FIRST TAKE | “P.J. Washington is the X-Factor in NBA Finals” – Stephen A. break Mavericks vs Celtics

FIRST TAKE | “P.J. Washington is the X-Factor in NBA Finals” – Stephen A. break Mavericks vs Celtics

all right folks let’s talk a little more about this matchup because it is a juicy one the Celtics are minus 225 favorites to win the NBA title at ESPN bet favorites have won in eight of the last 11 NBA Finals with the only exceptions coming in 2021 that was on the Bucks remember knocked off the Suns the Mavericks entered the season with 25 to one odds to win the title I just need to give do we have Tim legler here Tim I need to give you some props for a moment because I remember asking you I’m talking months and months ago early on when the season first started in the fall who was going in the finals because I have to ask those questions like day one of the season and you said Dallas so you’ve been on this train all along and uh here we are you just saw the odds so Props to you on that tell me this who do you think’s going to be the X Factor in these finals Tim yeah this a tough question because there are so many places you could go with this when when you look at Boston you got porzingis true holiday Derek white all of those guys Dallas has Derrick Jones PJ Washington who are going to guard Tatum and brown primarily but my answer is the two-headed center for the Dallas Mavericks and I don’t think you can separate the two guys and say one of these guys is a bigger xfactor than the other because they play combined about 35 to 40 minutes a game every now and then you go a little bit smaller maybe Cy gets some minutes but this is about Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford and what these two guys represent for Dallas not not only throughout the playoffs to this point cuz they’re averaging 18 points 13 boards three blocks 64% from the field those are phenomenal numbers out of your Center spot but in this series in particular Molly they’re especially important because of the number of situations they are going to be put in with isolation and ball screens with these perimeter players of Boston getting into the paint attacking the rim as the last line of defense they’ve got to be Rim deterrence they’ve got to alter shots they’ve got to be very active in being able to not only stop the guard on the ball screen to the forward but also Retreat and recover and get back there and alter the game defensively at The Rim but on the other end of the floor their ability to occupy Boston defensively and the way that they make teams pay when LCA hits them with them late lobs when you’ve committed to him they punish teams at the rim for being in an area in a gray area defensively against Luca donic Luca will make him pay and then the offensive about who wins this series it’s Tim legler Tim leg long as he’s on the court look at his plus minus when he’s in the game as opposed to when he’s when he’s not he’s a very very important piece he’s he needs to play big but you’re absolutely right legs those two bigs because they’re very high percentage guys most of their charts are putbacks dunk lobs but they do a great job of protecting the paint which is going to be because Boston is going to use put you in a lot of action a lot of pick and roll try to get downhill and they’re going to have to protect so I agree with you I picked Derek Lively but I had both of those bigs but Ash told me I needed to pick one well first of all I let me first first F first of all you know what there’s no crime in listening to Ash that she works for Shannon Ash is the real deal that girl is thorough so so ain’t no crime listening to Ash all right so you you you you one there but I disagree with the both of you the both of you on this right you make valid points I’m not trying to poo poo any of them what I would tell you is this the name I come up with legs I see you looking at me is PJ Washington my brother now I understand that in the Conference finals against Minnesota he averaged I’m looking at his numbers here he shot 37% from the field 25% from three-point range I get it remember how he looked in the semi-finals against OKC the Brother avered 17 okay he shot he shot yeah okay see he shot 47.6% from the field 47% from three-point range if PJ Washington hits threes Dallas is winning the championship Dallas about to win the championship they if he’s hitting those threes because you know you got to remember and you got to remember this and Tim legler you know this better than both myself and Shannon being the guy that played it and covered this sport for so many decades Jason kid has proven to be a special special coach but one of the things that he does sh Shay is that he starts his offense damn near 10 feet behind the three-point line because he got cats like Luca and Kyrie who can pull up from the logo but more importantly they have the ability where you know they could dance on you oneon-one and abuse you so what they do is correct me if I’m wrong legs is force you to come out come out and defend them further away from the basket to give them more room to operate as a result because of their three-point Marksmanship the defense has to extend to G them when you extend to Gard them you open the floor more when you open the floor more somebody’s open because you got Kyrie you know the greatest small guard I mean when you consider his talent his ability to finish at the basket his big hands his ball handling ability his shot making ability inside or out and then you take it to a account Luca who’s 67 250 and is one of the strongest point guards in the game you take those two elements into consideration plus the clutch Gene that both of them have you got to extend and when you do that somebody’s going to be open and when somebody is open it’s usually been DJ Washington from one of the corners him or derck Jones just like y’all can pick the two centers I can pick him and Derek Jones and if they’re hitting threes specifically PJ Washington there’s nothing Boston can do there’s nothing they can do if they if PJ Washington hits threes Dallas Maverick’s gonna win a championship all I want to know is this gentleman we got 60 seconds to the bump could I possibly see a game seven like what are we thinking here Tim possibly absolutely you could see a game seven you you could I I personally think I personally think we are going to get a lot of fourth quarter drama in this series over the first four or five games that’ll set up whether we get a longer series or not I cannot wait I actually think this is going to be epic in terms of entertainment value what we’re about to see yeah I’m pump yeah I think I think we’re gonna get at least I think we’re GNA get at least six games at least six what’s up sa Shannon legs Molly I I have a slight dilemma because you know life is you know when you the sunshine and the CH life is about you sometimes and and and and here’s the element I got a decision to make Shannon I got a decision to make legs and Molly um the LA Press Club is has blessed me with the Lifetime Achievement Award seriously it’s the same night congratulations it’s it’s the thank you it’s the same night it’s the same night as a game seven oh oh Steph gotot game seven game seven no Ste I can’t miss I I can’t miss a game seven lifetime of commitment I’ll solve all your problems you go to your lifetime award and then I’ll just take your credential to the game seven and I’ll go to the game seven so that doesn’t get was they know we’ve already talked about it they’re flexible to the game seven they’re flexible to the game seven they understand game Seven’s game seven okay I can’t miss that okay countown remember that Achievement Award you know what I’m saying I’m going get my speech no matter what just matter Achi I like the sound of that man but you got a lot more than you got a lot more living to do a lot more to do exactly but also Stephen A let’s not let’s not gloss over that I need the credential for game seven all right coming up uh some fighting to get get out of here Shannon leave me alone let me live after Maka big win this weekend should he set his eyes on facing Conor McGregor next we dive into 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FIRST TAKE | “Besides Luka-Kyrie, P.J. Washington is the X-Factor in NBA Finals” – Stephen A. Smith & Tim Legler break Mavericks vs. Celtics