NBA Countdown | “Kevin Durant needs to step up” – Stephen A. Smith predicts Suns vs. Bucks today

NBA Countdown | “Kevin Durant needs to step up” – Stephen A. Smith predicts Suns vs. Bucks today

Suns are in Milwaukee today for the final of two meetings with the Bucks this season looking to end Milwaukee’s current three-game home win streak since the All-Star Game the Bucks appear to be rounding into form with an 8 and3 record that is tied for fourth best of any team

In that span let’s talk about it here’s Malika Andrews in the NBA Countdown crew we’re here to get you set for the Suns the bucks on ABC that tips off at 1:00 Stephen A Smith Bob Myers Michael wilbon I’m Malik Andrews Stephen A the Bucks have found something with Damen

Lillard and Giannis recently has Doc locked their two-man game yeah I guess so you could say that I mean obviously they’re a top two seed in the Eastern Conference we know what Giannis can do we know what Dame can do we knew that as the season progressed they figure it out

And get it together because if you look at the style of their games it does mesh it does match the question is what were they going to do defensively and Doc Riv has fixed that to some degree and what are they going to do once they get Chris

Middleton back we know they won the championship because Chris Middleton Mr mid-range himself went out there looking like Demar D roza for crying out loud in the finals against the Phoenix Suns can he be that individual again a lot remains to be seen because his health has been a huge question mark That’s

What’s been in the way of it if he’s healthy and Performing well Milwaukee can win it all if he’s not or he does he plays badly they might struggle to get to the second round and to your point huge news that the Bucks are getting Chris Middleton back according to our

Adrien wowski for this game against the Phoenix Suns Bob yeah he’s he’s you can’t overstate his importance to this team and for their chances of doing anything and this is a championship team in their own minds at least that’s the aspiration of this Milwaukee Bucks team

15 games to go they’ve got to make a run they’ve got to stay healthy and show what they can be because it’s been too much of this with the Bucks too much up and down and I think Middleton gives them that missing piece it solidifies their bench gets players to play a

Little bit less minutes than they’ve been playing um but you know it’s not just coming back it’s coming back he’s GNA have to play well too and he’s been out for much of the season right no Middleton no advancing very far in the playoffs to the Milwaukee bugs

He’s that important right I mean certainly we we’ve seen it I mean he was critical to that winning that Championship well since we have the mayor of Phoenix of Scottsdale can you be a mayor of a whole state because if so that that I’ll take Scottsdale is way

You are to to Arizona Let’s dive into the Phoenix Suns a little bit they have the second most difficult remaining schedule they’re really in a fight for the sixth seed with the Sacramento Kings going back and forth there in the standings how much confidence do you

Have what kind of playoff run can you do you think that they can make mikica it’s hard to have any confidence in a playoff run when their fourth quarter woles continue they’ve been not just sort of down down near the bottom they are the bottom of the fourth quarter almost this

Entire season by any measurement and when you don’t have that when you are not organized in the fourth quarter when your fourth quarter leads just evaporate you don’t there’s no Personnel move they can make there’s nothing Frank vogle can go to they’re missing that ingredient so

No I don’t I don’t see this the sons have got so much talent maybe they can get in the seven game war with somebody and get through a series or get through Beyond that slight sliver of Hope for me last year when they lost to Denver they

Were down 02 and KD and Dev Booker when we thought they were going to get S swept Rose to the occasion and reminded everybody what they could do going up against younger teams in the west this year could you do that yes they could an experience Prevail right a rematch of

The 2021 NBA Finals tips off at 1:00 on ABC for Now Sports Center sending it back to you app they’re one step closer to being whole tonight as Dame Lillard is joined for the first time in a month by Chris Middleton Dame and Chris have only actually played in 39 games

Together this season but they will be without Giannis this afternoon Health has also evaded their opponent the Phoenix Suns but their big three is expected to be in action for just the 27th time as a group this afternoon led by that man Kevin Durant who’s having a six straight season averaging 25 points

Five rebounds five assists we’re counting it down if you’re not laed in you’re going to have [Applause] problem try to think about parts of the game that’s going to help we got want like I life is depending on AIC you know who I am welcome to NBA Countdown delivered by Papa

John’s welcome to NBA Countdown here from our Los Angeles Studio alongside the legend Michael wilbon our senior Insider Adrien W narowski Bob Myers Kendrick Perkins in for Stephen A Smith I’m Malika 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 jannis 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 Suns 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 juggernauts 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 2021 overall though the suns are 16 and 10 when they’re 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 stretch 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 it’s the same drum beat right Malika you

Started I me give you props for unearthing that final 10 you looked at that two weeks ago and said look at the look at the sun’s final 10 games they’re getting a break not having to face jannis s 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 Yannis which would help we saw those winning those win percentages of opponents is 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 woes 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 Phan to 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 half court scores 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 off defense 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 West 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 Hill right in this off season 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

Are the best offensive team in the league when healthy they’re 54% from the field 42% from the so we heard Frank V talk about actually putting Bradley Bill at that point guard Road he’s an underrated playmaker Kevin Durant underrated playmaker Devin 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 in the Boston Celtics that actually can match them

Offensively with the fire 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 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 help them but I think 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 one plus 1+ 1 equal 3 does it equal two four for the kids watching 1 plus 1 plus 1 do 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 are 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 but 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 a 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 available again just the 27th game this afternoon they’re available today exactly Wen available Dame Lillard he is available and they’re

Going to need every bit of the offensive Firepower that he brings particularly with no Yannis attent kmo in the lineup for the Milwaukee Bucks coming up the West though I mean it is packed with star power but you’re not going to believe who Kendrick Perkins marks as the most dangerous Man For For for for spe for e For Spe how Fore spee

NBA Countdown | “Kevin Durant needs to step up” – Stephen A. Smith predicts Suns vs. Bucks today