IMPRESSED OR DISAPPOINTED?! Shannon Sharpe REVEALS his take on Luka, Kyrie & Ant Man | First Take

IMPRESSED OR DISAPPOINTED?! Shannon Sharpe REVEALS his take on Luka, Kyrie & Ant Man | First Take

Stephen are you more impressed with Luca and Kyrie or disappointed in cat and an I’m disappointed in cat and an um when I look at Kyrie and Luca as spectacular as they’ve been it’s no surprise uh we’re accustomed to seeing a level of greatness particularly on the offensive side of the ball from both of them we know what they bring to the table uh lucer and Kyrie have stepped up we get that Anthony Edwards you going to talk that talk we saw how spectacular he was in the first two rounds of the playoffs sending kd&m home via sweep and then after that going up against Denver and and taking out the reigning defending NBA champions we expected more from him he showed up last night just didn’t have enough in the gas tank but games one and two obviously were not that impressive Carl Anthony towns is the biggest disappointment though because you know to know him is to love him you root for him he’s a great guy um we know that and he can play he’s so much better of a shooter than this and and and again I’mma lean on Draymond Shaq Charles Barkley and and Kenny cuz they’re absolutely right to get on Carl Anthony towns especially Shaq yo you missed the first two or three man take your big behind down low and take advantage of some of these matchups see here’s the problem I hate when I see Anthony um um call Anthony Town Shay in Eminem I hate when I see cat driving to the basket because he’s damn near seven feet and a lot of times he’s got a height advantage and if you know notice there’s always something that ultimately ends up putting him on the floor because you’re attacking his legs cuz you can’t match up with him height-wise and so you get you you’re putting yourself in danger of getting a leg injury a knee injury or whatever go down low play with your back to the basket and take advantage of smaller guys he doesn’t do that he he he depends on the jump shot and it’s let him down he’s shoot like 14% from three from crying out loud it’s like 0 for eight last night three of 22 for the series it’s bad and because because of that Antman has no help and that’s why I say the bigger the bigger thing is the disappointment because these games have been close they ain’t been blowout yes every game has been close it’s come down to the last two or three minutes and Carl Anthony towns has been nowhere to be found that’s the disappointment I agree with you Stephen A I’m more disappointed because Kyrie and Luca is doing exactly what I thought they would do I have great expectations and they’ve met or even exceeded those expectations even in clutch situation and this is where the Dallas Mavericks they were one of the two best teams along with the Lakers in clutch the last 5 minutes of the game the game within five points and we know what they can do because both extreme great ball handlers both can get to anywhere on the anywhere on the court that they want to get anytime they want to get there and without you taking the ball out of their hands you’re at their Mercy you’re just praying that they miss I’m extremely disappointed in cat at man because the greater the expectations the greater the disappointment there’s a reason why when my grand when my brother got a a my grandmother wasn’t nearly as happy for him as she was me because she expected him to get a that wasn’t expected to me Stephen so you know when I sprung that a on every once in a while Monica she was happy for she was happy for a baby but the the expectation for cat because they did knock off to the defending champs they did knock off the guy that just won three of the last four MVPs and to play this bad and I’m going to say something I don’t know how many people have said it but if you go back to game seven ant hadn’t shot the ball well in the last four games Monica this ain’t just the LA this excuse me the the last four game he hasn’t shot the ball not in this series decently yesterday though I thought he shot decently yesterday I got look at I got look at but but you’re right 11 24 is that pretty good that’s not bad Dam near 20 you know flirting with a triple double5 yeah flirting they still they still there that in 2024 they flirting well either you do or you don’t some people say you my bad my bad I just gave you some stats relax but I’m hold on Cat and ant 16 of 42 38% last night on Friday night N9 of 33 27% they had 36 points between the two on Friday night on 33 shots Monica that’s right I got you that’s bad that’s bad I got you that’s bad right so I hear you guys but I’m actually more impressed with Luca and Kyrie and I think it’s important to understand why when you look at their efficiency in the fourth quarters in this series they have put up 58 points on 18 of 32 from the field and as you mentioned Stephen A despite this being an 03 hole for the Minnesota Timberwolves these games have been close it has required them to meet the expectation or exceed the expectation in the clutch I think the chemistry between not just the two of them while that is the foundation of what the mask got going on gafford’s involved Jones junior is involved Lively when he’s on the floor and healthy the way that this team is playing as a collective and to roll out and take a 3 lead in this one for all the reasons that we just praised the Minnesota timber wolves to me has been completely impressive they have neutralized the best defense in the league and so I think for me I have a little bit of wiggle room when it comes to Minnesota because our brother Stephen A Vinnie Goodwill asked them after they took care of the Champs do you feel like you’ve lost enough right there youth to me and their inexperience is starting to show up in a way that I think a lot of folks questioned at the beginning of the season in terms of how legitimate they were so to me the efficiency of the Mavs Kyrie and Luca in particular cannot be overstated and so I find them to be more impressive than I am disappointed with this young team so look at this Eminem Luca and Kyrie 60.3 points per game in this series Ant-Man and Cat 37 think about that that’s discrep so so I’m looking at that I’m looking at 49% shooting compared to 33% shooting I’m looking at 42% shooting compared to 23% shooting from three-point range I’m looking at clutch points right now I’m looking at them in the fourth quarter averaging 10.3 points for Kyrie on 50% shooting 71% from three in the fourth quarter Luca 9 point 64% shooting 67% from three you’re talking about how impressive they are I’m talking about the precipitous drop off in production that cat and an you what Kyrie ising you that’s why that’s why it’s the bigger disappoint I’m it’s a bigger disappointment to me Antman and Cat I got y’all and the numbers if we were solely looking at the numbers you’re right I probably don’t have an argument but when I look at this thing in the context of experience when you looked at these two teams on paper Kyrie having been a champion have having been the wingman alongside LeBron James hit the big time shot to give the clevand Cavaliers that title when you look at Luca NAIC who’s been deeper in the playoffs than both ant and C when you look at the context not just the numbers I am more impressed that these guys continue to bring along their teammates than I am that this young team has hit a proverbial wall That’s all Mar K uh one more thing what guy on the uh Mavericks roster can do anything with cat if he stopped shooting those threes and played with his back to the basket but Shannon the in the playoffs you know you don’t become a new animal that’s the way can’t play so what are we saying whoa whoa Eminem you know the definition of choking it’s when it’s when look I shouldn’t say that because I’m not because again I get your point about them being young I understand that and I don’t want to accuse them of that I let me take that back here’s what I’m trying to say your call Anthony towns yes I understand you ain’t having a good series 14% from three look 14% yo bro you know I mean he still shoo them and you still shooting them so so so in other words what is Shaq what was Shaq going crazy about last last night he was like yo take your bah down what do you talk why do you keep doing it when it clearly isn’t working for you you have you you you just going to keep doing it up there yeah take your behind down low he’s right about that he’s right about that Eminem he drove the ball and got a quick six points you remember and that and what was it like the third period he drove the ball like three times in a row got a got a and one made two made three quick buckets I like okay cat done found something he did that a lot in game three he play I mean excuse me game two was playing with his back to the basket was attacking the rim and then all of a sudden he’s like the lure you know what Monica and I tell people all the time you know the moth he can’t help that he’s attracted to the flame even though he knows how it’s going to end he just can’t help it Cat Knows the way he’s shooting the basketball how it’s going to end instead of going down low when he got he got PJ Washington on him what how told PJ 68 69 and you got C is 7 foot tall he can easily shoot over the top of anybody other than Lively but you know what let me get out here cuz they shooting these threes like Kyrie and and and and uh Luca that looks good I’m the best shooting big man in the history of the game I’m better than KD I’m better than Dirk I don’t believe that but I am that’s what I’m going to say that’s my story and I’m sticking to it I’m I’m also going to hold the coaching staff accountable though I mean damn it make him go make him go down low you the coach yo man come here take you take your ass down low do what you got I mean Ving those guys they’re not doing that they’re letting him continue to do what he’s doing y’all are not wrong but I think for me it’s important that we not just rest on oh look what the the Mavs was doing in a regular season it’s hard to win it’s hard to be this Elite and I’m just going to go with the glass half full in this conversation and give the mths their credit as opposed to coming down on a young team in my mind well not should say young team in totality their stars are little bit if I’m if I’m the coach I’mma call I’mma call aunt and I’mma call Mike Conley Jr the K here guys if cat don’t get his butt down on the Block don’t y’all throw him the ball okay first of all Shannon are you working on a book of all of your Southern sayings because you got a saying forious mik con Mike Conley Jr has been in the league long enough to not need the coach to tell yeah that’s why I said they’re young Stars not the whole team say yeah Mike Mike CLE play Mike colle got his handful he got to deal with Kyrie or you got to deal with Luca that’s no easy task doesn’t that’s right ain’t call help all right game for tomorrow at 8:30 that one’s I am working on the book no Monica I’m sure you are there we go can I get a SL copy I need a [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] is

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe and Monica McNutt join Molly Qerim to talk through the Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves series.
0:00 More impressed with Luka Doncic-Kyrie Iriving or disappointed in Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns?
2:30 Shannon responds!
6:00 Timberwolves vs. Mavericks lookahead and series so far

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