WINDY goes after Stephen A.’s take! ‘This isn’t LeBron or the Lakers last STAND!’ | First Take

WINDY goes after Stephen A.’s take! ‘This isn’t LeBron or the Lakers last STAND!’ | First Take

Tuesday Stephen A gave us his post All-Star break top story lines to watch number one was LeBron’s Last Stand Here is essay explaining why give me number one LeBron’s Last Stand the Los Angeles Lakers were in the Western Conference finals last year we can’t samly dismissed that if LeBron James and Anthony Davis

Continue to play the way that they play and D’Angelo Russell continues to be as effective as he’s been the last few weeks Ru haimura and the rest of the crew comes up and remembers how to play basketball with one another like they were doing in the playoffs this could be

It because the Lakers don’t have too many assets if they don’t make a run this year we don’t know if they will they may be finished for good okay Wendy before we get into ess’s list uh LeBron’s out tonight against the warriors with an ankle injury what’s the

Latest in the concern level there yeah so in talking to folks around the situation I I don’t think that they believe LeBron is going to be out in extended period he’s missed three games in back-to-back sets over the last couple of months dealing with this tendonopathy in his left ankle he had

Some treatment which he didn’t specify exactly what it was but he had some treatment during the All-Star break and he hinted on Sunday at the All-Star game that he might not be able to play in this game so that’s indeed what is happening now it is a tough stretch

Right out of the gate here for the Lakers they play three games in four days starting tonight against the warriors uh his status for tomorrow night’s game against the Spurs and Sunday’s game against the Suns hasn’t been determined yet but I have been told that this is not something to fear a

Long absence this is just recovery from treatment and expect to see him back soon okay Wendy appreciate that I I want to get back to Stephen A’s list right now le tell me this do you agree with Stephen A that LeBron is the top story

To watch as we get into the second half half of the NBA season it wouldn’t be for me it wouldn’t be for and I and the reason is because I don’t think the Lakers are going to be able to make a run through the Western Conference so we

Could call it the Last Stand I don’t know exactly what that means I think you know this isn’t his last chance where we’re going to be talking about LeBron James on a team that potentially could be dangerous that’s what the Lakers represent there’s too many minefields in

The west this isn’t last year’s Western Conference this is going to be a different Run for the Lakers so I think there’s other storylines to me that are more interesting is Jason tum finally going to break through and win a ring are the Clippers going to be able to

Pull this off do the Bucks turn things around here the last 25 games after the coaching change and do Dameon and Giannis work do the Cavs and Knicks have what it takes to make a legitimate Conference Finals run so I think there are more storylines for me that are more

Compelling because there I think there’s other teams that legitimately have a chance to make a deep run whether that’s Conference Finals potentially finals or maybe even be a title winner I don’t think the Lakers fall into that category for me look LeBron is always going to generate Buzz because because it’s

LeBron James and the Lakers did what they did last year basically had an irrelevant regular season make the run to the Conference Finals which extended us talking about LeBron for six weeks that that’s not going to be the case I don’t believe this year regardless of how well they’re playing right now I

Think there’s more complete deeper better defensive teams that have just as much star power in the Western Conference well M I think uh LeBron’s been the top story in the NBA for most of the last 20 years so I don’t think Stephen A taking a position that is out

Of line there what’s so fascinating about the Lakers is that so much of the time they’re basically an average to above average team I mean they are in Ninth Place um but they were in ninth place right about now a year ago and the thing about this team that is just wild

Is that they have the ability to elevate their game sort of at the drop of a hat we saw it happened in last year’s playoffs we saw it happen in the inseason tournament we’ve seen it happen over the last last month you know they have really gotten their act together a

Little bit they’ve won eight of their last 11 games um and Darin ham has leaned into a big lineup um where they’re starting haimura alongside LeBron and AD which gives them certain advantages and there are teams guys that have trouble with size in the Western Conference now I’m not going to sit here

And tell you that I think the Lakers can replicate the run that they had last year but I will tell you that there are teams that if they get the perfect path and things just fall their way and they play their best basketball they could it would be irresponsible for me to say

That they’re not and because that they are the Lakers and that is true they have a lot of attention and I’m going to say one thing that I disagree with Stephen A on I don’t think this is LeBron’s Last Stand I don’t think this is the Lakers last stand first off I

Think LeBron is angling to sign a multi-year deal in the offseason with the Lakers that will be nine figures that will be even bigger than the deal he is on now now whether or not he’s able to finish that deal whether or not the Lakers want to give him a three-year

Contract and pay him $60 million when he’s 42 years old that’s a different discussion and I actually believe some of the stuff he’s saying right now isn’t just about this team it’s about already negotiating that contract but the Lakers are in position to make a big swing at a

Trade this Summer that is one of the reasons why they didn’t do a deal at this trade deadline there was no big players to get their assets were more limited when we get to June the Lakers with Will magically go from one tradable first round pick to three tradable first round

Picks because of some Arcane rules in the system and they all their players the teams didn’t want because they had multiple years left on their contract will have one or two years left on their contracts they are in much better position to make a major swing for a

Trade this summer and if other teams in the league have disappointing finishes which you know there will be you will see opportunities or rise for the Lakers they are a compelling team today they will be a compelling team tomorrow and they will be a compelling team in June

And July let’s go to top three though please give it to me bam Jason Tatum as the league MVP the man has been putting folks on notice for years didn’t play that great in the NBA Finals but he is a superstar in this league an incredible

Kid role model the whole nine we love Little Deuce as well go ahead best record in the game with the best player on that team you win the championship that kind of face of the NBA we were talking about JJ sh Shay excuse me nothing to talk about if Jason Tatum

Wins the title boom that’s a top three stories Tatum cently has the fifth best odds to win MVP at 25 to1 that’s a big shift from just last week where he had 50 to one odds all right Wendy here’s what we’re breaking down does Tatum have

A legit shot to win the MVP this season so this is a a two-sided question um is he a MVP level player can he be an MVP my answer and it has been for a while is yes I can close my eyes and see Jason Tatum holding the Larry O’Brien

Trophy in one hand and the Bill Russell trophy in the other in June I believe he can do it I believe he has got the size he has got the drive he has got the skills he plays both ends of the Court absolutely he meets the criteria of

Being on a great team will he win the MVP this year I think even at at those odds I think that’s a bad bet because I think it’s longer odds than that the the the polling data that Tim bontemps is done at ESPN shows that Jason Tatum with

The MVP voters is not in the top uh five in the last two polls now we’ll see how strong Stephen A’s influence is on the voters because Stephen A has elected to make this um a cause for himself and he is pushing hard for Tatum in fact

Stephen A’s commentary on this show is probably what’s moved the odds um but the thing about it is oh God Wendy do you really have to do that he’s probably watching this and I can’t can’t make the head any bigger Ser I mean figuratively because he’s actually has a peanut head

Literally but like seriously right now are really really Stephen A is moving I know I um I know I I don’t actually think that it’s that it’s smart by the by the sports bugs they must have money coming in on Tatum which is why they’re lowering it and I think it’s more like

Stephen A is influencing those betters more than anything else theay effect thing about it is is there there’s two things working against Tatum one is is that even though the MVP is supposed to be about this season we know that it’s not it’s often about the narrative and

He had a poor showing in the 2022 finals he was dealing with a with a RIS injury at the time but the fact is they were ahead in the series he had several bad games in a row and they lost last year in the in the Boston uh in the in the

Heat series he didn’t perform great um in game seven he had a miserable game seven when they needed him to deliver he had an unbelievable game seven against the 76ers last year 51 points in that one jaw-dropping performance but he has a couple of sort of red marks on his

Resume that people want to see the other thing I’m going to say and then I’ll hand it over to you legs is that it’s very difficult for his case to improve the Celtics have been in first place since November what’s he going to do between now and the end of the season

Get them in more first place and the way the team is structured um he’s not going to have a run of five six games in a row where he scores 45 points they don’t need that nor is that the way he’s playing one of the reasons why the

Souers having great success is that he’s given up some of what he needs to do on offense to help other players and also focus on the defensive end so I understand why why Stephen A says that I understand why the people are making the

Case for him just the lay of the land I don’t see it going that way yeah look the eban flow of this thing are so interesting to me and I look at Jason Tatum clearly he’s he’s in the mix he’s going to get votes there’s probably

Probably six or seven guys I could list right now that are going to get votes I don’t think Jason Tatum’s going to win it either because it’s it’s just like you said when you you get a feel for the momentum of these type of awards I don’t

Know that I’ve been this deep into the season like coming out of All-Star break when it was this wide open and it really became open when Joel embiid got hurt he was the guy that looked like he had a firm grip on on this award and was going

To win it once he got hurt it opened up all these possibilities for a lot of guys including Tatum and here’s why ultimately he’s not going to win it I think the general perception is he’s got too much help it’s crazy to think right

This is a guy that’s been to a bunch of Conference Finals we were trying to get the number on I don’t know if we I didn’t have it off the top of my head I think he’s been there five times if I’m not mistaken to the Conference Finals

One finals appearance so he’s had all of these close calls right right on the threshold year after year but early on he was so young he wasn’t in the MVP mix yet he was 21 22 years old going through those Conference Finals when he finally got to that level player like a first

Team all League caliber player where he’s a legitimate MVP candidate the Boston Celtics weren’t able to do what they’re doing now which is have that best record in the league they’ve got it now you think that would mean hey maybe this is Tatum’s year the problem is

People look at it and say wait a second you’ve got too much help now you got too much help your numbers have been cannibalized by the amount of help that you’ve brought in you added Drew holiday right an upgrade over Marcus Smart overall you bring in a porzingis which

Is an upgrade over Robert Williams or Al Horford because of how much offense they have you know Derek White’s importance on this team and adding him last year so there’s so many options now for the Celtics and even though Tatum is clearly their best player it’s how people are

Viewing this and it’s actually hurt him that now they have I think clearly the best starting five in basketball right now it’s weird it’s worked against them so he might be the opposite Wendy of what Giannis and and joic had to do which was win a couple MVPs and then not

Not finish it off in the playoffs and people start to wonder wow will they ever get another one will they get the benefit of the doubt they’re going to have to win a title first they both did it after getting the MVPs Tatum might be reversed go win a title first and then

Next year assuming your team has this level of of regular season success maybe you finally get your accolades and get that award that it’s weird it’s worked in Reverse for Jason Tatum but I agree I wouldn’t put him probably in my top three uh for winning the MVP right now

And I just feel like that’s what the momentum out there feels like when this topic comes up his name is not at the Forefront

On First Take, Brian Windhorst and Tim Legler join Molly Qerim to discuss LeBron James’ longevity in the future with the Los Angeles Lakers and debate if Jayson Tatum has a legit shot at NBA MVP this year.

0:00 Windhorst on LeBron’s ankle injury
2:00 Is LeBron James a top story to watch?
7:00 Does Jayson Tatum have a legit shot at MVP?

#espn #nba #lakers #lebronjames #jaysontatum #celtics

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