiah Thomas what about the kind of leader he was what about the way he was able to hold Bad Boy Pistons accountable there was a

Certain way you were going to do things cuz we have the chip now you going to be a part of this so you ain’t going to be you going to be up out of here what about that I mean we don’t see that from a guy like Kevin

Durant is that okay or is it a need that needs to be addressed in terms of digging something out of yourself that may not be something that you normally do in order to get to where you need to go Stephen A I look at Kevin Durant situation like a relationship when

You’re getting into a relationship with a woman you accept them as they are not how you wish them to be accept Kevin Durant as he is not how you wish him to be okay okay yeah and I and I would Echo it saying this Stephen A at this stage

Of Kevin Durant’s career you’re not going to see a change in that regard Kevin Durant’s always carried himself like I’m going to show up and play and do what I do and that’s going to be good enough because of this exceptional Talent you know and and maybe in this

Case it would require more I just don’t see based on his personality and his track record and how he carries himself in the way he leads which is by showing up and being productive every night at a really high level that’s how he does it it might not be enough in this situation

But I don’t think you can expect change at this point because he told you Stephen A he says the way I show up in work the way I practice the way I treat my teammates that’s leadership for him that’s the way he views it not saying anything about holding guys accountable

Like I need you to do this that’s not what he is so I’m accept him how he is not how I wish him to be got it all right uh very good relationship advice by the way there Shannon for both men and women I you come to your boy if you

Want that relationship advice come to your boy night cap I give it to you night now we know you we know we you got a few things on me that ain’t one of them n we get together have some of that conac we’ll get together have some of that

Conac that’s all get together shout to VSOP and let’s let’s enjoy St by lorer all right it’s been play seasons in counting since the Cowboys have won a Super Bowl so is it fair to say there is a Winning our Middle Lane Tower is under Attack our Dragon Lane Tower is under Attack our Middle Lane Tower is under attack First Blood watch My an enemy has been defeated dragon and Slayer have appeared you have defeated an enemy an ally has been defeated our Middle Lane Tower is under attack an enemy has been defeated an Al Middle Lane Tower is under Attack an ally has been defeated our Middle Lane Tower is under attack an enemy has been defeated our Lane Tower is under attack an ally has been defeated the iron defense line has disappeared has been defeated foree speech speee Speech an Ally has been defeated ulate our Slayer Lane Tower is under attack where in the speed force are we for I must protect everyone I love your team has destroyed a tower First Blood an ally has been defeated double kill triple kill where in the speed force are

We one Cy coming right up I must protect everyone I Love shut down you have been defeated and they’re off get up to speed let’s dial it up to 11 an enemy has been defeated an ally has been defeated double kill unable you have been defeated and they’re off ultimate victory for that’s foreign spee spee know I’m you the

FIRST TAKE | “I’m sick of Suns” – Stephen A. rips Suns drop in Playoff Standings after Thunder loss