FIRST TAKE | Shannon “appalled” Tobias Harris leads 76ers’ 120-116 win over Mavericks without Embiid

FIRST TAKE | Shannon “appalled” Tobias Harris leads 76ers’ 120-116 win over Mavericks without Embiid

Which loss was more troubling to you to me it was the Dallas Mavericks I mean we’ve got guys like Tim legler and others rightfully so I might add really really raving about what they’ve seen from the Dallas Mavericks particularly with Kyrie Irving and Luca donic clicking and what have you along with

Derek Lively and the acquisition of gaffy and others they’ve got some size on them Etc maybe they can make some noise in the west and then they go out and they lose to a 76ers Squad without Joel and B and I know it’s just one game it’s the regular season but you know

It’s moments like that that gives you cause to pause and make you look at a team like the Dallas Mavericks and saying how legitimate are they we know that Luca Dona can explode we know that Kyrie Irving can explode but if you can find a way to make things interesting

Which which which should be easy for most teams uh you know what what’s going to happen with them who can they really really be to Tobias haris looked all World yesterday I’m looking at stuff like that and it just gave me cause to p from the Mavericks in terms of what I

Saw I expected better all right let’s keep it in the wait sorry Shannon go ahead what’s the problem trying to figure out you and you and park killed me the other day when I said the Maverick’s not going to do anything y’all beat me up y’all double team me

Y’all jump me you a big Park did that to me well but I’m sorry wasn’t that before they lost to the 60 was wasn’t that before they lost I mean it was it was like I said it was like I said after I’m just saying without em

Beid without embid it did get me it did make me say to Dallas what’s up with y’all what’s up with that I mean was the game too early on a Sunday afternoon or something I did expect more what’s wrong with that okay okay you know go ahead

Tim get it in listen no no I’m going to get in on this listen because I you’re right I I have been high on Dallas since the Acquisitions at the trade deadline since they found the chemistry between Kyrie and luuk and Kyrie has looked energized and into it and he looks like

You know he wants to be out there every night here’s the problem I’m just going to call them out they don’t play hard enough they don’t play hard enough it’s that simple they do not lay it on the line defensively the way you have to to be considered a legitimate Contender

They have everything they need offensively every single night to go toe-to-toe with any team in this league because of the way that Luca controls the game as a score and passer and the supplemental offense that get out of Kyrie and they got more than enough shooting they got bouncy legs in the

Middle now they’ve got everything you need offensively they just gave up 127 points a game in the last five games they don’t compete on the defensive end of the floor to the extent that you need to plain and simple and if they don’t absolutely right both you they could

Lose into play in they could lose in the first round series if they can just leave a little more skin on the floor they have an opportunity to truly challenge to get to the Western Conference Finals if they do it if they don’t they go home early and it’s just a

Bunch of Gody numbers that guys are putting up every night that doesn’t mean anything all right let’s move on right let’s talk about another another team out there in the west that has a lot of questions the Phoenix Suns uh Stephen A do you have reason to believe in

Phoenix no why first of all I got to wonder about the health their health all the time Bradley Bill Devon book and 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 gonna get on me about that too I know

You’re gonna get on me about that too but but but listen I’m G 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 a avering 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 Meers 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 this 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 hand it’s going to be Shay gilis 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 a 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 203 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 pist accountable there was a

Certain way you were going to do things cuz we after the chip now you going to be a part of this or 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 Rel ship when you’re

Get 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 as 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 and 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 hello for yeah for for for for for for for spe

FIRST TAKE | Shannon “appalled” Tobias Harris leads 76ers’ 120-116 win over Mavericks without Embiid