Stephen A. has his eyes on the Clippers winning the West ππ | First Take
Without Kawhi Leonard the Clippers overcame a 15-point deficit and 41 points from Stephen Curry to win 13125 versus the Warriors in the bay the nuggets collaps in the final minutes against the Sacramento Kings and now enter the allstar break on a three- game skid the fight for the on seat in the
Western Conference looks like it’ll come down to the wire with the fourth seated nuggets just two and a half games behind the top seated t-wolves who knew about Minnesota the t-wolves a 57% chance to finish as the top seed in the west America I present to you Kendrick Perkins and Brian wi horse
With the best what’s going on a py a p hey perk before we dive into this I like this whole fit it’s clean apprciate it I like the chain you’re not doing too much the turtleneck it works I’m into it I mean I’m trying I’m trying what what you
Got I mean I mean me me person me me personally I mean I think that I mean he’s a successful basketball analyst for the worldwide leader I would have expected a little bit more ice like something shiny no I like that it’s like understated it’s just a cool Cuban Link
It’s we’re not we’re not we’re not talking we’re not talking about your taste right now Molly we’re talking about mine talking about now talk about yours talking about mine I like something a little bit more Shin you and say you know what they say right don’t hate the player hate the game yeah
Exactly exactly get in line Stephen A all right let’s talk about the West I can’t believe what a good mood Stephen A is in right now by the way I thought he was going to be like super cranky Vegas La now Indie but you’re doing well kid
Keep it up real proud of you we got 60 we got 60 minutes to go Stephen A let’s finish strong you got this okay well I’m away from you I’m not in studio right next to you so up baby let’s do it people at home want your energy oh my
God I hate when you do stuff like that all right Stephen A seriously let’s talk about the West though and I know you’re going to be going out to Minnesota doing some all access there who do you have in the west right now well listen I I think that you have
To have you have to have the the Denver Nuggets um that that’s a team that’s the reigning defending NBA champions the 28 and 11 when Jamal Murray and yic are in the lineup together eight and eight without them we get that but I’m just of the mindset even though I should have
Them I gotta tell y’all I’m keeping my eyes on the Clippers I’m keeping my eyes on the Clippers I I’m just looking at them their prolific Tendencies on the offensive side of the ball when you think about a zubac and and a plum Le obviously that’s nothing to match up
With with yic skill-wise but nevertheless you know they’re formidable big bodies that you can at least throw in the direction of joic and Aaron Gordon and then I’m looking at what they bring to the table offensively I brought up the fact that James Harden last night
Had 268 and seven that was with a f quiet fourth quarter because they were busy watching Norman Powell go ballistic can’t leave him open from the left corner he’s drilling three all day every day in that regard we know what Paul George brings to the table we see what
Russell Westbrook is bringing Off the Bench we know what kawh Leonard and what a superstar he is when he’s healthy and he didn’t even play last night because he wasn’t in the lineup he was injured I’m just looking at them right now and I’m fantasizing me personally guys if the Clippers
Win what level of pressure that puts on the Los Angeles Lakers to maintain relevancy and you know how I like the story lines you know how I like to be fed that you know to know that the Clippers are about to move out of the crypto.com Arena to go into a new Arena
To find themselves in a situation where all of that pressure because they’re winning if they would to win what level of pressure that puts on the Los Angeles Lakers I mean I just love it I just love it and you should too perk in Wendy because most of y’all time unlike the
Rest of us is spent in LA and so you should want that even more than me well it’s going to happen it’s going to happen and the Clippers are going to win the Western Conference because they have zero flaws right they have everything and they check all the boxes
When you think about the death Stephen A you just alluded to you talk about big zubach plumbley and Daniel Ty at the center position that’s enough bodies to B to battle defensively against any big in the Western Conference when you think about the wings that they have you’re
Looking at the Young fella coffee we saw what Norman pow did last night to the Golden State Warriors arguably could be the Sixth Man of the Year then you look at Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook is going to win the Clippers at least three games by himself where he’s going
To be that impactful off the bench for the Clippers this postseason and then you talk about Paul George and James Harden and you know the great thing about this and I said this on the countdown yesterday to Wendy Malik and chenet who by the way did a great job I
Said the great thing about those two is that they both want big money come this off season that’s if Paul George and the Clippers don’t come to a contract extension which I believe they won’t but they both want Max money so now you have competition within the locker room and
To see who is the number two on the team and that’s a great thing for the clippers but then you go to kawwai lonard Jordan and I said this he is Jordan in a triangle offense and when you think about a healthy Kawai when you think about a healthy kawhai Leonard he
Could be the best player against any other player in any given series when it comes down to the postseason clutch moments defending both ways doing what it needs to be done and then you look up and down the sideline and who do you have old tou the one that’s pulling it
All together the Clippers are so deep I want y’all to think about this for a second the Clippers are so deep they told PJ Tucker and Bones Holland not to travel with the team they’re not even sniffing the floor right now PJ Tucker could be could be providing quality
Minutes for a contending team right now he’s getting dmps for the Clippers I got the Clippers coming out of the West okay so let’s talk a little bit about youth because the one thing we know uh historically to win in the big games in the postseason you got to have
Experience so you look at these teams in the West Oklahoma City is one of the youngest teams we’ve ever seen being competitive none of those guys have any significant playoff experience asking them to win three playoff series when most of them have never even won a
Single playoff game I just can’t see it Mike Conley absolutely Rudy goar has a bunch of different uh playoff experiences but this is an organization that hasn’t won a playoff series since a Edwards was two years old okay so again while I look at them and see how they
Defend and look at the how they play on the road and I give them a fighting chance it’s hard to sell me that they’re going to come up with it so you’re left with Denver and the Clippers when you look at Denver they’re struggling a little bit right now
They’ve lost three in a row their offense has really slid back from last season they’re in the middle of the pack they were the best offensive team in the playoffs last year here and one of the reasons why they’ve backslid is because they have such a young bench you look at
Who they bring Off the Bench it’s not Jeff Green and Bruce Brown anymore it’s a bunch of first and seconde players so while you look at them and say they’re awesome and joic the joic Murray uh Gordon Porter combination is devastating and kcp has rings with two different
Teams there is a little bit of vulnerability there so I can I can see how if you’re out there in the west you could see look it’s going to be hard but maybe maybe they’re not quite at the same level right now but then like perk
Said you go look at the Clippers they check every box and Stephen A can you imagine the dream that Steve balore the owner of the Clippers has about the night he opens his new Arena here in La the int Dome you’re the champ passion you’re the champion it’s Banner night
Can you imagine what that would mean to him and so unreal a lot of things have to happen especially health and I’m certainly not dis discounting the nuggets but I think youth could play a big role in the Western Conference playoffs well let me say this I mean I
Mean I you know I’m not the most astute or the most accomplished businessman in the world but I know a think to about it you know thing I know a thing or two about it and I know that if my boss is a billionaire and that if I win a
Championship and the first night that he opens that that new arena is Bight and what that could mean you understand for me and my future opportunities that would be additional incentive for me to go out there and perform at a very very very high level you understand so
There’s incentive all over the place you got the Southern California Sunshine Englewood ain’t bad now Englewood ain’t bad okay and so you got that going on all right and then you got that new arena there and and and oh by the way you’re in the same town as the purple
And gold because it’s going to be Lake a nation all day every day in LA but if you win you’ll get your own base to some degree which would be enough for you because there’s plenty of room to spare in the second largest state in the Union
I’m looking at it and I’m saying wait a minute this incentive all over the place I’m the Los Angeles Clippers I got more incentive than ever before to win ever so are are you two guys leaning for us picking the Clippers to to win it all they’re the most impressive team one
Through 10 but doesn’t mean they’re going to win it but they’re the most impressive team one through 10 in my view what you say they’re the most impressive team right now I I’m leaning towards them winning the West I still haven’t jumped off the Boston Celtics
Bandwagon of winning it all H I beg the differ I actually got the Clippers winning it I I I got the Clippers winning it all and it’s solely because of dam how do you think we don’t know that how you think you don’t know that
You’re on TV more than me you’re on TV more than me every Hotel every bar everything they see you all over the place damn it let me tell you something right now you on ESPN news as much as you on ESPN you understand you on every damn where okay we see you
Everywhere we see all the time ESPN ESPNU it’s a big ESPN new star I’m I’m not complaining Hey listen I appreciate it I needed some help you understand I’m saying I don’t mind y’all at all take all the time you want I got y on here
For a reason I need all the help I can get you know who’s really the YouTube star that guy Wendy all the way at the end of our shot call me on YouTube M what do they call YouTube nickname is tell me Steven beith wow I love it well here’s the deal
Well here well here’s the deal Molly you know you know me bringing in that businessman I I I got I got I got plans I got plans for my boys I got plans for my boys really saying oh yes I do really oh yes I do okay
Where the money reside where the money reside where the money reside where the money reside okay seriously though why are you in such a good mood right now did you go to St Elmo’s last night you have some steak no I did I did not do such thing I got
In I got some rest and I got my girl somatra and my boy juvie right next to me and so when I’m hanging with them they make my mood better because they People
Stephen A. has his eyes on the Clippers winning the West ππ | First Take
Stephen A. Smith, Brian Windhorst and Kendrick Perkins discuss which team they have winning the Western Conference.
#firsttake #nba #espn
0:00 Which team will win the West?
4:15 Kendrick Perkins has the Clippers coming out of the West
6:30 Brian Windhorst on which team will win the West
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43 Comments
The thing thatβs great with the Clippers is they play tough and are skilled but I know the Clippers will Clip so bet on em if you want to
These guys have amnesia? They got smashed at home , full strength and healthy, against Timbersolves , just 48 hours ago
Stephen this Stephen that. You guys are over promoting this man
Clippers just got stomped out by the Timberwolves on Monday!
Stephen suffers from bipolar disorder. He was merely talking about the Lakers and the Clippers winning a championship.
It's like Stephen and Molly fighting for Supremacy
Iβm a clippers fan I canβt even trust them we lost against the wolves i mean smacked tf up and we almost lost this one .
I think the Clippers are destined to win it all this year… all about the story line as per Mr. Stephen A… and the story is they are moving out of the Crypto Arena next season, and winning a ring this year is going to make all that so romantic.
You can tell none of these guys watched the 2 games where the Clippers couldn't even compete with the Timberwolves this year.
Molly Really Like My Boy Perk! Watch Every Time Heβs On ππ
It's the Wolves. Seee yaaa
I know I ainβt got jo chance but Mollys voice is so soothing to hear and has such a beautiful smile! I could listen to her all day long
Did Stephen A start his statements on the clippers with Zubac and Plumlee?? Bruh those two bigs are getting toasted in the playoffs
Perkins is a hater lol. Sure let's pick anyone but Boston so it seems objective π€¦πΎββοΈ Idiot
I love when Stephen As in a good mood lmao
Stephen A is like a weatherman who predicts rain after it starts raining.
this show sucks ballonis compared to first things first
ππππ
Keep the same energy in May
Celtics donβt beat any real threat in the west. In the finals if they make it, wonβt beat nuggets, clippers, sga more consistent than Tatum so I might take the thunder too. And the lakers beat them in a 7 game series bron ad>tatum brown
If the Clippers happened to get to the Finals this year , they Better open that new stadium up now donβt play your first Finals in Lakers arena πππ
The nuggets will win the west and win the nba finals on a back to back
My wolves are going all the way!! I am done with you guys!!π
Screamin A doing his best to jinx the Clips
Perk saying clippers have 0 flaws is just straight up wrong. Watching that timberwolves game u could easily see size in the front court is a big issue for them against the bigger teams
Whatever, Steven GRAYYYyy Smith
What I got out of this whole segment is that Stephen A. Smith and Molly cant stand each other.
The Timberwolves bigs DOMINATED the clippers bigs and McDaniels held Leonard in check most of the night. The wolves looked like the bigger faster and more physical team.
Molly so fine π
lol you gotta love Stephen A
If the Lakers get Jordan Clarkson there coming out the west they need firepower off the bench and anchoring the defense they need Clarkson right now
Steve, late to the party per usual.
They are the only team in the West that can give nuggets problems in a 7 game series
Lakers going to end up the 6 seed
As good as they are playing rn I canβt trust all of them to be healthy. Russ, PG13, and especially Harden are all playoff question marks. I got no questions about Kawhi in the playoffs because when healthy is a top 3-5 playoff performer. Russ has 1 playoff series win since 2016, PG13 played good in the western conference finals run but heβs still shaky, and Harden I donβt think I need to explain anything about how he perennially chokes in the playoffs.
Stephen B. Smith is crazy lmfao
The west is crazy rn!! My mavs are on a 6 game win streak and still 7th because everyone keeps winning
LOTS OF SURPRISES, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHO STANDS ALONE AT THE TOP IN JUNE.
Gimme the new look mavs
The wolves have beat the Clippers twice. Beat the Nuggets, OKC, GS, BOS the Bucks and have the best record in the west. What are we even talking about…
Steven six months ago saying kawhi should retire now picks the clippers to win the west. Professional hypocrite
Are we not talking about how the Twolves just spanked my clippers? Thatβs the only team I get nervous about out west at the moment.
Kawhi is the most overrated plyaer in the history of the game and its not even close