NBA Countdown| Kawhi scores 32 as Clippers escape with nail-biting win over Timberwolves – Stephen A

NBA Countdown| Kawhi scores 32 as Clippers escape with nail-biting win over Timberwolves – Stephen A

Conference showdown between the Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Clippers we’re going to pick this one up gentlemen early in the first quarter here Paul George back in the lineup kawh Leonard ready to go barrage that we have seen this year so the West is actually far closer at the top of the conference

Take a look the Thunder virtually ahead of the Wolves for first place now and then if you look to the far right the nuggets are also in a tie for that top spot so you can never sleep on the defending champs see we got a chance to see them up close yesterday and

Crypto.com Arena as you look at any of these teams who has the best chance to challenge the defending champs the best chance to challenge the defending champ as far as I’m concerned would be the Clippers despite what I saw against the Lakers the other night where they just

Absolutely collapsed I would say the clippers because of their experience they won this game against the timber wolves today because of their experience we’re looking at the Denver Nuggets the worst thing that could have possibly happened to the Wolves was what we just saw because now you’re tired and you’re

In for the for the second slot with with Denver what if you got what if you lost home court advantage to Denver as a number three as a they got to the number two seed and then it would be them against Timberwolves for example hypothetically that would not be a good

Look you don’t want that if you’re the Minnesota timber not a good situation I didn’t mean to cut you I think Denver ends up the one seed here they they haven’t lost since the allstar break they’ve been slowly lurking six and0 and they’re right there they’re tied for

Whatever it is they’re right one game back of the thunder thunder they’re playing well too but I think the Nuggets end up one but after that I think I agree with Stephen A the Clippers you know it’s hard to figure them out they got to have Paul George I did a game

With them with the Kings they they lost that Laker game no Paul George they need to be fully healthy as does all those teams but the Clippers talking a perk during one of the breaks they got three guys that can score in a half court offense which is the playoffs the

Playoffs become a halfcourt game you know and obviously the further you go in the playoffs it slows down the Clippers play real slow which works in the playoffs and I’m watching that Minnesota game and Minnesota’s a very good team best defense in the league by far by far

Who’s going to score for Minnesota in the half court I mean it’s Anthony Edwards but I don’t know that he’s at the stage where he can do it all the time the Clippers have three guys that can create for themselves in the half court and I think in the play the

Minnesota Timberwolves they have a championship level defense right caliber defense but they don’t have a championship caliber offense right so that’s going to hurt them in the postseason but when I think about the Clippers again I’m going to go back to what I’ve been saying you know since

Before the allstar break they have zero flaws to be honest with you don’t only thing that can hurt them is health and if they just missing shots but when it comes down to them having been healthy they got great depth at the big position they got Wings guys that could score you

Talk about kawhai Paul George James Harden even Norman pow you could throw in there a guy that could go and get you buckets but this man has proven to us time and time again no matter what series or who is against whether it’s LeBron whether it’s Steph whoever is in

Front of him if he’s healthy you could bet your money on this man right here on both ends of the floor and that’s what I like about the Clippers is because kawhai actually have The Supporting Cast to go I didn’t see that the other night well that regular season game season

Turn’s not guaranteed we talking now okay can you acknowledge no Paul George matters no I I’m I’m very big on that I think that Paul George is key yeah right and they I don’t think that happens if Paul George is on the floor now I know who knows but that Laker LeBron Paul

George is one of the best defender in the league I I think he’s going to slow LeBron LeBron had 19 in the fourth in that game I wasn’t thinking I wasn’t talking about the I was just talking about Kawai okay you didn’t see him finished okay fair enough that’s all was

You know they’re all flawed that’s the thing about this year that’s what’s going to make these playoffs so great is there I can’t keep track of you two guys what you I’m not even we’re not doing nothing I’m just curious I’m just gonna yeah I’m just going to back but but I

Think it’s important to as we’re talking about how great Kawai is as we’re talking about how important he is I don’t know about you but watching Nicola yic control the game in so many different ways last night in a way that really no other player can to me Clippers Clippers Nuggets they still

Have the best player on the floor and I’m not sure it’s that close how close is that Gap uh not close and it’s not a knock on any kawh Leonard like you said but but nicolea yic um I mean Stephen A we were joking would you have made the

Warriors game better had you been on the floor and we can acknowledge it would not have been better we can all go back there but I will say yic would make you look good joic could make all of us look good he is that good now who’s yic the

Second best player it’s Jamal muray Jamal muray is a really good player but is he a great great great player is he an all NBA player yes is he okay so fine you say he is but you can’t tell me that joic has some unbelievable group around

Him he does not he’s got a really I like Aaron Gordon I I thinkwell Pop’s really underrated great pieces but it ain’t like it’s some star he’s great he’s good but is he good some of the other is he better than good he better than Dam lard is he

Better than lard better than some of these other guys we’ve seen this brother perform in the playoffs reminisce I think he’s really good my point is okay fine what is joic doing to support Murray though how much of Murray’s greatness is because of yic look at the

Onoff stuff look at the onoff stuff when Murray’s on without joic well one of them on the call without the other they a 500 team when they’re on the court together they’re like 33 and 11 right and I’m saying to you when it’s just Murray and no joic it’s not the it’s not

A knock on Jamal muray Ain the same thing understand that but they’re the best doer on basketball for a reason and when Jamal Murray was sidelined the year the years that jish did win MVPs it would they couldn’t win a championship because they didn’t have Jamal Murray he

Was the deciding factor and when you think about the Clippers they have the guy to take him out you have bodies multiple bodies that you could throw at yic that’s why I’m saying the Clippers are actually the Denver Nugget’s biggest competitor I just think to come back

Around to this idea that we are probably going to be back in Denver for no I’m not coming around to that think we think in house yeah you said some stuff I just yeah I I actually play with the guy too I mean I play with him so I

Mean again is Kevin Durant going to come in and punch in the clock and be a gy rat absolutely is he going to be a guy that’s going to voice his opinion in the locker room and hold a guys accountable he’s not that guy and I don’t know no

Championship team that has ever won it that hasn’t had a vocal leader in the locker room right that’s going to lead be an extension of the coach hold guys accountable and do everything that you need to do yeah look everybody does lead differently and he it’s not just

Punching the clock he does the extra work you know that you play with it’s not just show up when practice starts Kevin does his work that’s what I said okay yeah that that is leading in some respects right cuz most guys don’t do that in the NBA do they do they work

Like he does as good as he is they don’t do that that is some kind of leading now if you’re talking about the Kevin Garnett type of leader not everybody Tim Dugan wasn’t like that Steph’s not like yelling at guys well well I well about here’s the thing right I never asked

Kevin Durant to do that that was supposed to be your job was your job so here here’s here’s the thing right I said that the Phoenix Sons don’t have a leader right right and I said in order for them to get things on one page they

Have to get a vocal leader in that locker room and since KD is saying that’s not him I’m telling KD to get uncomfortable yeah I want to Stephen I can’t tell if he’s got something to say or he’s tired or I don’t know I want to be very serious with this Bob because

And and and maybe it’s a rhetorical question maybe it’s not when someone shows up I know Kevin Durant is a all-time great and beautiful dude as well getting paid Mega dollars deserves every penny never cheats the game let’s get that out the way right when somebody shows up to the

Negotiating table and they want what they want Max dollars and what have you I understand that obviously their level of production is Quantified and you measure that and that comes accordingly but there’s something a bit extra that you’re looking for and no one can tell me otherwise and I think that when you

Look at greatness yes your ability to perform is one Element the other thing has to be your ability to Galvanize troops around you to maximize whatever potential they have in whatever way you do that and so all I’m saying is whether we agree or disagree with perk in a

Literal sense let’s not act like it’s wrong for perk you me or anybody else to look at a dude and say Beyond Your Excellence as a talent the intangibles that you bring that assist in a team ultimately maximizing its potential it ain’t just about your talent it’s also

About that little something extra that you have to Galvanize folks around you and we don’t mention that enough but we need to because when these guys go to the negotiating table they’re not just saying I’m going to give you numbers they’re saying I’m A Difference Maker well that’s part of making a difference

Sure there but Steph right now though I I don’t whether or not you you like KD’s leadership style or not he kind of has this confidence this calm to him right right now I sat down with him over all-star weekend and there was just something a little bit different about

Him and I asked him about what exactly that Is Kevin Durant he is a stone Cold Shot maker step this is arguably the greatest score of all time you seem more settled since the last time we talked there’s something different obviously winning I don’t even have to think about that no more cuz when I step on the

Floor that’s just in me already I tend to think about the other detailed parts of the game that’s going to help me get to the win how to be a great teammate how to inject myself into the game at different moments I started to think about the small parts of the game and

That’s just made it more fun for me instead of thinking about the outcome all the time but does that make you more sort of at peace it seems like with all you’ve accomplished and your legacy as it stands if everything ended right now yeah for sure I mean I definitely want

Everything to just end right now but yeah U I still feel I got energy to play for those waiting for Kevin Durant to slow down K try is still a bucket I definitely feel older after some games after some stretches being around for so long you gained so much experience about the game

You see some of the other great and other sports Tom Brady’s there Kyle Ripkin and the Derek jeters these guys have played for such a long time and you just get inspired by that and give as much back to the game as you can and I

Think you know when you get become older that’s a part of it is giving back passing stuff down that you learned as well so that goes on top of wanting to win wanting to be the greatest that you can be if you want to call it the back

Nine in my career it just made it even more fun you were 5040 90 last year so I don’t really see any reason why you couldn’t play into your 40s I mean yeah I can catch and shoot a little bit play a little defense be a three and the six

Man maybe when I’m in my 40s we’ll see do you want to finish your career in Phoenix I mean I’ve been on so many teams now I said this before right now in this moment today without thinking about the next minute yeah but that’s just saying right now and I can’t really predict

What may happen but I love planning in Phoenix I love the fan base the city I’m grown and understand what our mission is is being in the valley and how deep these people care about their team you know so I start start to understand the

History of the Suns and I’m glad to be a part of it I want to go up in that Ring of Honor one day so I’m having long that takes the mission of the Suns is to win a championship what is their path there this year Stephen well I mean Bradley

Bill is going to uh determine a lot of that because when he’s on the court with Revan Booker and Kevin Durant there’s something different offensively and obviously you’re going to have some of those ancillary Parts like the nurkic and others that are going to have to

Step up and produce but I want to throw this about by Bob Meyers um Bob it I’m dead serious uh I got to ask you this question my man because I think it’s it’s safe to say that Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players in NBA

History it’s no question about that and I think it’s also safe to say that when we see Kevin Durant on the floor it’s a treat for all of us to watch since he departed Golden State in the 201829 season do you realize that Kevin Durant has what is it two Playoff Series victories

Well you’re saying it so it’s true I mean so so so I’m just saying the point that I’m making is is that I don’t give a damn about all that other stuff the man is averaging 276 and5 right now the man can walk around his career 27 point

Per game score I know what Kevin Durant can do we all know what he can do we haven’t seen it from the pieces around him where we could see his team advancing deep enough that’s not his fault because Kyrie gets H and other but

I’m just saying at the end of the day we have we’re not seeing him he’s home fine fine fair enough here’s what I would tell you since you ask me directly when you build a team just like you build this show Dave Roberts builds this show

Okay we can’t have four you as great as you are it doesn’t work right we can’t have four you because as great as you are we all got holes we all need complimentary people around us we can’t have four you we can’t afford me we can’t have four you so when we cannot

Have we definitely can’t have four you no look my point is that the job Stephen A is to say what can Kevin Durant do and he can do a lot a ton but there’s no player in the NBA that can win a game by himself so the thing you need to do is

When you talk about a vocal leader Okay Kevin isn’t that he would tell you and me and you and you that is not my personality he would say it he even if you asked him we did you yell hey bro that’s not me so so as the GM or the

Organiz owner coach whoever wants to do it okay we got to make up for that part because I think a team does need it I do think that Paul Pierce might have been the best player on your Celtics team kg was that guy or maybe kg I don’t know

But kg was that guy maybe Rondo and kg but my point is that when you have a talent first you need talent no doubt about Kevin Durant’s Talent you need that for you do not win championships without talent but the next thing you need is when we go to dinner you can’t

Talk the whole time that’s a bad dinner she needs to talk a little bit I need to talk a little bit he needs to say something so you build around the talent he played a role in what wasn’t built he left an ideal situation that’s different that’s different that’s a different

Thing but when you listen Bob when you go to school and you learn right it’s your job to go on to others and teach the younger generation right he actually went to Golden State and he learned how to win right at a high level now all of

A sudden you get to Phoenix I know you go to Brooklyn but you get to Phoenix Deon Booker hasn’t won yes he been to the finals but he hold on he hasn’t completed the mission okay Bradley Bill hasn’t been out of the been to the finals as well right when you have guys

That are not vocal leaders like Eric Gordon who’s a phenomenal basketball player good basketball player come in Off the Bench plug in place for God whatever you want to call him right he can shoot the three however you still have to have a vocal lead I agree and

And and look this is what I’m saying I was asked that question and I asked Katie to come outside of his comfort zone because if you don’t then all of a sudden they’re not going to reach their their full potential okay F you have to

Dig deep but you know what you are who you are i’ I’d say fine at a certain age in your life asking somebody to do something that’s not them that’s not even step I love Steph Curry that’s not who can I can I throw it to you let me

Thr to you just a little bit different than than perk did when you know if you if you’re not good enough to be number one you’re not good enough to be number one but when you’ve been number one and you have the ingredients and you see what it takes I

Understand at that point does it have to be about your comfort does it have to be about oh I’m just not that guy or are you willing to do what it takes even if it means deviating from who you are and what you are because you know what is

Best is going to call for something different how about that okay listen nobody does anything by themselves in a team game right to ask what you’re asking is okay these guys make a lot of money but what I’m saying is if we put

Not going to do this if we put up a list of the 10 best players in the NBA and we said what kind of leader is that guy that guy that guy we’re going to find issues we’re going to find that’s and I’m going say this I I’ve been saying

This for a long time just because you’re the best player on the team doesn’t make you the leader you always say that you say that religiously and what I’m saying and you’re right all I’m saying is is that the key element that I brought up is when you know what it takes cuz

You’ve been there now if you don’t know you don’t know but when you know when you know you brought up us doing the show you brought up somebody somebody can mention me doing First Take I know what it takes to be number one at this

Sure there are days I don’t want to do it but damn it I got to do it oh yeah it it’s right now I don’t want to be here today I get 4:30 in the morning do first take but guess what whatever it t but guess what Dave Robin knows this about

His boy whatever it takes to be number one if you tell me what it is is and I know that’s going to get me the number one damn it I’mma do it if I had to mop the floors in this studio to make sure first take number one NBA Countdown

Number one I’m going to do it that’s what it takes Mal yep take this there are couple of teams For Spee Foreign foreign Spe keep Foree spee spee fore Speee Speee fore fore [Applause] foree fore speee Spee foreign speech Spee [Applause] foreign spee No foree fore Helloe Speech foreign Spee Coming spee spee foreign Speee Foree [Applause] speee foreign foreign spee speech Spee you got to [Applause] in Yeah get foreign foree

NBA Countdown | Kawhi scores 32 as Clippers escape with nail-biting win over Timberwolves – Stephen A.