FIRST TAKE | Suns will prove they’re the most dangerous NBA title! – Stephen A. on KD vs Giannis

FIRST TAKE | Suns will prove they’re the most dangerous NBA title! – Stephen A. on KD vs Giannis

Studio alongside the legend Michael wilbon our senior Insider Adrien wowski Bob Myers Kendrick Perkins in for Stephen A Smith I’m mikica Andrew we have a stupendous double header today in the midwest the Milwaukee Bucks they host a Suns team that is smack dab in the middle of the Western Conference

Standings we should mention that Giannis attent to Kumo according to our Adrien wowski was a late scratch from this one with hamstring tightness but it’s time now for today’s key matchups delivered by Papa John’s the sun’s big three which they put together this past off season

Is slated to play in just their 27th game as a group today Kevin Durant he’s averaging over 28 points per game and is on Pace to set the sun’s single season scoring Mark the next Cog in all of this is Bradley Beal of course acquired from

The Wizards Beal has been really in and out of the lineup he’s missed 29 games he’s also scoring his lowest total since 2019 but you would to expect some decrease when you’re playing alongside offensive Juggernaut but the constant for the Suns has been Devin Booker he’s the last remaining member of the Suns

Team that made it to the finals in 202 21 overall though the suns are 16 and 10 when they big three plays they will need to have them all down the stretch because after today’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks here’s a look at their opponent win percentage in their final

14 games so let me just tell you the first four they’re pretty manageable here but the following 10 is incredibly tough the Suns we could see them fall in the Western Conference standings if they are not able to sort of withstand that stretched so Mr wilbon you’re our

Resident Phoenician here do the Phoenix Suns have enough time what do they need to prove in those final 15 games particularly in the fourth quarter which we have heard you talk about no short of 10 million times over the course of this season that’s it it’s the same drum beat

Right Malika you started I we give you props for unearthing that final 10 games you looked at that two weeks ago and said look at the look at the sun’s final te games they’re getting a break not having to face jannis sand DMO today they’ve had this in a couple of

Stretches where they haven’t had to face a team fully loaded and healthy so it’s not about proving anything it’s about winning some games it’s quite possible the Suns could be playing pretty well and go four and six over those final 10 games but will not get them a top six

They’d be in the plan we talked about this last night with golden state and the Lakers the suns are facing this so can they steal one on the road against Milwaukee with no Giannis which would help we saw those winning those win percentages of opponents it’s not proving anything they’ve got to win

These games and they’ve got to do it facing or dealing with their own fourth quarter woses which have placed them dead last in that category most of the season and and you talk about you know like I said I defer to The The Phoenician my right you talk about the

Fourth quarter and you say the numbers are are revealing and that it it is true it is a fact that they’ve been awful in the fourth quarter so then you ask yourself why why have they been so bad you talk about when they went to the

Finals they had Chris Paul and a lot of people call him the last great game manager so who’s managing the game in the fourth quarter you’ve got three of the best halfcourt scorers in the league in Booker Durant and Beal but for some reason it’s not working I mean that look

At those stats I mean not only is it not working it’s the worst in the NBA it’s not it’s not in the middle it’s the worst their offense is the 10th best in the NBA their defense is the 13th I can’t believe their offense isn’t better

I I believe they gave up a little bit on defense but that’s the problem with this team I there’s probably some bad footage of October of me saying I think the Suns might come out of the way right and now they might be a playing team so it’s

Really hard to understand but but but Bob we only could judge them on their H right in this offseason they went to their Beyonce mode and they upgraded themselves by adding Bradley Bill and the fact of the matter is is when no when the big three is on the floor

They’re the best offensive team in the league when they’re healthy they’re shooting 54% from the field 42% from the three so we heard Frank voger talk about actually putting Bradley Bill at that point guard Road he’s an underrated playmaker Kevin Durant underrated playmaker dein Booker he showed us last

Year in the postseason that not only he could get his but he could make others around him better so when I look at this big three when they’re healthy I don’t know another team out you know except for the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics that actually can match them

Offensively with the five power that they have health matters for every team especially in the postseason but the Suns they gutted their depth to bring in Kevin Durant Bradley Beal they can’t afford any of those three to be out at all in the postseason and part of the

Reason you brought in Bradley Beal there was because Devin Booker Kevin Durant have had a recent history of missing a lot of regular season games they needed be to get them through that but at the expense of their depth certainly Royce O’Neal that deal at the trade deadline

Gives them a ball handling forward that has really helped them but I as much as any team in the league they are at the mercy of having all three of those players every night in the postseason the hard thing when you build a team the challenging thing is on paper you say oh

My gosh I can get Bradley Beal and I’ve got Durant and Booker the hardest part is does 1 plus 1 plus 1 equal three does it equal two four for the kids watching 1 plus 1 plus one does equal three but ideally you would like to amplify those

Three guys that they make each other better I don’t know if that’s happening are they redundant I don’t know I mean but but the numbers when they’re together pretty good offensive well that that is the problem is it’s been a little bit their redundancy it does feel

Like Bradley Beal is that one piece that they haven’t exactly figured out how to use to the best of their ability and maybe that’s point because they haven’t had enough time they need to but so so perk is there enough time now with whatever it is those 6 15 16 games left

But they got to play them all and figure this out it is if if we were dealing with a a uh younger group I would say it’s not enough time we’re dealing with oldheads and we’re dealing with a championship coach and Frank voger he could figure it out right but it is a

Little bit like a Rubik’s Cube and in order to figure it out they have to be a available again just the 27th game this afternoon they’re available today except people are sleeping on the Denver Nuggets yeah we all were I don’t know that that’s true how can you sleep on

The defending that’s same question I was asking myself when I answered the question I don’t know about sleeping about on a team that since the All-Star break has been the best group in basketball it’s time now for a big man moment brought to you by ESPN bet the

Official sports book of ESPN Kendra do you know what today is it’s my day ground is it Groundhog Day what is it Ground Hog Day has already come and gone Henry up Henry is here our our our resident groundhog but it also is Nicola jokic’s 66th game of the season which

Means he has eclipsed that 65 game Mark he has qualified officially for postseason Awards like the MVP he is the oddson favorite to take his third MVP in four years but what has put him in such a position to be dominant well first of all did you miss me hello hell yeah you

Did and look we could talk about the most dangerous player but let’s talk about the best player the most powerful player joic Seven Seasons leading in leading his team at points rebounds and assist most by any player in the NBA history you talk about powerful that’s

Moving the needle look at the big fell right here in great shape all team wack body running the floor tomato chest crab dribble under control troll to turn around Fade Away look at him going up for the tip D and what this is textbook I know my boy willb love this keeping it

High rebounding High finishing high right here look at the dime some people thought that was a hook but that was a pass look at the full court Outlet to re uh Carwell po all time on target look when you’re going to receive a the ball

You know a guy got Vision like yic it makes the game that much fun when you think about look at this right here Malika players to win three MVPs in a 4year span you see these nam I don’t think need a k ABD jaal lry bir Magic

Johnson LeBron James and you know what when I talk about the powerful people moving the needle joic has knocked me off my Square I actually has have him as my front runner right now for us winning the MVP vote and put a yes on Hall of Fame

Next to LeBron James I’m going to put a yes next to this man Nicola yic ESPN bet is the official sports book of ESPN and new users get a $100 man neither one of these guys don’t know nothing about big man moments there we go we go keep what would you say keep

A cool no no no hey h oh my go you can receive $1 in bonus bets for making any Sportsbook bet you can check out perks big men parlay as you can see here exclusively in the ESPN BET app if you want to ride with perk or any of the

Other big men you you good now Kendrick yeah I’m good all right Kendrick is good if in the meantime Devin Booker getting set as the sun’s big three playing in just their 27th game together this season remember Booker returned to the lineup on March 11th after missing four

Games with an ankle injury let’s see what he is They Def I’ll my our BAS is under attack sh to our B is under attack for for for spe for for spe for For spe for for Fore Speee e for

FIRST TAKE | Suns will prove they’re the most dangerous NBA title! – Stephen A. on KD vs Giannis