FIRST TAKE | “Suns’ championship potential is higher than Lakers’ heading into playoffs”- Stephen A.

FIRST TAKE | “Suns’ championship potential is higher than Lakers’ heading into playoffs”- Stephen A.

KD amazing from the field combining for 72 points the sun’s just on the out scorts of being a playin team currently sixth in the west meanwhile LeBron ad helped the Lakers get their eighth win nine games ad led the way 35 points 18 rebounds LeBron chipped in 25 points and

Nine assists so both the Lakers Suns heating up at just the right time La averaging a league High 123 points per game over its last 10 contests and Phoenix has been even more efficient the Suns lead the league at 51% from the field and 43% from three-point rage over

That stretch Austin Rivers joining the party what’s going on Austin what’s up man how are you I’m always good man I’m just hanging in there all right it’s good to see you bro uh St appreciate you guys having me as always yeah of course it’s great to

Have you all right Stephen I’ll start with you are you higher on the Suns or the Lakers heading toward the playoffs cuz they’re getting hot at the right time I’m going to be higher on the Lakers simply because uh you know I I’m still lary on the Suns and their

Defensive prowess in the fourth quarter for some reason once the fourth quarter arrives they’re not as formidable as we expected them to be this this this season that’s my issue with them the big three they haven’t played every game together and even when they played together they only like seven games or

So above 500 I expected better from them I’m not blaming anybody for it I don’t know who definitively is to blame outside of vogle because you’re a head coaching the National Basketball Association because of what you do schematically on the defensive side of the ball what you did in Indiana what

You did when you got at the Lakers to a Championship uh during the uh you know Co season all of those things I got to look at and I’m saying what the hell is going on with the Phoenix Suns whereas I’m looking at the Los Angeles Lakers

Right now LeBron is LeBron ad is AD but the other pieces are coming together the D’Angelo Russell of the world the Haim moras of the world and others they anticipating that vanderbild obviously is going to be back and be able to do some things for them to elevate them

Defensively I look at that and look at the run that they went on last year in the postseason to the West Conference Finals and I’m saying they’re starting to look along those lines like they have that capability I’m not saying it will happen because the West is considerably

Stronger this year than it was last year but the sord of to look like that Phoenix I don’t know what the hell to expect from them from night to night unless they’re going against New Orleans I can’t anticipate that Devon book is gonna drop 50 that’s about it oh man this question

Stinks uh logic I agree I the Lakers are doing some things I I think they’ve hit a nice spot in their schedule and they’ve got a lot of home games I just you know we do this every year we get into the playoffs and the refrain somehow in the postseason continues to

Be what Anthony Davis is or isn’t doing and I just think if the Suns can hold part maybe get out of that playin the combination of Booker and KD once the clock strikes playoffs to me you just can’t ah this is tough but I I don’t think that you can sneeze at that

And and I know that we are not saying one or the other definitively in this conversation but I do think that the suns are finding a little bit of Rhythm uh as of late and I just I I don’t I have question I still have questions about the Lakers overall y’all like it’s

Not a super strong argument but I’m just not ready to go in on the Lakers just yet okay go ahead Austin no I like the Lakers um you know listen both teams have been inconsistent all year long both teams have had problems with injuries but if we’re

Talking about as of right now uh you know Lakers have won eight out of the last nine I like the way LeBron James is able to just Captivate the moment and dominate uh he’s a guy that dominates the game not just through scoring but through passing I love book I love Uh

Kevin Durant but these are two guys who you know dominate the game through ISO basketball which can be very difficult to win what we’re talking about in the playoff series I understand the game slows down and you need guys to make baskets but when we talk about an

Overall team I like the way the Lakers are built uh D’Angelo Russell’s had one of his better years as of late you know Austin Reeves is still playing good basketball Anthony Davis is coming off a monster game obviously in DC you look at their scoring last night it was spread

Out all throughout their starting five all guys in double digits they have multiple guys who can step up and hit shots they can space the floor they have guys who can defend you know the Lakers for me have been a team that’s underachieved for a lot of this season

Uh and you know right now I feel like they’re tapping in the first year they have an inseason tournament they go and get that you know what I mean so I I obviously we don’t want to see them in a playing but this is where we’re at

Obviously we we need them to win those first two games but if they match up with a young team like OKC or Minnesota first round that’s trouble I mean that is not what you want uh for one of these young teams to be facing a LeBron James

And a team that for the most part is healthy and has his cast around him I like the Lakers a little bit uh over Phoenix well I think if you’re Minnesota you don’t mind seeing them if cat is back in the lineup with gobear along

With the rest of the crew I don’t I think that’s a challenge you’ll Embrace Oklahoma city is a different I don’t think yeah Oklahoma City’s a different animal I don’t think that that’s something that they should want particularly what we’ve seen from them over the last few days LeBron James

Since the All-Star break nearly 27 points per game 58% shooting from the field 48% shooting from three-point range 9.1 assists 7.5 rebounds and the Lakers since January 1st on in NBA best 14 and three in clutch time so I give a lot of credit where it’s due and I’m

Saying to myself if you’re the Lakers if you want if if you’re rolling like that at this particular moment in time it’s very very similar to what we saw last year all right it is it is very similar and eventually at some point last year

We saw them run out of gas everybody is pointing to the poten no they didn’t lose out of gas they got their butts kicked by them yeah they run out of gas run out of they just got whacked okay they didn’t get it done all right so

They lost my bad my bad word choice however everybody’s pointing to running into the young teams right now right if you look at it right now the Suns would play the Thunder do you not feel that the Suns have the experience in terms of advantage over a young team as well in

Well you could say that but I think that size is not that big of an issue against Phoenix for Oklahoma City as it would be against a Denver or against a Los Angeles Laker so I think that’s a that’s a that’s a matchup that Oklahoma City

Would welcome I no I agree with you but I’m pointing to the conversation around the team s the young team sitting at the top Oklahoma City would welcome Minnesota’s to potentially not running from the Lakers either but you don’t think that the experience of the Suns

Puts them sort of in that same tier with the Lakers in terms of being able to the experience to the Suns yeah well listen I don’t think that listen KD has the experience we’ve seen Devin Booker in one final we’ve seen him in numerous playoff series but at the end of the day

Still knocking on the door still haven’t been able to close the deal Bradley Beal and Washington it’s been years since we’ve seen them in the postseason so when you’re talking about that that experience I don’t think that’s about that much of a factor against Phoenix okay Austin my my only issue with

Phoenix is they’re either they’re on two sides of the spectrum they either like really good or they crash or burn it’s like it’s one or the other it’s like we see them in these games where they they look dominant they’re thriving then there’s games where they’ll lose you know we’re talking historically they’ve

Had some game sevens or game six closeout games that have gone horrendous I mean we’re not talking about losing by five or 10 we’re talking about 30 40 like just weird games so I I they definitely have more experience Monica uh you know if Phoenix matches up with the

OKC this is going to be one of the most interesting playoffs I’ve ever seen I mean shap to see something I’m sorry about the Nicks though I’m sorry about the Nick steephen that’s that’s I don’t even mean to bring that up but that’s tough you didn’t have to bring that up

That’s tough man you didn’t have to bring that up man listen I feel for Hey listen I was a Nick I was a Nick I was a but listen I still was I I feel bad for Julius man Chang I’m going to get Austin for that

By the way I mean at some point at some at some point when we have time at some point before this ends I got to address something about LeBron James oh God you I got to address something about LeBron James teaser what do you have to no I

Won’t even give you a teaser no that’s lame he was on will you calm down and hear my point okay here’s the deal he was on the podcast mind the game with the one and only JJ Reit yeah and LeBron was revisiting his time his first year

In Miami and against Dallas and you know he acknowledged people they’re getting on me because on my podcast Stephen A Smith show they were sitting up there going like yo you know you he acknowledge that he played bad he when you talk about Stephen A I said wait a

Minute but he also went into the detail about how it was basically three max players and a bunch of minimum dudes and what I was saying was I don’t want to hear that you was up 2-1 in the finals in the in game four you had a grand

Total of eight points zero points in the fourth quarter game five you had 17 points two points in the fourth quarter no no no they brought it up not me okay or I’m saying because you got people getting on me about it I’m like wait a

Minute now you had the squad was good enough to get to the finals it was good enough for you to have a 2-1 lead love LeBron he’s number two Mount Rushmore all time for me phenomenal great the whole bit that was not your shine a moment I want hear about no damn roster

You were up 2-1 in the NBA finals and crashed and burned in the in the fourth quarter of the final three games I don’t want to hear about a roster at that point you can address it we’ll let you later oh you’re done I just did that’s

My point everybody was getting on me or whatever the case may be like I said I have the last word when I want to have the last word this was one of those moments like wait a minute now you ain’t changing that narra I just want to know

Do you feel better now that you vented cuz this is a safe space here on first take well first of all it’s always good to vent I would know cuz I listen to you all the time and how much better you are after you vent sometimes it’s 7 in the

Morning when you’re calling about the show or whatever you’re venting okay so that’s what you do Ving is always a venting is always a beautiful thing all I’m trying to say Austin is this LeBron number two all time smoothie looks good to Mount Rushmore great but

Damn it I can’t stand when I see people trying to change narratives The Narrative wasn’t your roster The Narrative was that the fourth quarter showed up and you didn’t in that Series against Dallas that’s scario okay Monica and Austin I don’t have time to let you

Guys respond if you want to when you come back you’re you come back and respond all you want to they’re coming back but I just want you not to yell at me like look at the camera don’t look at me I’m just saying you know like we

Didn’t watch the fourth quarter of the finals okay okay For V do my weapons are forged in blood attack First Blood an enemy has been defeated my weap an ally has been defeated you have been defeated your tower has been destroyed an enemy has been defeated you have been defeated enemy double kill shut down an enemy has been defeated enemy

Ultimate Enemy double kill my weapons are forged in blood BL demon enemy blood an ally has been defeated breath our base is under attack Defeat V for hit the nail on the head First Blood enemy double kill my weapons are forged in blood an ally has been Defeated enemy double Kill when there’s a hammer enemy Ultimate Enemy double kill your tower has been destroyed enemy bloodb enemy double kill get the nail on the head come closer oh enemy legendary enemy ultimate our base is under attack Defeat Oh

FIRST TAKE | “Suns’ championship potential is higher than Lakers’ heading into playoffs” – Stephen A.