FIRST TAKE | “LA is nobody without AD” – Stephen A. laughed Shannon after Lakers lost to Warriors

FIRST TAKE | “LA is nobody without AD” – Stephen A. laughed Shannon after Lakers lost to Warriors

To win this game and alas the Golden State Warriors they walk out with the 128 121 win now they’re tied for ninth but technically technically the Golden State Warriors are just percentage points ahead now for that ninth seed Stephen A Smith what did you see in this

One well I saw Klay Thompson show up in the first half and remind us of what he can do what he’s capable of doing and obviously that changes the complexion of what you think about when you think about the Golden State Warriors I saw Steph Curry come return from a

Three-game absence and looks like he didn’t lose anything at all just took a quarter to get going and and after that was completely dominant and I saw a Los Angeles Lakers team that still can’t seem to play defense they haven’t been able to play defense since the All-Star

Break it’s like they left their game in Indianapolis for crying out loud defensively like 28th defensively so you’re not going to go anywhere unless they improve defensively spoke to uh Roba Linka before the game he was talking about they’re hopeful that they could have Jared Vanderbilt back in a

Few weeks and that would change things but they clearly need them because they don’t they can’t seem to stop a cold we’re going to need to stop the segment down and restart because the shot clock didn’t actually start at the beginning of this segment Bob How concerned are

You with what you saw from from the Lakers here what did you walk away with um yeah I’m just collecting my that the shot clock thing does kind of mess up a little yeah yeah we were waiting here you know 80 went out and that changed

The complexion of the game really and I mean he was doing a pretty good job the Warriors always have trouble with him and rightly so a lot of teams have trouble with Anthony Davis but look Vanderbilt coming back like Stephen A said would be huge for their defense the

Lakers have scored well lately last month they’ve been doing a good job scoring they scored well tonight but um you know it’s I just can’t seeing these two teams play and imagining a nine versus 10 and one of them’s going home we’re going to get that you know we

Probably it looks like will on a a crash that’s where it’s headed cuz this game probably made that even more likely I suppose I mean cuz the Lakers are hanging around 910 it’s just I can’t believe it I I can’t that one game would set some sort of viewing record on the

Other hand you lose Hall of Famer plural if you have that game they don’t have it I do too because you want to see those players play Beyond one game but do you see a path out of the 910 for for these team no not

For not for these two teams but I’d like to say this yeah you know Steph Curry LeBron James you want to see if no doubt about it but some of these young thorough breads that we’re going to see in the playoffs to Anthony Edwards of the world the Shay gilis Alexanders of

The world and then you add the Lucas the Kyrie and I mean wait a minute now dearon Fox and and and Sacramento and what have you just look at some of this young Talent we going to have real interesting playoffs he’s going to be excited without Steph Curry well the

League is going to have le how to cope with this Stephen they’re going to have to learn they’re going to have to move on reluctantly cuz we don’t want to move on I don’t want to move on we’re we’re already at the point where we’re I’m

Okay with moving on I just want to see them in the one more one more not a play in I’d like they can lose in the first round you you you want your first one from the media standpoint at least at least get able to watch

These want see what we SE that’s going to do it for us sport Studio along my twin the legend Stephen A Smith the one and only Michael Bob Myers I’m Malika Andrew the Golden State Warriors they lead the Los Angeles Lakers by 16766 at halftime largely behind a 21o Outburst here from

Klay Thompson his second most in the first half the season Stephen A what are you diagnosing well I’ve been saying it all season long when Klay Thompson is playing on the guys like Kinga and others you’re hopeful but you’re enthused about them it’s about an experienced veteran who’s one of the

Greatest Shooters this game has ever seen in Klay Thompson and when he does stuff like we saw him do in the first half the Golden State Warriors are a different animal Bob Myers is the only one who picked the Warriors to win this game I’m not going to you know overdo a

One-point leaded half but well Anthony Davis if he doesn’t come back it looks even better because he’s a huge problem for the Warriors he always Lakers 57 somebody’s going to have to string together some stops the problem like Stephen A said you talk about Klay Tom

You could pick a lot of these players besides maybe Curry LeBron it’s consistency that’s been the problem for both these teams you can see them look great one night one game one half but putting it together for a string of games has been hard for both teams two

Over’s Ensemble looks better and the Warriors play best that way and when you get those contributions Stephen A and I are talking about something pregame Bob I want you to win or early in the game is kaminga the most improved player in the league he’s up there you’re Kobe

White your guy you’re Chicago guy there’s a couple guys J jayen Williams but he’s in the convers abely but I would say jayen Williams okay I’m when he gets off when he has that kind of contribution in that Ensemble effort right that’s when the Warriors look like

They can get out of the play in into the playoffs right and you know you’re going to need that for him and again these teams both these teams got to guard better that that was that was a great offensive half defensive not so much and then Steph Curry his first game back in

Three games 13 points in this first half here plus the three and a half don’t bet an underdog because you think they can cover an underdog because you believe they can win I believe the Golden State Warriors can win this game tonight Steph Curry’s expected back which should be a

Huge boost for this lineup the Lakers since the All-Star break the defense has gone in the toilet 28 in defensive efficiency this team is routinely overvalued the Lakers that is yeah 30 point spread covers this year only five teams with fewer the Portland Trailblazers have covered more point

Spreads this year than the Los Angeles Lakers it shows you how the market views them but how they’ve performed relative to the market not very well Randy Scott okay and I had a bet speaking of betting as you can download the ESPN BET app and

Get going we had a bet is Joe Forton B wearing socks today do you want to uh cash yeah there you go those cash I know those those are happy socks those are happy socks I know those those are good are they stylish though I got you who’s

To say Joe foron ball put the inside for us on Sports thanks buddy Lakers right now simply because of assets and what have you I think we have to look at it from this perspective I was waiting and I thought that it was a little bit delayed maybe late that Moody and

Kaminga ultimately would Elevate their level of play and make a contribution now we see kaminga arguably the second best player on the squad the way that he’s balling he’s figured it out we see Steph Curry still playing at a very elite level as a superstar in this game okay Draymond Green elevates them

Defensively I know that Klay Thompson has struggled okay you people bring up clutch points you know he like dead last of the 27 qualified players over 500 I I forgot what it was but I will say this to you Klay Thompson 37% shooting from three-point range a career worse I’ve

Said this to Shannon on numerous occasions I know about 2017s that would want somebody that can shoot 37 7% from three-point range if not more I mean excuse me what’s a bad year to Klay Thompson is a good year to about 80% of the league the brother listen he’s just

Struggling right now but he’s struggling according to a standard that he set as opposed to really really struggling the brother can still make a contribution and you know this better than any any of us JJ Shooters get high and if Klay Thompson got hot at the right time with kaminga and Steph Curry

Balling the way that they’re balling with Steve cerr coaching the way that he’s capable of coaching I can’t rule anything out about the Golden State Warriors you could say something about LeBron and the size and stuff like that in LA but there’s too many more question marks in La compared to Golden State

Even though Golden State the big thing is that they’re so small but I would say Steph before LeBron James in terms of more likely to win a fifth ring right now that’s where I’m at with it so are you going to put fertilizer in those guys shoes so they can grow no because

The thing that’s been getting them beat getting them beat this year is their size the inability to rebound the basketball and you mentioned Steph say well there excuse me clay you said there are 15 20 other teams that would have uh that would take clay but clay has

Measured against himself right so if we’re measuring him against himself he’s not even close to being what he once was that’s why he got moved to the bench because if he was what he once was he’d still be in the starting lineup still contributed he contributes but he doesn’t contribute with the consistency

That he once did I love kaminga draym going to be dreon he’s going to do a little bit of everything and you’re absolutely correct Steph Curry is still playing at an MVP level although his team is so bad he’s not going to get any consideration but when I look at the

Lakers they have two top 75 players I believe they have two top 10 NBA players and if DLo could continue to play the way he’s playing we see Austin Reed solid ruy came in the other night with the absence I like what I’ve seen JJ I

Don’t know about you what I’ve seen in the two games without LeBron that has impressed me the most it lets me know that you know what this team in a in a seven game series can cause somebody a serious problem so I’m still going to go with LeBron James because I still

Believe he has a year or two in him at this level janon it’s just semantics uh but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you that the L the Warriors are the third best rebounding team in the NBA this year uh so I just wanted to point

That out uh you know the question here is is the likely that’s the key word here for me likely I don’t think either of these teams are likely to win a championship this year the good news is both of these teams going into All-Star break started to Trend in the right

Direction Stephen A brought up kaminga he’s been awesome now for a few weeks their defense with Draymond Greenback has been much better the Lakers offense because of the shooting of Austin Reeves and D’Angelo Russell and Roy hachimura they’ve been so much better offensively these teams are trending in the right

Direction I still don’t think they’re in the upper tier and we we could talk about sleeper teams in the west they’re not even on my list of sleeper teams I would put the Dallas Mavericks or the Phoenix Suns or or the New Orleans Pelicans as sleeper teams you know teams

Outside of the top four the other point I want to make just about this likely thing let’s let’s take it outside of this season you look at the teams at the top of the standings right now in the East it’s the Boston Celtics neither Nei those guys are joining the Boston

Celtics and neither of those guys are getting players from the Boston Celtics to come to their teams and you look at the top of the Western Conference the the Oklahoma City Thunder are building a dynasty the Denver Nuggets aren’t going anywhere the Minnesota Timberwolves had figured out this pairing with their two

Bigs they’ve got a budding Superstar and Anthony Edwards the Los Angeles Clippers a little older team they’re to me the best team in the west right now if I’m looking at it through a playoff lens I don’t think it’s likely that either gets a fifth title unless they’re willing to

Go somewhere else because I I just don’t see either of those teams being capable of making a move that moves the needle in the next few years I just don’t see it because who’s the next guy that’s available Donovan Mitchell maybe I mean that’s the rumor I I I I think he’s been

Fantastic in Cleveland I hope he doesn’t leave Cleveland Joel MB is not leaving Philly like who’s six Shannon just take it oh he go don’t do that don’t do that now all of a sudden you tired all of a sudden again you saw the greatness 3620 a

Career high 20 rebounds in year 21 at the right old age of 39 did it all did it all oh I remember I’ve heard people say he’s AF I’ve heard Stephen A say he’s afraid to drive the ball late in game I said that a decade

Ago that’s that non right there I said that a decade ago you now you now you reaching cuz I said a decade ago research that’s what happened a ain’t great research when he TR act like I said it yesterday did say it yes many times a decade ago a decade

Ago I have not said that about LeBron James in a DEC because it would be exhibit eight your honor I like to present exhibit a and count night Sten A Smith says damn right LeBron James back in the day scared to drive theall G back

In the day no he was scared to get to the free throw line back in the day he didn’t want to go he’ll a challenge anyway Ain scared of anybody and he do whatever he got to do except going to the free throw line I did say that over

A decade ago I haven’t said that since he look spectacular Saturday he look spectacular Saturday night that brother is something special there’s no doubt about it it is what it is but don’t misrepresent my I give you enough ammunition you ain’t got to make it up

Youin got to make it up something a decade ago what you mean he look he look phenomenal night when has he not looked phenomenal in 21 years oh there’s been there’s been plenty of times that he hasn’t when he wants to take nights off

That’s he he can do what he wants to do he can do what he wants to do hey by by the way by the way do you know I don’t have LeBron James as a starter in the allstar game I picked Anthony Davis you know why I picked Anthony Davis because

LeBron said because LeBron said so LeBron say he’s the leader this is the guy 25 and 12 with two and a half blocks a game I need this brother so we all know LeBron is great he can do what he wants to do I need you to make reservations for Bo

Or Craig because you going to lose that Anthony Davis bear that’s what I need you to do you need to do so much the the reservation has already been made for boa made it the other night I made it I know you got it it’s fire he ain’t going to miss 15

Games before Valentine’s Day you you got it I already made the reservation the other night I made the reservation other night we we going there I got you I got you are you guys going on Valentine’s cuz that’s cute not Valentine’s I didn’t know you said it was by Valentine’s Day

So I was just wondering valentin’s day is manade holiday don’t be one of those guys that doesn’t like Valentin open up a p Bo keep telling you all right go go ahead go ahead Mol spe spee speee for chaos R men break too easily not fun at all Oblivion void storm First

Blood double kill an ally has been defeated you have defeated an enemy Vo stor Oblivion chaos Reigns an enemy has been defeated an ally has been defeated my victory Heralds your doom comine an ally has been defeated you have been defeated your tower has been destroyed enemy ultimate Unstoppable CHS chaos Reigns void

Storm our base is under attack storm enemy unot spe e utmost power Everlasting damnation hey tough choice nothing starts the day like a shot of Viper Venom an ally has been defeated you have defeated an enemy an enemy has been defeated an ally has been defeated enemy has been defe

You have defeated an enemy nothing starts the day like a shot an enemy has been defeated your team has destroyed a tower you have been defeated you have defeated an enemy you should feel it in a moment you have defeated an enemy you have been defeated an enemy has been

Defeated an ally has been [Applause] defeated hey hey hey hey he hey

FIRST TAKE | “LA is nobody without Anthony Davis” – Stephen A. laughed Shannon after Lakers lost to Warriors despite LeBron 40 Pts