DOOM FOR THE WOLVES?! 👀 Stephen A. says it’s crucial KAT STEPS UP in Game 5! | First Take

DOOM FOR THE WOLVES?! 👀 Stephen A. says it’s crucial KAT STEPS UP in Game 5! | First Take

hey America how we doing welcome to the first Ste Andrea Carter on the west coast looking fabulous per usual don’t be showing off those shoulders okay cuz it’s listen you know how that makes me feel okay I want to put this jacket on because it’s freezing they they told me that Shannon sharp keeps this room at 63 I said we need to we need to puton Shar we’re we’re not built the same yeah you know yeah yeah the black Hulk the black Hulk he tends to do that from time to time I’m very I just want to say in all sincerity Andrea I’m very sorry that you’re cold I mean thank you you know cold is not you know I’m very sorry that you’re cold the the warm weather St she’s in LA in La I’m in La the weather’s nice out here it’s just fine fine Jay I mean I was trying to decide should I go to the beach after the show cuz I don’t know it’s it’s 80° in Sun maybe go for a little stroll play a little tennis may play someid Beach e river the beach in the East River is that what it is that we got the Hampton out here we got the an we we Okay we okay Ain got that it ain’t got that kind of water not the kind of water that’s out right about that you ain’t wrong about that that Caribbean bath water hey you just you just watch out for the iguanas okay sweet cheeks game five tonight in Minnesota Western Conference Finals the Timberwolves are favored by four and a half against the navs everyone’s laughing at my joke I guess it was funny the whole studio who have a commanding 3-1 series lead but the Wolves showed life in game four and look to bring the series back to Dallas the t-wolves duo of Anthony Edwards and Carl Anthony towns have Shine the maps Luka donic and Kyrie Irving in game four scoring 10 more points and shooting better from three-point range and the field let’s break it down it’s game day folks let’s see if this is really going to be a series or not Stephen A and you know what I mean by that so who’s the most important player tonight well I definitely think it’s Carl Anthony towns and um it was nice to see Jay basically reiterating that point on get up this morning earlier because he’s absolutely right it’s called Anthony towns um in the three games that they lost in this series the first three games he was averaging 15 points and 28% shooting 14% from three-point range uh in game four what does he do 29 25. 69% shooting 80% from three-point range and they win that game every game has come down to clutch time so it’s not just about him we understand that but the flip side to it is that you know what he’s that number two option and when you look at what transpired in game four it was Anthony Edwards shooting 25 times it was Carl Anthony Town shooting 13 times should have shot more as far as I’m concerned nobody else shot in double digits yet they shot officially Rudy go from the field jayen McDaniels from the field Mike Conley Jr from the field even Nas Reed from the field you look at those things Nas Reed is really your third offensive option when you really really look at it but the bottom line is is that it depends offensively it rise with Anthony Edwards and Carl Anthony towns and if Carl Anthony towns uh is is compromised in the signific ific way that he was in those first three games that’s going to spell Doom for the Minnesota Timberwolves so I definitely think the answer to this question is Carl Anthony towns but I gotta say this just like I highlighted it was a problem when Anthony Edwards at was basically declaring I got Kyrie before the series began defensively jayen McDaniels opening his mouth the way that he did yesterday talking about they can run the table I think that’s a mistake that is not something that you do when Kyrie Irving and Luca donic on the other side of the ball and coming off poor performances by their standards in game four that’s poking the Bear in his case he poked two bears now I’m worried about this game five because I couldn’t believe that young fell opened his mouth like that that was not wise I just want to say that so first point Stephen A I know your methodology now a I got it I’ve been wondering why every time I come on your show you have so many counters to every all my points cuz you be watching get up you be taking notes on me now okay I got to change it up on you I can’t give you the data like I gave you before I see it how you just learning that I don’t know cuz I’m doing 9,000 shows watch all of y’all now I know yo man I watch you on your podcast I watch you on your podcast I watch when you doing I’m watching everything Jay that’s the problem now I know all right so I I I I do think tonight is about Carl Anthony towns but the most important player tonight is about that man who had 285 and 10 and had an off night that is that is LCA Don I just got off get up and we are having an argument around who is the best player in basketball now I think Luca’s top three I think the ceiling is so high offensively it’s off the charts I I think the the floor the basement defensively is what will not allow me to say he’s the best player in basketball right now but that conversation it is starting to happen because of the success in the playoffs and I think it’s interesting coming off to Jaden McDaniel’s comments now I give you your credit Stephen A even though I don’t think it’s exactly right because I don’t see it trash talking the way Anthony Edward saying I got Luca but hearing Jaden McDaniels say hey we can run the table the one thing I know about Luca is that he is a petty individual I’ve said it before in the show Petty leel he takes everything that people say similar to you and uses it as fuel and I think Luca missing that free throw after making that three that could have put them up to two I think these are the little things that Luca who had an off night with the triple double top 10 all time and triple doubles in the NBA oh he going to hear that he ain’t going to miss no free throws tonight and considering the way Minnesota plays at home as opposed to how they play on the road I I think this is Luca’s night for Luca magic to occur go ahead Stephen yeah what what is it is it I’m not Petty I’m not I’m not I’m not Petty I would my you me you me me I wouldn’t say that go ahead Andrea goe Andrea go Andrea what what’s in the cup Stephen is it a mimosa like what do we have going on right here I’m apparently Andre Andrea I don’t know if you know I don’t know if you no this about me but I have West Indian man you I indan man friend the islands St so too much know out don’t even call that tea That’s milk with a little bit of tea it’s like when people get those big iced coffee and they’re all white it’s like you’re not drinking coffee you’re drinking milk with a splash of coffee I don’t I don’t need I don’t need I don’t need to drain myself with a bunch of caffeine to be up in this morning I get up ready that’s the difference was that supposed to be a shot I mean I don’t know what what’s happening you the one that’s talking about how you always need your caffeine coffee in the goad Andrea goad here The Thing One Stephen A is petty two I feel like what McDaniel said well I don’t think it was trash talk it was just looking a little too far ahead right we all talk about staying in the present moment right the best thing you can say one game one game at a time I feel like we can win one game at a time I feel like we had the momentum to win the next game don’t think it was trash talk but I do think it was a little misguided to go that far ahead and look past Luca Kyrie and what they could do especially because the timber wolves have struggled on their home floor you got got to get a win on your home floor it’s not like they’ve been great on their home floor the most important player I agree with Stephen A is Carl Anthony towns I’m going to add to it though because while it is yes his ability to knock down shots be efficient knock down open shots knock down difficult shots that space is the floor it’s Carl Anthony towns on the defensive end as well he has to stay out of foul trouble early in the game late in the game if Carl Anthony towns gets in foul trouble then it starts to throw off your defensive rotations now you’ve got different guys coming in you’re putting more pressure on other guys to also stay out of foul trouble car Anthony towns was in foul trouble Rudy goar was in foul trouble at one point in the last game so defensively his ability to play disciplined on that end because think about it Jay will you know this when you pick up a cheap foul early in the game now it’s a little harder to be aggressive on the offensive end because now you’re like okay I don’t want to duck my shoulder and go to the basket because now if I get a charge call now I’ve got two early fouls so the discipline on the defensive end for Carl Anthony towns just as important as the efficiency on the offensive end but either way he’s the most important player tonight Stephen can I say something real quick and have you react right about that go ahead just because I feel you and Andrea on this point like oscillate between Luca and and Cat for Carl Anthony holes a lot people like oh now game five goes back to Minnesota Minnesota has not been good at home they’ve been better on the road than what they’ve been at home and by the way at home as opposed to the road on the road carony towns is averaging in the postseason 22 points on 53% shooting from from the floor and 43% shooting from the three-point line at home he’s averaging 14 points per game on 36% shooting from the field and 30% from the three-point line so whatever reason that is just to add to your point oh he going need to be different tonight in order to get get by the Dallas map he has to be different well well dare I say I know it might sound a tad bit odd coming from me but Jay Andrea I dare say the problem with Carl Anthony towns is that he’s a bit emotional he’s a bit emotional okay say when he gets home you get gets caught up in that adrenaline get caught up in that home crowd gets caught up in all of that stuff and he’s not able to reel in his emotions that’s problematic you can’t do that against guys like Kyrie and Luca because they’re too smart offensively they’ll lure you in and he has to be mindful and careful of that Carl Anthony towns in the last series against Denver actually did a better job defending in the post than Rudy gobear you could easily argue that you see the stats that supports that but against Dallas you know you’re worried about the alley oops to the Lively and the gaffs of the world but outside of that it’s really about Luca getting into the teeth of the defense and you trying to decide do you step up to help on Luca or do you drop back because you got to worry about him throwing the oop and obviously a split second could cost you particularly with Gafford who’s a Skywalker so I look at it from that perspec perspective and I say to myself Andrea is right even though she could be Petty too but we’ll talk about that another day the point is she’s right and she’s right when she says it because you can’t be called Anthony towns knowing that you got five fouls or four fouls at the time and you’re out defending Luca and fouling him at the three-point line what are you doing you’ve got to be mindful and careful of that Carl Anthony towns needs to know he is desperately needed in this game on both ends of the floor and he’s got to step up he ain’t got to play light out but you can’t mess up the way that you would do in the first three games of this series cuz Ant-Man is going to need you along with the rest of the crew [Music]

DOOM FOR THE WOLVES?! 👀 Stephen A. says it’s crucial KAT STEPS UP in Game 5! | First Take
On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Jay Williams and Andraya Carter discuss who the most important player will be in tonight’s Game 5 between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
#firsttake #nba #espn

0:00 Most important player tonight?
4:25 Jay Williams says it’s Luka Doncic
6:50 Andraya Carter says it’s Karl-Anthony Towns

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