Hour 1: What Statement Did Celtics Make with Win Over Thunder?

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These are the games you circle when the schedule comes out

Press the first quarter by a quarter city

The Celtics have found their rhythm offensively coming upon three minutes left in the third

Two champions of the NBA going toe to toe here. We went to come out and show that we can play against anybody a three-point shooting is deadly right now for Boston

Thunder got it down to single digits

I will fly a little late game pressure

Celtics with the win

That's a statement by the Boston Zone

Hello everyone welcome to first take

Huge night in the NBA. We're going to dive into it. I am Shay Cornett Steven a Smith Brian wind horse Jay Williams all here with us

Hi guys good morning everybody

Well morning. Good morning

Good morning everybody

Good morning everybody

Brian win to us continues to make me proud the orange tie

Looking like a politician

Ferry astute Jay Williams changed the background because when he was on first take oh he's gonna get up earlier

It looked like he was in the damn prison cell or whatever now we see it's more expensive

This is good. I'm very pleased. I'm very pleased. Good morning everybody. Good morning. Good morning. All right. Let's get into it

Let's dive into a huge night in the NBA last night and we begin in Boston the thunder went to Boston yesterday

On a 12 game win streak. They came out with an L after the Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter

Jason Tatum 19 points 12 boards Jalen Brown dropped 31 to give the Celtics a

119109 win SGA at 33 but the thunder is three points shooting really hindered them going 12 of 37

From beyond the up look at Jalen Brown with 31 points on Wednesday Jb recorded his 33rd

Three that's the third most in the NBA this season. He also tied Paul Pierce for the fifth most 30 point games in the season in Celtics history

Here's Brown and Joe Mizzoula from game yesterday

This is a big time win for us, you know obviously okay sees the hottest team in the league

Um, but we wanted to come out and show that we can we can play against anybody

Um, and all year we haven't skipped no steps since the night was exemplary. Is that the best overall you've played this season?

Uh, I mean, I don't know. I'm sure I don't want to speak in absolutes because I'm sure there's been a bunch of other ones, but

Um, I do think tonight we took it to a different level and it's something that we have to maintain

Speaking true. This Joe Mizzoula. They took it to a new level against the thunder of all teams

What statement did the Celtics make last night Brian Winhorse? What do you think?

Yeah, so we've all been around long enough to know that we're not gonna see a game in March and we're not gonna say oh

This game means such and such for the whole picture just like Joe Mizzoula was trying to avoid that but

The Celtics attacked this game knowing that it meant more and one of the things about Jalen Brown's performance in this game

Like he didn't say this, but we've watched how he the things that he's done this season

Shay has got a good chance to win the MVP

And Jalen Brown thinks he should be winning the MVP

He has said he thinks he's the best two-way player

He is you know, complained at times. He doesn't get the free throws that he thinks he should

He's talking about Shay there, right? And you know, the Celtics, you know

Feel like the day of overachieved and you know, they've done an amazing job and they haven't gotten the attention

So not only was this just a high-level challenge game. This was a little bit personal

I don't think like Jalen like has it in for Shay, you know, this Alexander or like, you know

It's worn a blood oath to go get him

But if you watched how they did this game Jalen Brown played this game to use Shay's game against Shay

He was almost saying I can do what you do better. I believe I can do what you do better

And I'm gonna show you what he can do better and look what he did in this game Shay

He attacked him using look at that. That's that's his move. That's Shay Gilder's Alexander's move the the get to the elbow and push off

That's what Shay has done a thousand times in the last couple of years

He did this three times down the fetch of this game. Guess what?

14 free throws in this game for Jalen Brown 12 for Shay Gilder's Alexander 33 for Jalen Brown 31 points for Shay Gilder's Alexander

This will not define anybody's season. There's still so much to be done

Probably Shay is going to win that MVP award

But Jalen wanted to let it be known that he can meet him where he lives and do it just as well or better than him

And that is what I got from this game. Yeah, um a lot of Shay's happening here a lot of Jay's Jalen Brown

Got to stay focused. It's okay. Jay will what did you think the statement that the Celtics made last night?

You know, I agree with Wendy to a degree, but I'll also say this like it did feel personal for me and I

You know no one Jalen Brown and watching him over the years

You know, I think one thing as a as a as a former player

I had to find ways to be angry at my competition. I thought that

brought the best out of me. I think it's similar for Jalen Brown

It's especially if you get to this time of the season

So I agree with Wendy is you know, we're not going to make a holistic point that like hey like I do feel that after watching last night

Like the Celtics have a chance to be the best team in the league after watching that performance

But it the fourth quarter he guarded SGA like he he wants that and as much as we

You know want to glamorize Wimbee for saying you know 50% this game is defense like that

So Jalen Brown has always been he's always been that person wants to guard the other teams best player

And Wendy the point about getting 14 free throws

Yeah, that is a personal challenge for him

And I think Jason Tatum having 19 points and 12 rebounds and seven assists like shows how he's starting to come into form

In if his legs are a little bit heavy and I think last night was something personal even though it's a next game on

This schedule as Joe Mazula would say, but it didn't feel that way when you got lost into the competition of it

And it felt like yeah Boston is a team that's going to be here and his team that believes they could win a championship just like okay. See can

Even ain't go ahead

The Boston Celtics basically sent the message that did the team to go through in the Eastern Conference

Um, and they believe they're the best team in the NBA and they can beat anybody

And as we sit here this morning

We're in no position to deny and refute that claim

Because right now the Boston Celtics look like a team that can win the championship

We just got to keep it a buck and call it like we see it

Who can't they beat who can't they compete with when we think about a championship

When we think about Boston winning the championship against Dallas two years ago, right?

We think about the greatness of Luca Dongech

You know the one hiccup and Luca Dongech offensive onslaught that he's performed against everybody over the last years

His performance in the NBA finals with Jaylen Brown guarded

Because Jaylen Brown has that size and he's not somebody you could easily shoot over

He's not somebody that you can push around

He's not somebody that you could get to the basket against with ease

Without having an impediment to your progress or whatever this dude is that dude

And I think that's something that we got to bring up point number one point number two

Boston outscored the best team in basketball 19 to two on second chance points

They outscored them by 18 points on three pointers

They're bench for the Boston Celtics shot 53% from three point range

When you have size when you have athleticism when you have two superstars one that is here one that is returning to form

Hopefully and you have a bench that calls upon you

To to to step it up because they can produce and they show up and they produce

That's a team that can beat anybody that's point number two

Point number three getting the Jaylen Brown specifically windy and what she brought up

He doesn't have a problem with Shay Gilges Alexander

He has a problem with us

Meaning the media the pundits the commentators out there who have spent years

Minimizing his contribution lacking a full appreciation for the greatness that he puts on display

And he's been doing consistently throughout the years. This is not some dude. Yeah, he's averaging

28 29 for the season and stuff like that

This is not a dude that was averaging 17 or 18 points over the last six years before all of this happened

This is a dude that was averaging better than 20 again

This is a dude that was a secondary option

This is a dude that's been the six conference finals in his career and two NBA finals with a championship

Winning NBA finals MVP and the brother ain't even 30 years old yet

That's who we're talking about and what he is saying is where the hell y'all been

And then after y'all seem to have arrived to the party in terms of fully appreciating what he's brought to the table

And the absence of Jason Tatum the minute Jason Tatum gets back and Shay Gilges Alexander came back from his seven game

Absence and win be ascended and Luca don't just just dropping over 30 every damn game for the last 12 13 games

All of a sudden he fades again. He's like what y'all doing

What the hell is going on here? I haven't faded

I'm still here even with Jason Tatum back at Alana. I'm still doing what I've been doing

All season long, which is why I was so ticked off Jay

When that damn referee

ejected him from that San Antonio game

Think about it and I'm telling y'all right now put Wendy and Jay back up on the screen

Please I want to see him when I'm talking to him

Think about this for a second

That one game the MVP race is so tight

With so many palpable

Arguments to be made on behalf of Shay

Wimby

Luca Jalen will Jalen Brown

To eject this man in the second quarter of a game against Victor Wimby Yama

It's not just at the spurs of the number two C is that the eyes of the basketball universe

Are monitoring every little thing Wimby Yama does

And this do

Went to San Antonio ready to roll up against them

Understanding what a victory against them with me and a referee took it from him

He goes in oscac two nights later y'all and even though they lost that game

He came down to the wire and remember Shay had like 3637

Jalen Brown had like 3436 was putting your notice and it came down to the last play here

I'm here and then now here they are riding a 12 game winner street

Coming in the Boston the game clearly means something to everybody for standing purposes

You can't okay. She's trying to hold off San Antonio

Boston's trying to gain ground on Detroit

But they're still the MVP call and even with Jason Tatum dropping 1912 and 7

Even with their bench producing 53% shooting from three point range even with all of that going on

Jalen Brown still ascended that dunk in the third quarter with the score tied 75

They talked about change that changing them momentum this brother is making statements

Putting everybody on notice

I've been telling y'all who the hell I am

When y'all gonna submit this bad boy and stop fluctuating with the credit you willing to give me

That's what he was saying

Last night well what he did and it's just time for us to pay wrap the tension to him as well

It's just that simple. Let me let me just say with this

I understand why Jalen sometimes feels like he doesn't get the proper credit

And you are right Stephen A that referee that situation that went down in San Antonio

That was messed up the way that whole thing went down where the junior referee went over the top of the crew chief

That's absolutely correct

And I know Jalen was like you know Jalen didn't get invited to the 24 Olympic team

Which he I know he felt like he should have

He's had a shoe deal situation where he didn't get a shoe deal where he sees other guys out there getting shoe deals

I understand why he kind of feels a certain way, but I just want to say

I'm gonna also throw a flag on the straw man

Media big bad media because I do just want to point out that two years ago

He did make second team all NBA

When the media voted him in and that was an important vote and he earned it

I want to be 100% clear. I voted him second team in a trigger to

To 40 million dollar bonuses contract secondly

He was voted the finals MVP in it in a by the media in a

Quasi controversial situation. I think Jason Tatum maybe felt a certain way about that. So

um

I just want to point out that it's not like Jalen Brown has never ever been given recognition

And he's gonna make first team all NBA this year. No, no, no

I think you're missing the point and let me say this in jaden chime in after here's his point that I want to make windy

We give Jalen Brown his basketball credit. It can't be helped the guys great. We understand that

And the points that you brought up were valid, but we also know there's a missing ingredient to it

There's a difference between acknowledgement

And somebody stepping to the front lines on your behalf

When does that happen for jalen brown?

There's a lot of instances that have taken place over the last several years

Where if it were someone else

We would have raised holy hell about it

Where with jalen brown is a cliff note

There's no reason on earth that jalen brown should not have been on the ellipathy

When you got two dudes not one but two dudes on the squad

That spent 82 games a year deferment to him in johala day and Derek white. There's no excuse for that

We all know this we all know that that Nike and its impact and its influence play somewhat of a role in certain things

We get all of that and so this is not the platform to really get to go actually it is

But we're not going there today. I'm simply making the point that

We do acknowledge

What he brings to the table

But that's entirely different windy

Then step it to the front line and fighting on behalf of somebody rather than leaving it to them to do it for themselves

When their game speaks enough in volume for us to be a bit more vociferous and

Locatious when it comes to speaking up on his behalf. That's all I'm saying. I'm always on first take

You don't hear me talking about my colleagues in contemporaries like that

I'm always coming to bat for us

I understand how sensitive these damn people can be from time to time and how the media gets a bad route

But there are times where we can do better and going beyond just the acknowledgement stage when it comes to supporting certain dudes

Jalen brown his history his reputation his character

Warrants more than we've given him that's all I'm saying

I say just let me say this so off that

This is about us dissecting the DNA of Jalen brown

So let's think about really compared to people sure I say the other day. I was on your show

And you know you led the show with a very interesting silhouette

About how you were feeling about that day now look a lot of people on the media

There a lot of people around the world that say that we'll say you are at the top of the top of your industry

Right and you get that praise, but when do your ears really perk up Steven

They really perk up when somebody kind of comes out and you toward a degree and you feel like okay cool

It engages you and all I'm saying is windy. I think you're a little bit right people do give Jalen some of his credit and his flowers

But our tendency as athletes is we only listen to the negative and when the negative keeps giving you gifts

For Jalen brown

Oh, that that's what he focuses on and that's what makes him who he is y'all like that's what makes him

The reason why he's a two-way player

Great defensive player because he keeps using that as fuel and gasoline and that's why you're seeing these type of results

All right, let's leave this here Celtics next which is why we might find ourselves in the situation

We might find us we might find ourselves in the situation where he doesn't win the MVP

So he wins the championship because of what Jay Williams just said yes

Uh, I can't believe you just said minute that yes, that is true Celtics next four games are against playoff teams two in fact against the Atlanta Hawks where red hot

Okay, let's go to two other playoff teams these in the West they were busy and over time the Rock

It's just dominated the start of over time putting the timber wolves in a 13-point hole

Then Minnesota went on a 15-0 run sealed the deal thanks to a Julius Randall jumper with time winding down 100

108 108 100 with no Anthony Edwards. Okay, Steven A

What team does this result say more about is it the timber wolves or is it the Rockets?

Says more about the Rockets

Um somehow some way

Just be competitive in the fourth quarter they will fall apart

We've seen it on too many occasions this season they have size they have athleticism

They have a closer is as one of the greatest players we have ever seen in NBA history

Yet when games get tight, it's the fourth quarter

They're going to miss shots they normally make they're going to turn the ball over

They're not going to have any cohesiveness about them and this all comes back to them having no replacement

No replacement whatsoever

To for Fred Vembley

And I've said that on many many occasions. That's how I view them

That's how I view them I viewed it like they are devoid of a point guard

And that's what this comes down to floor-general ship matters and the Houston Rockets don't have it

They got talent they got coaching they got big-time players

They can defend

But you can't rely on them to be

Organized and calm and and collective

When it comes to crunch time they just don't have it and that's what we see it

Yeah, I mean to to be up 13 and then let it all disappear in the final overtime seconds

Pretty crazy. All right, let's go to baseball. We had opening day last night the Yankees and Giants squared off for opening night

And the Yankees took care of business

Fortunately Aaron judge did not he was the only Yankee that didn't reach base going over five with four strikeouts

As for the rest of the Yankees they scored five runs in the second inning

They got six plus innings out of max freed where he allowed only two hits and a seven nothing shut out win over the Giants

But back to Aaron judge though

He snapped a nine-game hitting streak on opening day in fact

It was the first time in his career that he did not record a hit in the opener

Hello, Jessica Mendoza. How are you?

You're kidding me. It's the real opening day. It's a really yeah today feels like the real opening day

But nonetheless last night was still exciting the bigger story for you was it max freed and what he was able to accomplish or Aaron judge's rough start

Yeah, it's as it is. It's Aaron judge. I mean max freed

I love the dominance

I love the way that he attacked hitters and honestly the depth that he was able to give

That rotation going in deep into that game and at the seventh inning

But I mean, let's be real everyone wakes up today and even though the Yankees won the rest of the lineup was

Unbelievable by the way and being able to produce without Aaron judge watching not just 0 for 5

But it was the four case the golden sombrero something he did not even do one time last year

That's how great of a hitter Aaron judge is but to me

I think what stood out the most was just how in between he was

I mean you saw him late on the fastball. He's chasing pitches up and out of the zone

He got sorted and you know, and a big MLB stat on a pitch way in off the plate

And then his last it is last strike out. He took a pitch right down the middle in his cookie zone

A pitch that Aaron judge normally just absolutely annihilates

And so yes, of course, it's it's one game

But this is the story we wake up to is definitely more judge than freed. Mm-hmm. See you tonight. What do you think?

Jessica's absolutely right and let's put things in perspective over the last four years over the last four seasons ladies

You're talking about 573 games that Aaron judge has played

He leads the major in baton average on base percentage

OPS

home runs

RBI's

Number one in major league baseball in all five of those categories with three league and vp's

At some point in time there's two things in Jessica knows this

There's two things both of you notice two things that this comes down to

Number one, they're asking for you. Where's the chip?

Where's that world series championship? That's number one, but we understand it's a team game. You can't do it by yourself

But especially in major league baseball those individual numbers are the very thing that comes back to want you

A bat in average as goes from 293 to 236 in the postseason

You understand and try to strike out percentage that increases by 4% in the postseason and OPS that drops by over 200 points

In the postseason

You're looking at that now. He'd had a decent postseason this last go around and thank god for that

But the reality is is that when you look at average judge who I absolutely love who's a monster

And I'm happy to have him as a New York Yankee

The problem is too many moments

He has had in his career where this Goliath of a man and a baseball player comes up

considerably and conspicuously small

And that is not something that can happen to you when you are associated with the all-time greats

Yesterday was open and day you got 161 games to go

But it looked like a pretty good moment. It was on Netflix. It was open at night

You're the only game in town. You saw the fans up there. It looked like an electric environment Jessica

And everybody around him came up big but him

See that's the kind of stuff that get Yankee fans worried

Because we're looking for them. We're saying the postseason is moments

pivotal moments

Produce winning and produce championships. This is what you had jack rezy jack rezy jackson never did

What average judge did statistic has done statistically

But we'll never forget the three hall runs in the world series

We'll never forget that when October rolled around so did he

Derrick jida was never the whole run hitter that Alex Rodriguez was or various others

But my god when you needed something when you needed something in a big moment

El Capiton showed up

Showed up which is why when he said during the world baseball classic

You know people are talking about it's more important in the world series

He said with those will be people who haven't won the world series

And nobody could say anything they could just go

But they couldn't say anything you know why because that was Derrick jida saying it

That's why

moments

matter

And when you are big time

But you don't appear big time in big moments

It's what we recall most and i'm just praying that average judge overcomes that just

It's just knowing errand i mean he is big time and i know the numbers have not shown it and steven

I'm with you it is clear you look at the comparison in the postseason when it matters the most you you can highlight even high leverage big time games

And there's been times he has definitely come up short but this guy

Has the capability in his mentality he is not the normal case normally steven a when we're talking about the dudes

It just can't perform in high leverage situation. It's because mentally they're weak. They don't know how to handle

That is not errand judge. So yesterday you said just here you said

I'm worried about the inkeys when errands are not saying there isn't or isn't in the lineup

Yesterday they showed they can produce when he's not necessarily living up to die

Especially because they stuck with this core they stuck with this team

So the fact that the rest of the lineup produced was why i found my yanky fan. I'm not oh man

What's up with errand judge? I'm going heck yeah

We had our other dudes actually be able we're talking the rest like the bottom of the line of junk Carlos

114 miles an hour. They got to continue it though Jessica

I'm very disappointed in what you just said because you know yanky fans

We want both

I get what you saying about the people around average judge are absolutely right

But we want both we want them to show up and we want average us to show up and say

I'll put it to you this way to encapsulate this come to that's right. You know that's fine

That's fine you know, but then encapsulate this conversation

When Barry bonds

Showed up at the plate okay

You found yourself like this

What's he gonna do and you were giddy and excited about it because he wasn't a strikeout waiting to happen

The one thing you anticipated is that contact was going to be made

With errand judge you're scared you're like what's he gonna do please like like please do please do something please get this done because again

A lot of times you ain't even making contact

And that is what we look at right there. There's a difference

There's a different flavor that comes with it and he's got to graduate to that point is great and phenomenal as he is

He's got to graduate to that point except 2026

Unfortunately, that's the swing and miss is every part of every great hit or swing

I got that that what impresses me about judges the fact that he hit three three he led

The in all of baseball and batting average. I mean you think about that alone

He is putting the ball in play, but I'll tell you what like it or not

I said moment Chester baseball now you covered him miss and strike out you covered him

You know how many moments he's missed

All right Yankees fifth street win

You know how many moments he's missed

Dating back to 2022 that's the longest active streak in major league baseball even without judge hitting coming up on first

Take the men sweets 16 tips off tonight is dairy if dairy is a cup junior the best player remaining in the tournament for usual

No one agrees. Oh, so look a donchitch keeps on putting up historic numbers could the Lakers shock the world

And actually make a run to the finals or first take after this

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Right now you can get your favorite pizza order at Domino's for under 10 bucks for a limited time Domino's best deal

Ever is back and it's just in time for the tournament. This deal is any pizza with any toppings for just

999 you choose the crust type the size you load on the toppings

You can basically use this deal to make any pizza you want from New York style to handmade pan pizza to filly steak pepperoni mushrooms

jalapenos so when the tournament games are on whether it's your favorite pizza or pizza that's loaded enough to feed the whole watch party

Get it for just 999 with Domino's best deal ever prices higher in some locations

Select this online only offer from February 23rd to April 6 size availability varies by crust type max seven toppings

Six for New York style and pan crust stuff crust is extra excludes XL and specialty pizzas minimum purchase required for delivery

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You

Tonight the sweet 16 will start and we get to see the red hot Arkansas razor backs and one seed Arizona wild cats go at it

Arkansas won the SEC tournament and then beat Hawaii and high point while Arizona won the big 12 tournament

And then beat Long Island University and Utah State through it all

Acuff junior has been impressive leading the tournament with 30 points per game

And he is averaging over six assists per game as well

So now the question becomes with the sweet 16 starting tonight is acuff the best player left in the tournament

Jay will back here with us Jay. Well, what do you think is acuff the best player left?

Oh, can't hear you

Try again. No, can you hear me now? Yeah, I think he's the hot. Yeah, we can't. I can't hear you now

My call I think he's the hottest player in the tournament. I don't think he's the best player in the tournament

I think the best player in the tournament is Cameron Booser

I mean, Cameron Booser has been consistently the best player all year long in college basketball

And he might have had a couple of hiccups in his first two games, especially in that first half the other day

But when you think about just the level of consistency of excellence

You're talking about a guy shooting 40% from the three point line and is six nine six ten

A guy to shoot over 55% from the field a guy that's giving a double digit rebounds leaves his team and rebounds points

Assists closest deals. I mean he almost leads his team in every statistical category

And a way you're almost looking at what efficiency wise

Stephen A he's more efficient than Cooper flag was last year in college basketball

And when I said that at the beginning of the season people look at me like I was crazy that I thought he was gonna have a more

productive season than Cooper flag

So when I think about an elite level player like there is acuff junior there's no doubt

He's the hottest player in the tournament his stock is ascending and quickly if he beats Arizona

We might be talking about him as a top two or top three picking the draft

And but when I think he comes down to the model of consistency of being the best player overall

That is Cameron Booser my opinion

You know

You're wrong

There's no way in hell I'm going with you with that you know, and I know the Duke love and I'm not accusing you of being biased

You know, let's listen if I'm if I'm if I'm like if I'm gonna keep it a bug you shay

I mean listen him and coach me look

I don't have an opportunity to watch as much college basketball as these dudes do I'm calling J have the time asking him about players

So I'm not about to sit up here be a phony and act like I'm in a knowledgeable position to refute much of what he says about college basketball

Because the brother knows his basketball, but I am allowed to engage in some history

And you know jay it's interesting see see she you got to remember this steven eight listening to baby

This is the steven eight listening to right now. I don't know if you remember this jay is shay

But approximately

25 years ago

There was this dude at Duke

Who won the wooden award

National player the year that was wreaking havoc over everybody

And shay

You're looking at him it was jay Williams

What you might want to ask jay Williams shay is who did he beat out for the wooden award at that time

It was drew good it

It was drew good all right, it was it was called it was a brother that could that was a poet

That could put the ball in the hole that was efficient coming out of Kansas and a matter of fact one could argue

He looked a little bit like can booze is looking this year. Okay, 25 years prior

But damn it the basketball world knew who the best player in the nation was

Because we have two eyes

You understand and you could bring me numbers and efficiency and accuracy last game after shoot like four for ten or four

11 and in the in the first round at a

S&C double-eight tournament can boozer comes out and hit seven to ten shots and he said 22 one game

And 19 another and obviously he's repelled Duke all right fine

And by the way, we love Carlos Boozer. That's my dog right there. Love that man

Root for him and his kids all the best of you very proud of Katie now Katie came over to best handle this business

19 points not a single turn over. I love that major major props to the boozers

But we talking about the I test in terms of talent. Don't tell me

We looking at can boozer and we gonna say

He the best player in the nation based on our I test when we watch it a cup drop 30 on people

We ain't doing that not today a cup junior is special

He's special and I think it's very it's very poetic, you know

To see him with Reebok with Alan Iverson by his side with him doing the things that he's doing the game is very reminiscent of what we've seen from A.I

Who was a number one overall pick by the way you understand let's let's be very very clear about what we're watching

Can boozer can ball he is not a scrub. He is a damn good player and I'm very proud of him as well

He probably deserves to play at a year because of the model of consistency that he's giving you at Duke deceit

But in terms of our I test and what we're seeing on that damn basketball court

He ain't no eight cup junior. We need to stop that Jay. We got to stop that hold hold on a chase a chase a look

Can we let's let's just revisit history with my brother, okay? You know

One of the big-time columnists in the world, you know worked his way up the food chain

I remember watching this show on ESPN and who was this guy in Philly AI

AI, right? So whenever you hear AI that's essay is guy

There's a lot of bias for his AI now look. I have to go against AI AI gave me buckets

185 pounds so can wet couldn't touch him had the Jay saw him in you know

Charlotte they see whatever you want called couldn't touch him I said he never would blow on him

He's going all down people think SVA went to the damn free throw line. Hey, I went to the free throw line more than

Okay, so I'm gonna say is this I get your bias towards AI and I know there's

A cup is very much like that, but you know Steven A when we have all these debates

You know, lots of times we get into debates about like MVPs and

One of the things I see happen to you sometimes. It's like Nikola Yokech, right?

Like when you talk about the Joker is almost like when he has 35 and 20 or 35 20 and 13

You're always like, yeah, you know, it's kind of but it don't feel

The same way you don't have that pop pop pop pop pop all that stuff. That was years ago. That was years ago

Yoke is grew up

You know is don't overlook the things that Cameron Booser does because you're in love with the I test of

There is a cup because you remind you of AI

That's all I'm gonna say when you talk about the best

Just think about look at the 56% 43 now you're not seeing how he leaves his team in the sys and all these other things

So just to overlook the picks and shovels

Because you get lost in the glitz and the glamour of dare as a cup

I think I think you would have a point if I'm here talking about can Booser like he some average player

I appreciate his model of consistency

How great he's been for Duke this year and probably that he's the front runner and deservedly so for player the year in college basketball

I can appreciate all of those things

But we haven't had a single conversation a single thought process about him being the number one pick in the NBA draft

We've talked about Darren Peterson

We've talked about AJ DeBonzer

We talked about Kayla Wilson

And we've talked about Darius A.C. of Jr

Nobody has mentioned can Booser as a number one overall pick. There's a reason for that because we look at him and even though

He's a pro he's a pro playing college basketball

He just knows how to play the game

And he's very skilled and only going to get better mad love and respect for him

But when you think special

special

You think Darius A.C. of Jr

That's what you think are you saying you would take the first pick in the draft would you take him with the first pick in the draft

I'm saying that you I would take him with the first pick in the draft ahead of camera can Booser

Without

AJ

Okay, so would you take him with the second pick then you're saying the second pick then second pick then

Okay, second pick. I take him ahead of I take him ahead of of of

Can Booser. I take him ahead of Darren Peterson. All right, Kayla Wilson

I mean, it's a question mark, but I ain't taking him ahead of AJ DeBonzer. I'm not doing that

I'm not doing it. Okay, AJ DeBonzer to me is the number one pick in the NBA draft

Right now Cameron Booser is projected to go for it. There's nothing wrong with being the second pick in the draft

Yeah, nothing wrong being the second pick. You would know you you would know

You would right now Cameron Booser is projected to go third Darius A.C. of is projected to go seventh

I think we could all agree A.C. of ceiling is maybe a little higher than anyone right now in the

NCAA tournament

Third, I said third. He's projected third. Okay. Okay. All right, but

A.C. of could ascend if maybe they could take it. There's a top five. All right

Lakers put on a show last night and Luca is doing things that only

Michael Jordan has done. Why am I saying that out loud? We don't do things like that. I thought on this show

Is there a deep Flakers run in his future plus when B.K.s putting together as MVP case and Dremon green

Had fascinating comments about what the spurs star had to say about the MVP debate earlier this week

Dremon green is entered the chat. We'll talk about that next

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Experts

Welcome back to first take now to the NBA where Luca dongech continued to shine 43.7 times

137 130 win for the Lakers against the Pacers the Lakers have now

113 of their last 15 games

But Lucca also recorded his 11th straight game with at least 30 points

He is the first player to score 30 points in six straight games with all of them coming on the road

Michael Jordan also did it seven straight games from November to December of

1996

But can Lucas play lead the Lakers to the finals if he stays at this level Brian win horses back here with us

Wendy, what do you think now remind they didn't play the Pacers last night, but go ahead Wendy

What do you think yeah, but this road trip which what we're really talking about is the defining moment to this point in the season for the Lakers

They knew going into the road trip how important it was going to be they had it was very some of these games

We're very taxing and challenging and they passed basically every test they they they lost the the one game

But it was in Detroit and it was a great win for the pistons

But I think it was absolutely amazing and here's the thing

Not only is Luca scoring all these points like you can go find stretches of games like you're looking at Jordan

Because it's on the road you can go find stretches of games where guy scored lots of points

But the efficiency that he's scoring with is what's so jaw dropping

He's shooting

50% in this stretch over 40% from three

That's just I mean it's some of the shots Steven a the difficulty the game in Miami that they played last week

The shots that Luca hit in that game is one of the most enjoyable moments

I've had watching basketball this season watching that game of Miami with Luca making that shot making

But I want to point something else out

In this six game road trip

He's got 17 steals and I know that steals are not always the defining way you look at how well a guy's playing defense

And trust me

I promise you if you break down the possession by possession

There will be possessions on this road trip where Luca was a traffic cone on defense

But there is no doubt to me Steven a watching this Lakers run

How much harder he's working on defense and I see LeBron doing it too

Lucas getting his hands on a lot of balls

And so the question is is this can this lead them to the finals

last night

A Oklahoma City lost for the first time in a month

A month and you know they've only got a one game lead essentially on San Antonio because San Antonio was lost two times in two months

So when you look at that as the standard who's ahead of them

It's very difficult for me to say oh yeah

Luca's going to lead them to eight playoff wins over those two teams because that's the pathway they're looking at

But the one thing I'll say Steven a and then I'll hand it to you

This person Thunder are awesome

I believe that those two teams one of those very highly probably is going to be in the finals

But I just will go back one year. I don't need to lean back on 2012 or 2007 because you know you and I have been around long time

We can go back to that level. I will just go back one year

Where in March of last year I saw this little engine that could

Start putting things together and start having impressive wins and and their star player doing impressive stuff

And that was the Indiana Pacers

And so I am not in any way close to touching saying that the Luca and the in the Lakers are going to go on that type of run

I am just going to point out that in the NBA

You sometimes see teams put things together health-wise and chemistry-wise and effort-wise and things fall into place and they and they take off

And I think what's happening with the Lakers right now is relevant. That's all I'm going to say

It is relevant. There's no doubt about it

But it doesn't mean they're going to the finals and the reason why it doesn't mean that way is because a

They're not good enough defensively to offset the combination of San Antonio and OTC beating one of them as possible

beating both of them as highly unlikely that's number one number two

They're the second worst in the league in terms of bench production

So as great as Luca is as great as LeBron has been is great as oyster Reeves and others can be and have been

The fact remains that depth is an issue with the Los Angeles Lakers

And that is a problem you do not need to have when you're talking about San Antonio and OTC being two teams

That are roadblocks and impediment to the success that you're hoping to achieve

That's really what this all comes down to

Lucas sensational. He's the league leader in scoring

He's third in the league and assist we keep forgetting that he's not just scoring

He's assisting in other scoring the basketball as well

We look at an oyster Reeves. This is a brother that has arrived on the scene and put everybody on notice about how special he is

And we know he can put up buckets. You look at LeBron. He's playing center at times

He's putting up triple doubles at times

He's dunking leading the league in fast break points and an open court is playing above the rim and it's 23rd season

In the NBA, which is nothing short of phenomenal

So we're seeing all of these things

So the question to ask yourself when you ask a question like this is the combination of Luca

AR and LeBron

Enough to bring you a championship and the answer is no

because

It's asking too much of those three to do it all for you

On both ends of the floor without getting spelled for because you can't give them a break because nobody comes off the bench to produce for them

That's what you're really really looking at right now when you're talking about going up against a San Antonio and an okc

I think the Lakers have a shot to beat San Antonio. I think that's a seven game series

I really really do and then the seventh game with Luca and LeBron having to deal with that

It'd be interesting to see what San Antonio would do and how they'd rise to that occasion

Oklahoma City obviously is a different beast in and of itself because they're champions

They tried and tested and they've got a superstar and Shay Gilgis Alexander

They ain't going anywhere and Jaylen Williams just got back and lord help everybody if he gets his legs under him

So those are all things to think about but I think the answer to this question would be no

But it's not to any fault of Luca. It's the fact that they lack depth particularly with their bench

And you know what defensively they're better, but they're still not great

Period, that's true and that's true. I will say this Shay

I think the Lakers have two games left with Oklahoma City

One in okc one here in Los Angeles and their and okc is in a reasonably serious fight for the number one

See, which I think they want so I don't think they're going to like shut guys down for those games

So while I think that the Lakers have really been impressive with this road trip and really worked so hard to get to the three seed

This is a better question to ask

After seeing them play full-power of Oklahoma City over the next you know, I think it's seven to ten days

Okay

You mentioned the 17 steals for Luca Donchitz over the last 11 games. He's averaging almost 40 points per game

A stat line and we haven't seen in quite some time windy. Thank you very much coming up here

I'm first a Dreymongreen with some very interesting comments last night about when be vocalizing that MVP case that we talked about earlier in the week

We'll see if we agree with Dreymongreen after the break

You

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