‘EFFECTIVE DEFENSE!’ -Stephen A. on RECIPE for a Warriors RUN + Embiid’s RETURN | First Take

‘EFFECTIVE DEFENSE!’ -Stephen A. on RECIPE for a Warriors RUN + Embiid’s RETURN | First Take

Do you still believe that the Warriors can go on a run I do I do I I listen one I one of the things that I MTI doggy is this first of all understand how important shooting is you got to be able to shoot from the

Perimeter you got to be able to make free throws come playoff time because obviously the game doesn’t speed up it relatively slows down to some degree obviously you can get through the free throw line and you got a lot of teams that aren’t as efficient as the Golden

State Warriors so I don’t think we can ignore that but let me tell tell y’all this they’re on a five-game winning streak first four those games on the road they won all four of those games this is when noise was being made about the Houston Rockets led by Oka nipping

At the heels and all of a sudden they go on a winning streak and they the there there we go all right so so we got to pay attention to that do you know that the Warriors are leading everybody in defensive efficiency over that period of

Time and and basically four of of the five opponents held to 100 points or fewer we can’t ignore that oh by the way the Wonder the wonderful the wondrous the greatest shooter God ever cre created and Steph Curry only averaging 20 points over this streak but shooting

41% from three-point range just like he had last night what he had 13 points on five of 18 shooting but he still hit three of his five shots from three-point range other dudes are stepping up I’m looking at wiggan showing that he has a post Draymond Green doing something for

You offensively and we know what he brings defensively there’s a collection of individuals that shown up and I’m looking at it from that perspective your ability to shoot your ability to score is one thing but what was the ingredient to the Golden State Warrior success throughout those years defense they

Played defense and that is what they are doing now they are being effective with it they now have a three- game cushion on the Houston Rocket so they don’t really any longer have to worry about being in the play and they’ve got seven regular season games left four on the

Road against the Rockets coming up against Dallas against the Lakers and against the Blazers I believe they’ll win at least two of those games they got two games against the Jazz at home I think they’ll win both of those games and of course they got a game against

The Pelicans I’m just looking at the Warriors right now anytime you’ve got a superstar who can explode and you have Shooters surrounding him along with himself and they could hit free throws you cannot ignore the potential impact they can have well I beg to differ on the shooting scenario the best shooter

God ever created you’ve never heard of Bill sha you need you just need to stop you just need to stop but go ahead just go ahead you never heard him I heard of Bill Shaman Hur I’m just thr out there number two take it easy on the winning streak

They beat Charlotte they beat Miami B didn’t play take it easy on a road winning stre Miami and he never plays anyway Butler never plays these games he play he’ll play in the postseason if you feel if he’s not up three if he’s three I would take a day off but yes you’re

Right if he’s but so that’s number two and number three Steve be careful here because look where they are in the standings okay they are not going to overtake the Lakers because they’re to back you’re right they’re going to get the playin spot because they’re obviously in a much better scenario than

The um than the Rockets are they probably to make the main body of the postseason they’re going to have to beat the Lakers in LA and then they’re going to have to go beat the Sun King loser at the moment on the road just to make the

Postseason now they got a good road record they’re 22 and 15 so they could and Curry gives you a chance every game you play in a road because you can have one of those incredible shooting days but think about it they’re 10th right now and just to maybe play Denver in the

First round they got to beat the Lakers in La the Phoenix King Loser on the road and then they get the Nuggets mostly likely in a seven game series I would say most likely I mean the Nuggets only a half game up on Oklahoma City and and

Minnesota with the same amount of losses so I wouldn’t say it’s likely let’s say they play Denver okay let’s say they won’t well don’t give me that you led my argument I you interrupted La Phoenix and the Nuggets they’re going to lose to some of those teams okay there you go go

Ahead sh look Stephen A Stephen A I really wanted to come on this program this beautiful morning were’re matching and keep that same energy but I have to disagree with you because you prefaced your argument on the last five games by the Golden State Warriors this is an 82

Game season and yes you said that the defense has been better it actually has but the Golden State Warriors their best version of a team that can go on a run not only had the best offense which their offense has been a little bit subpar in the NBA but they also had a

Top two defense right now they’re in the middle of the pack with the 11th best offense and they also have the 14 best defense right in the middle of the pack the last five games have put pushed those numbers up but the last five games

Have not told a story of an 82 Game season now the Golden State Warriors they can go on a run but based on their unique challenges that we have seen this season they’re more likely to probably as Matt dog said run into a wall their biggest challenge right now which they

Have handled to some degree was handling the run of the Houston Rockets right on their heels in the play now if you watched last night you would be happy because they won with Steph only scoring 13 points uh Draymond talking about defense being back to being that dog

Defensively oh yeah Maddie you know you know what I mean they held the Mavs and Draymond single-handedly held the Mavs to shooting six for 16 as the closest Defender and then he scored on those stops going downhill especially in the second half of the game also wigs who

Was their greatest xfactor two years ago you know uh when they won the title dropped 23 points the Warriors looked good last night but that was one of 82 and one of a really decent five-game stretch overall this season the only thing consistent about them is that all

Players not you know named Steph Curry they’re inconsistency themselves being up and down with their play they found a little bit of magic but still even Steph the greatest shooter that we have ever seen has had shooting lows this season this year and it’s more likely they run

Into a raw a wall then go on a meaningful run well first of all clearly you’re not a Janet Jackson fan what have you done for me lately I mean that’s where I’m at I don’t want he about no 82 games I’m I’m going to lean on the last

Bar I’m going to lean on the last last time I said last time I checked j n i mean the bottom line is we got to pay attention to the momentum that you have flowing into the postseason now the Lakers have won recently won five straight they won seven of their last

Eight it should be eight of their last nine because they’re going up against Washington then beating Milwaukee was an anomaly an aberration Dame dollar didn’t play I don’t expect the Washington Wizards to beat the Los Angeles Lakers but I’m looking at the Los Angeles Lakers right here you got Cleveland you

Got Minnesota you got Golden State and New Orleans in four of your last five games to close out the season let’s see how interesting that be I don’t think it’s a lock that they’re going to be the ninth seed and Golden State’s going to be the 10th seed so let me throw that

Out of the way secondly again let’s omit Denver because we understand that’s a different beast that’s a different animal and I can see that golden state is no match for Denver that’s their Crypt tonight you go up against the Denver Nuggets I don’t think that’s the team they’re going to beat that’s the

Bottom line em beid finished with 24 points leading the 76ers to win versus the Thunder it was embiid’s first game in nine weeks following knee surgery Stephen A can the 76ers go on a run in the East with embiid now healthy no not to me I don’t believe yet um I want to

Applaud Nick nurse you know and by the way Alan ion you know just text me yeah bro I am looking pretty fly he just text me to tell me I was looking pretty fly I just wanted to let the world know that my boy AI my boy AI is watching First

Take right now he said his boy Sten pretty damn fly thank you my brother thank you my brother here the deal okay I look at the Philadelphia 76ers I want to give props to Nick nurse I think that he’s done an outstanding job considering the circumstances as the head coach for

The Philadelphia 76ers uh they’ve quickened their Pace we’ve seen the elevation of Tyrese Maxi we understand that if Joel embiid was there the the Philadelphia 76ers will be battling for a top three seed in the Eastern Conference without him they’re like 14 and 27 something along those lines we

Get it we understand it I get it my issue is is that he’s not 100% he’s not going to be 100% And when I look at the Boston Celtics that’s a given I don’t care about Milwaukee struggles I think that they would have their way with the Philadelphia 76ers because embiid is not

Healthy um even though he was out there last night um I think the New York Knicks if Julius Randle and ogn anobi come back listen forget Julie R if ogan anomi and Mitchell Robinson came back I still think that’s enough to beat this 76ers Squad that’s where I’m at with it

But it’s really primarily because Jan I don’t have a lot of faith in the health of Joel and beid he’s such a superstar talent I just don’t think that he has the legs to go through a lengthy postseason run I don’t see it I see them going home once again in the second

Round at the latest

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Chiney Ogwumike join Christine Williamson to debate if there is still time for the Golden State Warriors to go on a run. Then, the panel react to Joel Embiid’s return from injury.

0:00 Can the Warriors go on a run?
4:00 Warriors’ defense
7:00 Embiid’s return from injury

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