FIRST TAKE | Shannon has blunt message to LeBron & Lakers following loss to Celtics on Christmas

FIRST TAKE | Shannon has blunt message to LeBron & Lakers following loss to Celtics on Christmas

Despite a 40-point gift from Anthony Davis the Celtics stole the show and beat the Lakers 126 to 115 now this was led by christas porzingis with 28 points and all five starters for the Seas had at least 18 points meanwhile the Nugget secured a 120 to 114 win at home versus

The Warriors and Andrew Wiggins came off the bench with 22 while Steph went 7 for 21 and three for 13 from the three-point line finishing with just 18 points all right we’re going to welcome in Kendrick Perkins and Tim legler and we have a birthday happy birthday

Tim oh I’m not going to sing thank you thank you I’m not going I’m not going to sing but we we sending all the birthday love to legs and hey hey hey it is a terrible day to have a birthday ter most anticlimactic day of the year man that’s

What I be first with my whole life it’s okay you said it not us but this is a debate show so we can debate that at some point but hey you get two backtack days of Joy so let’s keep that rolling shall we let’s roll with the joy at

Least for the Celtics but perk which team are you going to be more concerned about the Lakers or the Warriors oh this a no-brainer it’s the Los Angeles Lakers no one have expectations for the Golden State Warriors I’ve been said they were done we’re talking about a team in the Los

Angeles Lakers that went to the Conference finals last year that brought back all the core pieces except for Denis shuder and added some quality pieces like gay Vincent but when I think about the Lakers right now and I look at a LeBron James that yes he’s doing and

Putting up numbers and doing things and defeating father the time but at the end of the day he was tired last night and you know why he’s tired why he was tired because he had to do so much two nights before against the Oklahoma City Thunder

Where he had to drop 40 he had to do the ball he had to do the playmaking he had to do every damn thing and until the Lakers make a move my concerns are for them right now because they could be a first round out to be honest with you

With this roster right now currently constructed they could be out in the first round if they make the playoffs well that’s why I’m going with the Golden State Warriors because they can’t grow they’re dead lasting points in the paint they don’t get any easy buckets they’re dead lasting block shots and you

Know you talk about the Lakers went to the Conference Finals well just the year before that the go gold State Warriors won the NBA finals and Steph Curry we we you know people keep trying to have this conversation Steph is the greatest point guard we can debate that another day in

Time well he’s on the same level as LeBron well he should have the same level of expectation as LeBron with this team and right now they’re not very good they don’t really get consistent play and they don’t get anything easy uh perk they don’t get anything easy legs so

Everything is from the outside it’s hard to continually win games and as uh win games and as uh will was saying yesterday is that the West has gotten better the nuggets are not coming back Sacramento is on the Ascend we didn’t think uh uh Minnesota was going to look

Like this this year we didn’t know OKC was going to be like this this year now Phoenix we GNA see if they can get that stuff together I they just don’t play defense right now and and and KD is already complaining about he needs help

Ya ya y but when I look at these two teams the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors I long as I got LeBron LeBron is going to be fine they’re going to make some moves I don’t know the move that Golden State can make that’s going

To make them what we think they should be or what they think they should be which is Championship contending team yeah look when when I hear the way this question is framed the way I look at it is this if Steph Curry’s on your roster then you’re still expecting to

Contend for Championship so when I look at those two teams relative to being a contender certainly I’m more concerned for the Golden State Warriors because I just don’t think their Top Gear is the same as the Lakers Top Gear look you’re seeing right now some carryover from

Going all in on the n Season tournament this is a team in the Lakers that is 100% built for April May and June they’re going to have some some days particularly the dog days of the NBA season which we’re in right now where they’re just not going to bring

Necessarily that level of playoff intensity now I will say you know when ad shows up the way he did yesterday you you’re expecting to win that game and they compared themselves to the Boston Celtics who right now are the best team in the league so I think if you go by

Yesterday you’re going to think oh the Lakers aren’t close you hear LeBron’s comments well you’re gauging them next to the team that’s right now the best team in the league so I think that’s a little bit of prison of the moment in making that comparison when you really

Look at the totality of making a run later in the year I still believe more in the Lakers because of their top two guys their ability to play physically the way the game is going to be played in the postseason when I look at the Warriors I know Clay’s got out of his

Slump here recently but again yesterday you saw a defense able to Corral him contain him Wiggins is not the same guy that he was when he won a championship I just don’t see their top level being good enough to consider them a legitimate Contender right now and I’m

Not going to say the same thing about the Lakers as long as they have LeBron and AD healthy wh what well let me ask both of y’all this question what quality win outside of Oklahoma city has the Lakers got this season talking about playing against content ERS I’ll tell

Not one not one let me ask it not one outside the game that LeBron had to go out there and get 40 and AD talking about they was in a must-win situation that is concerning and I don’t want people to be fooled about the Lakers winning the n Season tournament the n

Season tournament was a beautiful thing Adam Silva did his damn thing okay one of the best Commissioners in in the world ever to ever have the job but when I think think about the Lakers and what they had to do to win the n Season tournament they had the easiest pool

Play they had to play the Pelicans and the paces which they’re clearly better than both of those ball clubs and so when I think about the Lakers I always measure them on what they supposed to do they’re supposed to be a title Contender so you only get measured against title

Contending teams nobody came into this season picking Golden State to make any noise in the Western Conference I no I didn’t well that’s the problem because they hold I mean what’s the difference I mean Steph Curry got two MVPs got four titles why does he get held to a

Different standard than other great players in you have that expectation for Giannis you have that expectation for Joel andb why do we see the thing what we do legs you see what people are doing well we don’t have the same expectation for legs I mean excuse me for Steph

Curry but you say he’s the equivalent equivalent of the other guy so I’m trying I’m confused but you said who do they beat I’m trying to figure out how did Indiana make the finals of the n Season tournament who do they beat on the Eastern Conference to get there did

They beat the Boston Celtics did they beat the Milwaukee Buck I’m just curious yes or no perk I I mean they did but so what so what shanon some people took the in season tournament more like more serious than others now would you pick let me ask you this would you pick if

The Pacers and the Celtics was the match up today you go pick the Celtics in the seven game series right oh yeah in a seven game series but the n Season tournament was a one game series it’s one done move on but I’m saying this per

All I’m saying is this is that because the the Warriors don’t get easy think about what they get everything is outside and you know you it’s hard to to win games night in and night out consistently when you get no easy buckets they ain’t got nobody they can

Drop the ball down to and said okay go get your back to the basket go get me an easy bucket they dead lasting points they don’t they’re not a great defensive team because they’re small and they don’t got anybody to ch challeng you and

So for that alone ad G was 40 and 13 LeBron I would have liked to seen him a little bit more aggressive he turned into a passer and I didn’t think he needed to yesterday maybe he let’s just say for the sake of argument perk your

Argument is true that he was a little tired and he didn’t have the legs to go out there and assert himself offensively but still I know what ad and AD has been exceptional this year he’s been great not only in points rebounds and block but he’s been there he’s played that’s

What I need I need on the court so I’m not concerned about the Lakers the Lakers will be just fine they’re going to make a move I just don’t know even if the warriors were to make a move where can they go to get someone that make them serious serious playoff

Contenders a championship contenders yeah look I look at it like this still for me for the Lakers I I look at the Lakers and I look at the landscape in the Western Conference I think some of these teams still have question marks right now I think Minnesota’s operating

Pretty much at full capacity we know what they are but look this is a team that hasn’t gone through that before right cut two rounds three rounds you get a team like the Lakers in a seven game series you’re Minnesota that could be a different ball game with LeBron

James out there controlling the pace we know what Denver is and they’re second in the west right now we expect that team to be a conference finalist maybe a finalist maybe a repeat Champion we’re right now we’re reacting a lot I think to what LeBron had to say because it was

Right after the game you just went up against this probably the best or second best starting five in all of basketball the most certainly the most versatile off of starting five and all of basketball that the Celtics put out there and by comparison LeBron said look

We’re not on that level right now so now everybody’s thinking like oh it’s Panic time for the Lakers bottom line is this you get that team with that player in a seven game series I still think they can compete and contend with those two guys

For the Warriors the margin for ER is so much smaller because they win one way and the guys they have doing it don’t do it as efficiently or as good or as often as they used to that spell a tough Run for the Golden State Warriors to get out

Of the first round or maybe even be a playin team no but but but here’s the thing though they’ve been having concerns even before Braun comments last night that’s why they moved D’Angelo Russell to the bench if you got Elite guard play you’re going to beat the Los

Angeles Lakers last year I’mma tell you this I’mma tell you this Shannon and legs I know one thing I know the Lakers was wishing to play Golden State like they did instead of the Sacramento Kings because if they played the Sacramento Kings last year they would have went

Home because they don’t have an answer for dear fox go check the numbers he’s been busting they behind since he’s been playing them they don’t have an answer for him so until they make a move they have to make a move otherwise they will be a first round exit think about this

Real quick when they won the NBA championship in the bubble right who did they have on that roster that was a key piece ran Rondo Ron Rondo who setting the table for Braun ad to get easy buckets to take the pressure off of BR nobody they need a third

Star yeah and look look the Warriors and the Lakers currently occupy the two playin spots in the west but they do have to make moves because the Lakers have a minus 120 points differential in the first which is the worst in the NBA so moves a terrible start need to be

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FIRST TAKE | Shannon has blunt message to LeBron & Lakers following loss to Celtics on Christmas