NBA Countdown | “Pelicans are the team outside the top 4 is the biggest threat in the West” – Perk

NBA Countdown | “Pelicans are the team outside the top 4 is the biggest threat in the West” – Perk

Leonard and the Clippers sitting in the fourth spot in the East only three games back the Timberwolves for the top spot they get ready for the Rockets tonight right here on ESPN Malika Andrews has much more with the countdown crew take it away Malika oh thank you so much

Kevin we miss you out there on the East Coast CH gum Kendrick Perkins Richard Jefferson I’m Malika Andrew we’re 40 days out from the postseason there are 40 days left in the regular season so when you look at the top four teams Richard in the western conference

Outside of those top four who is the most dangerous the Western Conference oh that’s a tough one that sound that was a guttural noise no I look I I’m I’m still trying to process this because when I look at the top four the top four is is

Kind of in between not you not deciding that’s you know what’s crazy is that we we talk about all the top Duos around the league some some type of way we don’t mention Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson right right this this young Duo is special don’t only like when

They’re healthy and Zion has been healthy he has been reliable I’m looking at this new Orland Pelican team and they’re my sleepers to come out of the Western Conference they have great depth at the wing position when you look at the rookie Hawkins I love what he brings

Uh you look at Trey Murphy and we talking about herb Jones they have nice leadership in CJ McCullen we got the big fella uh yonis valunas down there battling in the paint they have everything that you actually need to compete in the Western Conference and I like the New Orleans Pelicans you say

Duos I raise you one and go for a trio how about Phoenix knocking off the defending champs how you feeling Mr Arizona I love it that’s what I was about to say thank you I was just doing it for you because you were waffling earlier but just the Phoenix Son thank

You we all know that this has the potential when healthy this big three to have one of the best offenses that we’ve ever seen but the problem is is we haven’t seen too much of it but we did get a glimpse yesterday everyone has been I not I wouldn’t say everyone but a

Lot of people have been critical of Kevin Durant can he lead a team can he VI that focal point like we know he is certified as one of the greatest scorers of all time well guess what he’s letting his game do the talking he was aggressive this is a guy that normally

Averages 19 field goal attempts he had 35 because he wanted to take them through his game to be able to knock down the Nuggets so yeah with with Beal when when Beal scores over 25 this team is 7-1 when the big three players only play half game that’s why he needs to

Play that’s a big win and I was one of the ones that would qu questioning and criticizing Kevin Durant with his leadership and I’m going to continue to until he actually lead them into the postseason with some type of postseason success here’s the thing right when it

Comes down to the Suns how much do you really trust the depth that the big position do you trust ner I mean he just had 31 rebound and a l and a loss and he played pretty well against he he play but would you put your would would you

Put your money against him if he had to go against Anthony Davis in the seven game series or battle against a call Anthony towns and a that’s why can’t come down to that match up right well well I mean it’s a lot of matchups you got so many bigs in the Western

Conference you got to make sure and that’s why they’re outside of the top four right right like they have work to do that is that’s fair well look if they were healthy in my opinion and Bradley Beal I think they would be in that top four if they were if Bradley Beal was

There the majority of the season now I know every team is dealing with injury but he missed a sub a substantial amount of time so I think they’re a top four team they’re just not currently sitting in a top four team that’s why I agree

With your pick but so many so many of these are matchup dependent right that’s what Richard’s well if you look at this this the timber the enti that’s why I kind of like the Pelicans it feels like the Pelicans the depth they have at multiple positions it

Feels like if all things are equal as they are right now no one gets any healthier than they are he’s looking at me like I know you like the Pelicans he’s much more from us at the top of the hour for now Kevin and Gandhi we’re sit

Great I just never seen anybody on the Pelicans do anything and have any sort of playoff success that’s it dang mic drop I just never seen it I haven’t seen it I saw Brandon nram do something that’s I really appreciate on this one he’s not showing his chest alperon shenon getting ready

He had 45 points last night against the Spurs the 21y old how about this averaging 219 and five this season Rockets getting ready for the Clippers coming your way here on ESPN oh my goodness I love that so much hey Paul George he knows a thing or two

About balling out against the Houston Rockets he’s averaging just over 28 points and just under nine rebounds a game in his last five matchups against Houston but it’s time now for our big man moment brought to you by ESPN bet the official sports book of ESPN and last night alperin shenon Kendrick

Corkins he scored a career-high 45 points had 16 rebounds five steals I feel like it’s time to give him his flowers absolutely anytime we could r represent and give htown their flower guess what the Rockets actually have a future and this young man he punished Victor wi Bea last night

Averaging right now on the season 21 and9 I don’t know if I should say he was standing on business or taking this personal because going into somebody chest like that giving them 45 and 16 and snatching the screws out the rim I dropping no looks behind the behind the

Back passes this is personal last night you see what this is 11 ma shots versus Victor WIA as the closest Defender I think that was personal and standing on business that’s a combination of the two but is it a tomato chest when it could be but guess what’s next though Malik here you

Go there you go new users get a $100 in bonus bets for making any Sportsbook bet you can check out big perks big man parlay exclusively in the ESPN Bat app if you want to ride with big perk or any of the other big men still to come on NBA Countdown

Adrian wowski NBA Countdown presented by door Dash after a RedHot December and January the Clippers have come down to earth just a little bit five and six in their last 11 games they’re hoping though that as they March towards the playoffs they can hang on to a top four

Seed for more on the Clippers we’re joined Now by our senior NBA Insider Adrien W nki and W you reported on Monday that Russell Westbrook he had surgery on his left hand how is this going to impact the Clippers in the final stretch of the regular season here

Malik let’s start with a timeline for Russell Westbrook’s return I’m told that there’s an expectation that he can be back with this team before the playoffs April 14th is the final regular season game for the Clippers and they have a difficult uh April they play Eight Games

In 14 days they have two back to backs the hope is that they can get Westbrook back uh he broke his right hand uh N9 years ago in Oklahoma City 27 days he was back in the lineup you know he has been for the Clippers you know a Dynamo

Off their bench willingly made that move after the James Harden trade uh now for the clips bones Highland who had not been in the rotation gets a chance gets an opportunity to pick up some of those Russell Westbrook minutes but for this Clipper team you know certainly uh they

Are comforted with the idea that they will have Russell Westbrook back uh for the playoffs W thank you so very much health has been something that we have talked about with this Los Angeles Clippers team really a key factor for them in any Pursuit any Pursuit that

They have for a team that has at least Western Conference Finals if not NBA Finals hopes and I mentioned that the Clippers you know after slipping in the standings are hoping they can find some way to end up in that top four certainly top six positioning uh come April when

We’re really hitting the playoffs here but since starting 2024 with a 15 and3 record they’ve gone five- six in their last 11 games how concerning is that for you Kendrick I’m towing I’m I’m caught in between you look like you’re going through it a little bit well well here’s

The reason why because when you get towards this part of the season do I have trust in Paul George and James Harden hell no okay but do I have trust in kawh Leonard and tou hell yes so that balance each other out so I think they got a quality win against the Minnesota

Timberwoods that was a great win on the road it went down to the you know very last play but when I think about them I need to see more out of Paul George and James Harden to get me over the little bit of the concerns that I do have look

I’m right there with you Malika and I not too long ago said we’re all in on the Clippers mind you we’re saying Western Conference finals and I still have belief in them I think missing Paul George was something that destabilized them they’ve had some you know ups and

Downs post All-Star and I think these are the natural course of events when you’re playing all your games right players are going to be in and out here and there but I do think that as long as they are available with the last 10 or so they hopefully can stay close to the

Nuggets in the standing so they can try to get a push at home court they’re still on schedule my thing is this Paul George it it’s a it’s a cohesive unit the more that James Harden establishes himself as the second best player versus saying that I’m going to set up Paul

George and Kawai I think that that’s when they’re in the better spot when he establish that he’s a setup man and then he contributes offensively when he turns on that extra step and says that I am the scorer and then and you see Paul George’s numbers go down that’s what

Worries me I need Paul George at 25 every single night and I need to see uh James Harden with 12 plus assists because he’s establishing now when he gets the opportunities to score that’s great I just don’t need to see him scoring outscoring Paul George he’s got

To keep lifting them up that’s the best version we’ve seen them able to do it they just need to rechannel that now we have an a team for you in Houston Mark Jones Doris Burke Andrea Carter take it away Drea hey welcome inside our Los Angeles Studio chanaa gum Richard Jefferson

Who’s thrilled to be here Kendrick Perkins I’m Mica Andrews James Harden he is back in Houston he this isn’t his first return game but we’re keying in on him here Richard because we were talking in countdown about how they figured out in this dominant stretch from December and January really how James Harden

Could be deferring to his teammates really racking up those assist numbers and you feel like maybe he’s tipping back over to a different side why is that concerning to you well it’s concerning to me what one it was needed because uh uh Paul George missed some

Time but when you look at it it’s like if you’re gonna have a balance I think Paul George and kawhai need to be the leading scorers and then I think James Harden needs to be the leading assist man and that needs to stay that way over time and then James hardness we saw

It last year in the postseason you can’t go for 351 night and then you have you know you have a struggle performance uh the next night Paul George and kawhai those have to be the guys he has to be the setup guy and then if he’s 18 to 20

And then he has a burst that’s fine but if he’s going out there trying to score 25 points every single night I think that’s not the best version I think the best version is a happy James Harden okay and whatever that may be wasn’t he not satisfied in Philly he let the

League and assist because he wanted a bigger role so I think you got to go out there and just kind of somewhat stroke his ego and let him go be the best ver absolutely not absolutely not I never beely disagree but absolutely not a happy James hard we need a productive

James hard we need a James hard that shows us in the postseason okay look to me it’s figuring out how to adapt right without Russ they’re going to have to up their speed James is going to have to deal with a lot get Paul George back on

Track which he has been I think he had 29 last game but then Also Spee Spee fore spee foree For Spee [Laughter] speee spee For speech foreign speeech foree for spee foree spee fore foree spee spee Foree [Applause] Foree For speech speech for speech Let Me speee foreign Fore Foree foree Fore

NBA Countdown | “Pelicans are the team outside the top 4 is the biggest threat in the West” – Perk