Stephen A. & Chris Paul rave on Kyrie Irving’s importance to the Mavericks 👀 | NBA Countdown

Stephen A. & Chris Paul rave on Kyrie Irving’s importance to the Mavericks 👀 | NBA Countdown

oh this Mavericks tempol of series it’s going to be spicy it’s loaded with stars you’re talking about Luca you’re talking about Kyrie Anthony Edwards Carl Anthony towns Rudy goar with such a star studed series Stephen A say that 10 times fast who do you think will be the most important star I’m going to go with Kyrie Irv okay um I said it the other day I’m going to say it again I can’t applaud this brother enough for what he has done this year I mean I’m not just talking about his Sensational play I’m talking about the leadership um and the fact that we know he closes 14-0 in closed out games throughout these playoffs this dude will amp it up I mean he got like two or four points in the first half and then he’s like okay calm down just just just give me the ball I I’ll handle this you know he has that it Factor going for him right now we know what Anthony Edwards brings to the table we know what Luca bring to the table but Kyrie in Assassins mode picking his spots the way I’ve been watching him do this year particularly in these playoffs when that brother gets going it galvanizes the rest of the team in a way that I see positively affecting them and I think that’s going to be needed against that Minnesota defense in order for the Dallas MERS to win this series yeah and I’m kind of like Bob I don’t agree with you all the time but on that on that one I agree with K Kai is so tough Kai is so tough and I think a lot of times people don’t realize you can have great players or whatnot sometimes that can get you to almost like the 15 10 yard line Kai’s going to pull you you over the goal line the way he’s playing not only on the offensive end but the defensive end right when you look at stars that’s what you want to see you at least want to see them compete on the defensive end and you just see his leadership and how the younger guys just follow him and when I’m watching the game and I see that Kai got four points six points in the first half the other team better be up 30 they better be up 40 because he he’s definitely going to put his imprint on the game and he picks his spots and that’s why the marriage between him and Luca has been seamless they needed last year but now they know how to pick their spots there’s no way to disagree with what they’re saying about Kyrie and his play this year there just isn’t but I’mma pick somebody else I’m gonna go with Luca and there’s some things it’s hard Luca can be hard to watch because I’m tired of seeing this every trip down the court a little bit better he got well he for a while he did for a while he did for a couple but despite that you know what when it comes of just running a team and just sheer playmaking he is to me passing the basketball he is in a discussion now with magic and bird the stuff he I mean he has turned two players that showed up a minute and a half ago into Lob City yeah it’s unbelievable how he can just take advantage of a defense and surgically destroy it he’s so much stronger than people realize oh and by the way Chris playing through these injuries that he’s played through now I know you’ve had to play against him late in the season but but the knee yeah knees the back he’s doing things now the other team and Curry mentioned this the other day he’s doing things that teammates look at and say damn I mean he’s really he is he is galvanizing us now he’s rallying us I’m gonna I’m gonna get to my answer um because I don’t want to agree with you now the pr age withis is that the warning people asked me one time what what did you help Steph with I said the only advice I ever gave him was his body language that’s it because early on his career he he he he’s prone to some crazy turnovers or swings and would go like this and he would put his head down and I told him one time I said you don’t know the power of your body language and he knows this as a player yeah and I so I watch Kyrie’s body language so good yes in these playoffs so good defensively he’s leading that team yep who would have thought Kyrie I did not think and this is credit to him that he could lead a basketball team he’s the leader of that team Luka donic is their best player right now and I think he’s very important but the the player I’m going to say is Carl Anthony towns because if he’s great I think Edwards is going to show up okay I think Edwards is going to show up just Talent alone and he has a power and a force about his game that they’re going to they’re going to put some Defenders on him but but I’m not sure who can guard him they’re going to probably put Derrick Jones on and it doesn’t matter he he he’s going to he’s going to attack this team but Carl Anthony towns he plays like he did in game seven against Denver he shows up consistently he’s got to stay out of foul trouble yeah he’s a real xfactor in in the series I know it’s a big ass but but I’m saying if he can do it I I think Minnesota has a great chance to winning this can we talk a little bit about Minnesota and specifically Anthony Edwards cuz one thing that I know I loved gentlemen is when in his postgame interview after they close out the defending Champions he’s saying I want to be the best player on both ends of the floor he looked at the box score and said you know what offensively I feel like I was trash but defensively that’s where I want to make my mark and he called it out he said I want Kyrie Irving what did you think of that yeah when I was watching the game and I heard his postgame interview that was the first thing he said but as a Hooper you’re not paying attention to 6 for2 4 right that’s what he went in game seven right you’re looking at his intensity like I watch the way that he plays both ends of the court and when this is your best player everybody else ain’t got no choice but to play hard right he’s picking up Jamal Murray full court his energy the shots that he’s taking and making or whatnot that is contagious so if you see Anthony Edwards out here pressuring at half court if you’re the other guys on the team you ain’t got no choice but to play hard Chris you you joined a league that had much more of that I’m taking that guy no matter what the scotting reports said no matter what the co head coach said you you started and played a long time in a league like that we don’t see that that much anymore do we not at all but that’s why I got so much respect for him right and the way that he plays it’s hard to do that it’s hard to defend and play offense and be the guy here’s what it boils down to Chris again I love having you on the show he plays to win yeah you know what half the game is defense right we talk about 30 40 points like well why does he play cuz he’s trying to win the game that’s why he’s doing doing what he’s doing and when you’re trying to win the game and you play basketball and you say that’s our best player he’s playing harder than me that’s my favorite play season Bob is the blocked shot that won the game where he crashes to the floor I think they have a back toback or they certainly play 48 hours back to back and they didn’t right here in Los Angeles they didn’t want him to play actually I think it was the first and then he heard himself with played the next night in Los Angeles and and then he said I’m young I’m playing but it’s also because of trust right when you got somebody like Mike connley out there on your team running the team right he knows that he not taking possessions off but Mike can bring the ball up the court he said that the other night too he missed that one game and and Anthony talked about the responsibility of having to do that too Mike Conley out there he doesn’t have it what’s a couple of things uh miracles happen number one I’m agreeing with Bob a little bit and you know what only thing I got only issue I got with you today is want you to fix your ti I got to give my man CP3 some love I mean he could do this job he’s pretty damn good at this ladies and gentlemen you’re doing well keep keep my job well but let me tell you this what I’m most proud of that CP3 just said is that he took no issue with Anthony Edwards talking about I want those guys because see I love to for the audience to be reminded of basketball of course it’s a team sport of course you know you got you got you can’t be self you can’t be selfish you’re supposed to be selfless but if ever there are moments we not talk about boxing or something like that doing on a team sport there’s a sport with in within that sport there are moments where it’s about me and you you know what and he’s like Kyrie is that dude well guess what I believe I am now granted it’s a little Rado because you got four brothers back and you up that play defense like a bunch of Piranhas from time to time and that’s definitely going to help but when you sit up there and point the finger at Kyrie Irvin who is a magician who is Sensational and you know he’s coming with a championship on the line and you like I got him all of us should be looking why I ask that’s why I asked Chris about the of that in the league part of what we all fell in love with and I know you had to growing up watching it was the greatest player saying no no no no no I got him there’s such a lack of that now players will never admit it but certain players bother them when they’re guarding him right certain players bother and Edwards Edwards did that for what it’s worth Kyrie Irving only played in one game against the Minnesota Timberwolves a season a took that primary assignment and Kyrie had 35 I’m sure that Aunt remembers that and wants to improve on it what [Music] [Applause] I NBA on is

Stephen A. Smith, Chris Paul, Michael Wilbon and Bob Myers discuss which star player will be the most important to the success of their team in the Western Conference Finals matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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