FIRST TAKE | Shannon rips Stephen A: Lakers are teams outside top 4 in West with best Finals chances

FIRST TAKE | Shannon rips Stephen A: Lakers are teams outside top 4 in West with best Finals chances

31 last night so with the playoffs approaching let’s take a look at the current standings cuz it’s thick in the west JJ you know we couldn’t have you on the show and not get into the Lakers yeah we have to talk obligation right a log Jam the Pelicans lead the Kings by

Two for the fifth seed and then the Mavericks and suns are just a half game behind Sacramento the Lakers and Warriors make up the bottom of the playing field still in the ninth and 10th spots here’s Brian windhorse Wendy on Zion I got people in New Orleans telling

Me that since December when the in-season tournament happened Zion Williamson has lost 25 or more pounds and is acting I mean his performance has been excellent he’s playing fewer minutes and I think that helps as well but I got people telling me he’s lost 25 pounds all right JJ you’re at first best

Chance at a finals appearance outside of the top four in the west first of all I just I want to say one thing I’m a little hurt that I was not invited to the first take bracket uh group do you want to fill out a bracket I don’t want to fill

Out a bracket I wouldn’t have done it I wouldn’t have done it I want to be clear on that but the fact I was not invited it’s hurtful we assume to bus I expected more especially from you no no not from me no no we assume you’re too busy you

Understand you have a lot of jobs you’ve got a lot of obligations and quite frankly I saw you a few weeks ago and uh I literally told you I thought you needed a vacation I’m getting one I’m getting one exactly on spring break I was concerned about you my brother from

Another B I was concerned about you uh what I’m saying look I there’s a number of teams I think even going all the way down to 10 there’s a number of teams here in the Western Conference that I believe can make a playoff run in terms

Of who I think has the best chance to make the finals I’m actually going to go with the New Orleans Pelicans um this is a team that has quietly been a top 10 offense a top 10 defense over the last 20 they’re 15 and five as Brian said

Zion Williamson for the last two months is playing the best basketball of the Season we were pretty harsh on him after the inseason tournament uh his performance in that semi-final game against the Lakers he’s been awesome they’ve unlocked him as a passer each month his assists have gone up uh Trey

Murphy is healthy now and after a slow start shooting the basketball has played unbelievable over the past few weeks I look at this team and I see depth I see arguably the best Wing defender in the entire NBA in herb Jones this is a team that can absolutely make a Deep Run

In the playoffs and potentially get to the finals having said that Denver Nuggets are still the favorites to me I want to be clear on that in the Western Conference the other teams I I think the Mavs have a decent chance uh I I wouldn’t you know discount Luca donic

And and that revamped roster in the playoffs I’m not sold on the Phoenix Suns right now their defense has a lot of question marks and they’ve been awful in the fourth quarter All Season uh so I I got to go with the New Orleans Pelicans go ah

Shannon oh you sure you don’t want to go no go ahead I want to hear what you had to say say you know what I I’ve been going back and forth I’ve been going honestly I’ve been going back and forth because I see the way Kyrie and Luca are playing

With those two bigs now that have been very very AC active they’ve been cleaning up the glass getting a lot of Second Chance points but I’m g go with the Lakers and let me tell you why I’m going with the Lakers oh my Lord they got the third best they got the third

Best record in one possession game and play in tournament or postseason there ain’t no 25o swing there ain’t no 25o blowouts they might be one but normally it’s clutch time the last five minutes the game within five points so with that being said I still I still like the

Lakers I still with ad and LeBron we just got to make sure don’t nobody elbow ad in the eye and he can upright because I know come playoff time LeBron James will control the pace he’s not going to let you run up and down and try tie

Those old legs out and so if for me it’s the Lakers or the Mavs and now that you got me on the got me on the clock I got to go with the Lakers boy something wrong with you something is absolutely positively wrong with you you cannot possibly feel that

Way about the Los Angeles Lakers considering the way they’ve been playing defense since the allstar break I mean they’re one of the worst defensive teams in the game okay and don’t get me started with the defensive back court of of Reeves and D’Angelo Russ we getting Vando we getting Vando and Benson coming

Back the B boys the supposedly Vander is gonna come back let’s hope that that happens I’m rolling with JJ reck on this I got to tell you right now about the New Orleans right now say say it again I’m rolling unlike you I get to the headline I’m rolling with JJ reck on

This I believe he is right see how easy that is for me to say it’s no problem right now let’s look at this because y’all appreciate this Pelicans six in one in the month of March second only to the Houston Rockets e may udoka for the way he’s coaching second only to him

Pelican second best defense since the All-Star break 107.2 points allow per 100 possessions Zion averaging 30 and eight over the last four games 66% shooting by the way you ready for this do you know that Zion Williamson is on a current streak of having played 14 consecutive games games and by the way

He hasn’t missed a backto back game all season it’s a big deal when you look at New Orleans they’ve got size they’ve got athleticism they’ve got shooting uh obviously I look at Denver obviously as the favorite you know they to raining defending NBA champions they’re ready

But what are the one of the things that we talk about when we talk about the Minnesota timber wolves we bring up sides and the fact that with Rudy go assuming Cat Williams is able to come back size is formidable well New Orleans isn’t necessarily lacking in that that

Department plus they’ve got other pieces in place they’ve got link they’ve got athleticism they got some Greyhounds I like what I’m seeing from the New Orleans Pelicans I think they got a chance to go to the finals Stephen A you mean you mean cat towns Cat Williams

Can’t help he can’t help call Anthony Town my bad my bad my bad I’m sorry I’m sorry shanon my bad cat not Cat Williams call Anthony toian slip know I’m saying well I get it Shannon’s on the show The they’re interview went viral went everywhere the whole internet watched it

Well for me I’m watching Saturday Night Live when Saturday Night Live you know what I’m saying spoed that that’s what I that’s I’m looking at that to a salar but Ste but Stephen A did you know that the Lakers have the third best record in one possession games did you know that

How’d that work out last year in the Western Conference Finals man they got sweat hold on hold on hold on I could just asking you I’m asking your what’s the best chance at hold on because the Nuggets had the best record what are best chances at finals appearance outside the top

Four yeah okay so so so what what’s Phoenix question you answered the question I did a great J saying you how did that how did that how did that work out for him well we know the team that won because they had a better record in one possession

Games okay all I’m saying to you is that that Lakers team played significantly better defense than this Lakers team has been playing Bando okay all right all right you say that okay we’ll see we’ll see hilarious you see New Orleans no you talking about

Now see I don’t get to say will my team get healthy but you over there talking about oh jsh R come back oh that shoulder if he heal that shoulder up and Mitchell Robinson big body you now you know he a big body right but what about

Hold on what about TBS running them guys he Josh Hart played 48 minutes another guy played 46 minutes they gonna be dog tide boss come play our times on empty on fumes he he he does first of all well first of all he does have me there JJ

Cuz I am worried with tips i’ but I that’s why I’ve been happy dudes have missed games because they leg they GNA be worn out cu play time they had enough time off so they should be all right they should be all right that’s how I’m

About but let me tell you something let me tell you something right now I’m looking at the way the lak is playing defense I’m not enamored and by the way let me bring this up too because I was raving about the Clippers weeks ago JJ I went from raving about the Clippers to

Looking at them and right now the season would the end the day first round opponent would be New Orleans yep and I don’t think they’d beat New Orleans so literally with the Clippers to talk about how they could they could compete in the West for Championship to

Wondering whether or not they gonna get bounced in the first round you have coming out of the West Denver I have Denver who do you have Denver oh the Nugget Oh Hey Stephen he hold on I remember with everybody JJ was raving about him too but since LeBron James did

That demolition job on them in the fourth quarter they haven’t been the same since they haven’t been the same since you remember how y’all was talking about La about the Clippers run La they run around La I don’t believe I ever said that I would say I say they kept beating

The Lakers ass most of these years but not this season not this season not this season that’s him so bad made them get their own Arena listen made them get their own Arena that’s what we did beat them and kick them out your guy has bigger things to worry about LeBron now

He’s got the podcast with JJ he’s got other things he’s focused on come on so you just settle down coming up on first Anthony Edward threw down a monster poster Slam in last night’s game against the jazz is he the most thrilling player in the NBA today ch for

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FIRST TAKE | Shannon rips Stephen A.: Lakers are teams outside top 4 in West with best Finals chances