First Take : Zion Williamson Leading Pelicans To Finals?

First Take : Zion Williamson Leading Pelicans To Finals?

I got people telling me he’s lost 25 pounds all right JJ you’re at first best chance at a finals appearance outside of the top four in the west first of all I just I want to say one thing I’m a little hurt that I was not invited to the first take bracket uh

Group do you want to fill out a bracket I don’t want to fill out of bracket I wouldn’t have done it I wouldn’t have done it I want to be clear on that but fact I was not invited it’s hurtful we assume I expected more especially from

You no no not from me no no we assume you’re too busy you understand you have a lot of jobs you’ve got a lot of obligations and quite frankly I saw you a few weeks ago and uh I literally told you I thought you needed a vacation I’m

Getting one I’m getting one exactly on spring break I was concerned about you my brother from another B I was concerned about you uh what I’m saying look there’s a number of teams I think even going all the way down to there’s a number of teams here in the Western

Conference that I believe can make a playoff run in terms of who I think has the best chance to make the finals I’m actually going to go with the New Orleans Pelicans um this is a team that has quietly been a top 10 offense a top

10 defense over the last 20 they’re 15 and five as Brian said Zion Williamson for the last two months is playing the best basketball of the Season we were pretty harsh on him after the inseason tournament uh his performance in that semi-final game against the Lakers he’s

Been awesome they’ve unlocked him as a passer each month his assists have gone up uh Trey Murphy is healthy now and after a slow start shooting the basketball has played unbelievable over the past few weeks I look at this team and I see depth I see arguably the best

Wing defender in the entire NBA in herb Jones this is a team that can absolutely make a Deep Run in the playoffs and potentially get to the finals having said that Denver Nuggets are still the favorites to me I want to be clear on that in the Western Conference the other

Teams I I think the Mavs have a decent chance uh I I wouldn’t you know discount Luca donic and and that revamped roster in the playoffs I’m not sold on the Phoenix Suns right now their defense has a lot of question marks and they’ve been awful in the fourth quarter All Season

Uh so I I got to go with the New Orleans Pelicans go ahe Shannon are you sure you don’t want to go no go ahead I want to hear what you had to say say you know what I I’ve been going back and forth I’ve been going honestly

I’ve been going back and forth because I see the way Kyrie and Luca are playing with those two bigs now that have been very very act active they’ve been cleaning up the glass getting a lot of Second Chance points but I’m going go with the Lakers and let me tell you why

I’m going with the Lakers oh my Lord they got the third best they got the third best record in one possession game and play in tournament or postseason there ain’t no 25 Point swing there ain’t no 2 fivepoint blowouts they might be one but normally it’s clutch time the

Last five minutes the game within five points so with that being said I still I still like the Lakers I still with ad and LeBron we just got to make sure though nobody elbow ad in the eye and he can stay upright because I know come playoff time LeBron James will control

The pace he’s not going to let you run up and down and try to tie those old legs out and so if for me it’s the Lakers or the Mavs and now that you got me on the got me on the clock I got to go with the

Lakers boy something wrong with you something is absolutely positively wrong with you you cannot possibly feel that way about the Los Angeles Lakers considering the way they’ve been playing defense since the allstar break I mean they’re one of the worst defensive teams in the game okay and don’t get me

Started with their defensive back court of of Reeves and D’Angelo Russ we getting V we getting V and vinon coming back the boys supposedly vand is going to come back let’s hope that that happens I’m rolling with JJ reck on this I got to tell you right now about the

New Orleans right now say it again I’m rolling unlike you I get to the head I’m rolling with JJ reic on this I believe he is right see how easy that is for me to say it’s no problem right now let’s look at this because y’all appreciate

This Pelican 6 in one in the month of March second only to the Houston Rockets eay udoka for the way he’s coaching second only to him Pelican second best defense since the All-Star break 107.2 points allowed per 100 possessions Zion averaging 30 and8 over the last

Four games 66% shooting by the way you ready for this do you know that Zion Williamson is on a current streak of having played 14 consecutive games and by the way he hasn’t missed a back-to-back game all season it’s a big deal when you look at New Orleans

They’ve got size they’ve got athleticism they’ve got shooting uh obviously I look at Denver obviously is the you know they’re the reigning defending NBA champions they’re ready but what are the one of the things that we talk about when we talk about the Minnesota timber wolves we bring up size and the fact

That with Rudy go sui Cat Williams is able to come back size is formidable well new or isn’t necessarily lacking in that department plus they’ve got other pieces in place they’ve got link they’ve got athleticism they got some Greyhounds I like what I’m seeing from the New

Orleans Pelicans I think they got a chance to go to the finals Stephen A you mean you mean cat towns Cat Williams can’t help he can’t help call Anthony’s house my bad my bad my bad I’m sorry I’m sorry shed my bad cat not catw call Anthony Town frean slip know what I’m

Saying well I get it Shannon’s on the show The their interview went viral went everywhere the whole internet watch well for me I’m watching Saturday Night Live when Saturday Night Live you know what I’m saying spoof that that’s what I that’s I’m looking at that toity

But but Stephen A did you know that the Lakers have the third best record in one possession games did you know that how’d that work out last year in the Western Conference Finals they got sweat hold on hold on hold on I could asking you I’m asking you question what’s the best

Chance at hold on because the Nuggets had the best record what are best chances at finals appearance outside the top four yeah okay so so so what what’s Phoenix question you answered the question I did J how that how did that how did that work out for him well we know the team

That won because they had a record in one possession games okay all I’m saying to you is that that Lakers team played significantly better defense than this Lakers team has been playing B okay all right all right you say that okay we’ll see we’ll see you all

Hilarious you see Orleans no you talking about now see I don’t get to say will my team get healthy but you over there talk about oh jsh rle come back oh that shoulder if he heal that shoulder up and Mitch Robinson big body you now you know

A big body right but what about hold on what about TBS running them guys he Josh hard played 48 minutes another guy played 46 minutes they going to be dog tied boss come play our times on empty on fumes he he he does first of all well

First of all he does have me there JJ cuz I am worried with tips i’ but I that’s why I’ve been happy dudes have Miss games because they leg they going to be worn out cu play time they had enough time off so they should be all

Right they should be all right that’s how but let me tell you something let me tell you something right now I’m looking at the way the Lakers playing defense I’m not enamored and by the way let me bring this up too because I was raving about the Clippers weeks ago JJ I went

From raving about the Clippers to looking at them and right now the season will the end the day their first round opponent would be New Orleans yep and I don’t think they’d beat New Orleans so literally with the Clippers to talk about how they could they could compete

In the West for a championship to wondering whether or not they going to get bounced in the first round you have coming out of the West Denver I have Denver who do you have Denver oh the Nugget Oh Hey Stephen he hold on I remember with everybody JJ was raving

About him too but since LeBron James did that demolition job on him in the fourth quarter they haven’t been the same since they haven’t been the same since you remember how y’all was talking about La about the Clippers run La they run around La I don’t believe I ever said

That I would say I would say they kept beating the Lakers ass most of these years but not this season not this season not this season that’s beat him so bad made them get their own Arena listen made them get their own Arena that’s what we did beat them and kick them out

Stephen A Smith, JJ Redick and Shannon Sharpe Discuss Zion Williamson and New Orleans Pelicans. #zionwilliamson #neworleanspelicans #neworleans #pelicans #brandoningram #cjmccollum #stephenasmith #shannonsharpe #nbabasketball #espn #espnfirsttake