CELTICS PUNKING THE MAVS? 😮 Tim Legler provides a DIFFERENT angle on Celtics-Mavs | First Take

CELTICS PUNKING THE MAVS? 😮 Tim Legler provides a DIFFERENT angle on Celtics-Mavs | First Take

back to the hardcore so far the NBA Finals they’ve been one-sided through two in Boston the Celtics have taken both and have made the Mavs look like it’s Luca and then everybody else here’s Stephen yesterday on what the Celtics are doing to Dallas I got to stand down and give the Boston Celtics props and recognize that Jaylen Brown that Jason Tatum that Drew holiday that dere white and these brothers Al Horford let’s not forget him prit It Off the Bench launching shots from half court these brothers are balling and they are literally as Wendy said earlier as perk said earlier they’re punking the Dallas Mavericks where’s your heart right now you can literally look at the Dallas Mavericks like where the hell is your heart do you agree with Stephen a sentiment that the Celtics are punking the Mavs well I’m glad you brought that up Stephen because I saw I thought times on the other night that I thought Derek livey was a lot soft going to the basket he had Derek white on him and he’s trying to lay the ball up bro put him in the basket and so now I’m glad you provided some context because that might be some of the reasons he might have some things on his mind and I think everybody would understand that but I don’t think they’re getting punked I just think the the Dallas the uh the Boston Celtics are a better team you see the thing that they’re doing is that everybody go to the basket they’ll drive they’ll cut they’ll back door you they’re not just standing around you look at the last series the only person that would drive the basketball was Antman cat didn’t really want to drive the ball he wanted to stay around the three with the exception of the uh the one game where he put the ball on the floor early and then he started launching the threes I think that was game four to keep them from get getting swept but other than that you look at Jason Tatum he a back door Jaylen Brown a back door Derek white a back door you see true holiday he had 18 points in the paint so they got so many guys they got so many different things to defend they just can’t say okay if we stop Ant-Man if we slow down Shay Gil just we’re good you don’t have that luxury with the Boston Celtics because any one of their big guns can go get you 30 but holiday you saw he go get you 26 and 11 we’ve seen Derek white the first the first round match up against the uh the heat we see him have a couple of games where he had 26 or 28 points so they’re just outman right now and you’re throwing the fact that Kyrie is not playing like the Kyrie that that we’re used to seeing especially in this playoff series and we know what he did for the Cavaliers in 2016 this is why I don’t think they’re getting punked I just think the Boston Celtics are a better team well I want to say first of all I agree Stephen I’m glad you brought that point about Derrick L and it’s important show empty I lost my mother it’s almost one year since I lost my mom last summer and I’m a much older man than Derek Lively and there’s not a day of my life is going to go forward where I’m going to feel the same as I did before I lost if I understand fully what Derek Lively is probably experiencing having said that look our job is to analyze the production on the court and what’s going on and what’s affecting the Dallas Mavericks and right now they are playing so far below their peak level offensively across the board and I think several guys that they have been using significant minutes for have not been producing and it’s very difficult against a team like Boston that can be a buzz saw offensively with this many different options and versatility and depth if you have multiple guys in your rotation that are just not making their presence felt offensively very difficult to overcome that and Derrik Lively would be one of those guys he’s not playing at the level he was earlier in the playoffs I’d say the same thing about Josh Green ma Maxi cber who came back from the injury clearly does not look like he has any idea where the ball’s going when he lets it Go has no confidence in his shooting you that’s three players that you’re combining for anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes that you’re getting two points from four points from Total it’s very difficult to survive that against a team as deep as the Boston Celtics where I do think you know this phrase punking them comes in to play a little bit is in in this regard what Boston is saying is we’re going to play you differently than any other team has played you we’re going to blit you less trap you less provide less help than most teams do are you up to the task of of beating these individual matchups because what their whole goal is to not allow Luca to make the game easier for his lob Runners and his weak side kickout guys so they’re challenging Dallas Mavericks individually we’re challenging you can you beat us off the dribble whoever you are and I’m not even just talking about just the two stars any of your guys can you beat us off the dribble can you win these individual matchups to make us rethink what we might have to do to adjust to you that is where they are challenging in the Dallas Mavericks and they have not been up to that challenge primarily because of the struggles of Kyrie and his inability to win those matchups and overthinking he looks hesitant I think he’s making sometimes one too many moves I think it’s between his ears a little bit and I expect a big response out of him on Wednesday night well so do I because I think he’ll be in Dallas instead of Boston being booed viciously and I think that that’s going to help him tremendously that crowd and Big D is going to give him a lift it had better because the mercy of the moment is now it has arrived and they’ve got to win game three make no mistake about it or they’re going home in four five at the latest there’s no way they’re going to be down three 0 and come back and win the next two games against this Boston Celtics team you got to do it now and that’s what it comes down to primarily because of Kyrie Irving they’re in this position uh but uh but also PJ Washington where is he been he was hitting threes all over the place in the playoffs suddenly he can’t do that now uh Derek Jones no threat whatsoever he’s got to get something together gaff’s got to make his presence felt um in the lane when he can particularly defensively he just has to find a way to do it and of course Lively uh despite his circumstances has to find a way to give you more but I’m also going to look at Jason kid too because Jason kid F you’ve got to find a way to utilize somebody over your bench Tim legler I brought this up the other day they talked about uh Max cber and obviously he was out he was injured in the playoffs and then he recently came back back and whatever and they talked about how close his relationship at least once upon a time was with Luca donic well with friends like that who the hell needs enemies you know the what what he’s been doing in the playoff in the finals thus far it’s the equivalent of you me and Shannon walking down the street and somebody’s whipping our ass and then the other two run okay and just leave me there to get my butt whipped okay that’s what cber is doing he leaving his boy hanging okay because he’s doing absolutely positively nothing you’re a big body you can’t seem to defend anybody and you’ve got wideopen threes you can’t seem to make do something and I think that Jason kid whether it’s Hardy whether it’s Tim Hardway Jr who may have had a bad season but the man is streaky you’ve got to find a way to get some offensive punch and put the Boston Celtics on their heels if you don’t do that this is going to be a short series and with porzingis potentially compromise I think the the Celtics are going to lean on the side of caution then I can to push him too much and I think that’s the perfect opportunity game three for Dallas to take advantage they don’t take advantage in this game I don’t see any game they’ll take advantage of [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe and Tim Legler discuss the Dallas Mavericks’ struggles against the Boston Celtics after falling 2-0 on the road in the 2024 NBA Finals.

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