JJ Redick thinks the Pelicans can make a ‘DEEP RUN’ in the playoffs! 👀 | First Take

JJ Redick thinks the Pelicans can make a ‘DEEP RUN’ in the playoffs! 👀 | First Take

Lakers ninth in the western conference after beating the Atlanta Hawks by 31 last night so with the playoffs approaching let’s take a look at the current standings cuz it’s thick in the west JJ you know we couldn’t have you on the show and not get into the Lakers we

Have to talk obligation right a log Jam the Pelicans lead the Kings by two for the fifth seed and then the Mavericks and suns are just a half game behind Sacramento the Lakers and Warriors make up the bottom of the playing field still in the ninth and 10th spots here’s Brian

Windhorse Wendy on Zion I got people in New Orleans telling me that since December when the inseason tournament happened Zion Williamson has lost 25 or more pounds and is acting I mean his performance has been excellent he’s playing fewer minutes and I think that helps as well but I got people

Telling me he’s lost 25 pounds all right JJ you’re at first best chance at a finals appearance outside of the top four in the west first of all I just I want to say one thing I’m a little hurt that I was not invited to the first take bracket uh

Group do you want to fill out a bracket I don’t want to fill out of bracket I wouldn’t have done it I wouldn’t have done it I want to be clear on that but the fact I was not invited it’s hurtful we assumed I expected more especially

From you no no not from me no no we assume you’re too busy you understand you have a lot of jobs you’ve got a lot of obligations and quite frankly I saw you a few weeks ago and uh I literally told you I thought you needed a vacation

I’m getting one I’m getting one exactly spring break I was concerned about you my brother from another B I was concerned about you uh what I’m saying look there’s a number of teams I think even going all the way down to 10 there’s a number of teams here in the

Western Conference that I believe can make a playoff run in terms of who I think has the best chance to make the finals I’m actually going to go with the New Orleans Pelicans um this is a team that has quietly been a top 10 offense a

Top 10 defense over the last 20 they’re 15 and five as Brian said Zion Williamson for the last two months is playing the best basketball of the Season we were pretty harsh on him after the inseason tournament uh his performance in that semifinal game against the Lakers he’s been awesome

They’ve unlocked him as a passer each month his assists have gone up uh Trey Murphy is healthy now and after a slow start shooting the basketball has played unbelievable over the past few weeks I look at this team and I see depth I see arguably the best Wing defender in the

Entire NBA in herb Jones this is a team that can absolutely make a Deep Run in the playoffs and potentially get to the finals having said that Denver Nuggets are still the favorites to me I want to be clear on that in the Western Conference the other teams I I think the

Mavs have a decent chance uh I I wouldn’t you know discount Luca donic and and that revamped roster in the playoffs I’m not sold on the Phoenix Suns right now their defense has a lot of question marks and they’ve been awful in the fourth quarter All Season uh so I

I got to go with the New Orleans Pelicans go ahead Shannon oh you sure you don’t want to go no go ahead I want to hear what you had to say you know what I I’ve been going back and forth I’ve been going honestly I’ve been going back and forth because I see

The way Kyrie and LC are playing with those two bigs now that have been very very active active they’ve been cleaning up the glass getting a lot of Second Chance points but I’m going to go with the Lakers and let me tell you why I’m going with the Lakers oh my Lord they

Got the third best they got the third best record in one possession game and play in tournament or postseason there ain’t no 25 Point swing they ain’t no 25o blowouts they might be one but normally it’s clutch time the last five minutes the game within five points so

With that being said I still I still like the Lakers I still with ad and LeBron we just got make sure don’t nobody elbow ad in the eye and he can stay upright because I know come playoff time LeBron James will control the pace he’s not going to let you run up and

Down and try tie those old legs out and so if for me it’s the Lakers or the Mavs and now that you got me on the got me on the clock I got to go with the Lakers boy something wrong with you s is absolutely positively wrong with you you

Cannot possibly feel that way about the Los Angeles Lakers considering the way they’ve been playing defense since the allstar break I mean they one of the worst defensive teams in the game okay and don’t get me started with the defensive back court of Reeves and D’Angelo Russ we getting we getting V

And B are coming back the the supposedly vander’s gonna come back let’s hope that that happens I’m rolling with JJ reick On This I Gotta tell you right now about the New Orleans right now say say it again I’m rolling unlike you I get to the headline I’m rolling with JJ reck on

This I believe he is right see how easy that is for me to say it’s no problem right now let’s look at this because y’all appreciate this Pelicans 6 in one in the month of March second only to the Houston Rockets eay udoka boy the way he’s coaching second only to him Pelican

Second best defense since the allstar break 107.2 points allow per 100 possessions Zion averaging 30 and8 over the last four games 66% shooting by the way you ready for this do you know that Zion Williamson is on a current streak of having played 14 consecutive games

And by the way he hasn’t missed a back-to-back game all season it’s a big deal when you look at New Orleans they’ve got size they’ve got athleticism they’ve got shooting uh obviously I look at Denver obviously as the favorite you know they’re the reigning defending NBA champions they’re ready but Stephen A

Did you know that the Lakers have the third best record in one possession games did you know that how’d that work out last year in the Western Conference Finals man they got that’s whatwe hold on hold on hold on I could asking you I’m asking you question what the best

Chance at hold on because the Nuggets had the best record what are best chances at finals appearance outside the top four yeah okay so so so what what’s Phoenix question you answered the question I J say you how that how did that how did that work out for him well

We know the team that won because they had a better record in one possession games okay all I’m saying to you is that that Lakers team played significantly better defense than this Lakers team has been playing Bando okay all right all right you say that okay we’ll see we’ll see you all

Hilarious you see with New Orleans no you talking about now see I don’t get to say will my team get healthy but you over there talking about oh jul R come back oh that shoulder if he heal that shoulder up and Mitchell Robinson big body you now you know he a big body

Right but what about hold on what about TBS running them guys he Josh hard play 48 minutes another guy played 46 minutes they going to be dog tied boss come play our times on empty on fumes he he he does first of all well first of all he does have me there JJ

Because I am worried with tips i’ but I that’s why I’ve been happy dudes have Miss games because their leg they GNA be worn out come play time they had enough time off so they should be all right they should be all right that’s how I’m

Feel about but let me tell you something let me tell you something right now I’m looking at the way the lak is playing defense I’m not enamored and by the way let me bring this up too because I was raving about the Clippers weeks ago JJ I

Went from raving about the Clippers to looking at them and right now the season would end the day their first round opponent would be New Orleans yep and I don’t think they’d beat New Orleans so literally with the Clippers to talk about how they could they could compete

In the West for Championship to wondering whether or not they gonna get bounced in a first round who you coming out of the West Denver I have Denver who do you have Denver oh the Nugget oh hey hold on I remember with everybody JJ was raving about him too but since LeBron

James did that demolition job on him in the fourth quarter they haven’t been the same since they haven’t been the same since you remember how y’all was talking about La about the Clippers run La they run around La I don’t believe I ever said that I would say I say they kept beating

The Lakers ass most of these years but not this season not this season not this season that’s beat them so bad made them get their own Arena listen made them get their own Arena that’s what we did beat kick him out JJ we saw Aunt Edwards throw it down on John Collins earlier

But was this more eye-catching than his game saving block against the Pacers earlier this month no I’m going to go with the game saving block because it was just that a game saving block where his head was at The Rim now a called the dunk last night the best dunk of his

Career and that’s fine but I still like the dunk against the Raptors where he dunked Baseline over wanabi a couple years ago both these plays just insane amount of athleticism and timing and strength but I got to go with the block so do I I don’t have much to add to that

I definitely got to go with the block the block was spectacular and it was a game saving block at that without question okay we’ll keep it rolling guys uh what Shannon we can’t hear Shannon I don’t know if Shannon I I agree and it was with and it was with his off hand

And as JJ said his head actually hit the Rim Yeah absolutely uh and definitely put in the league on notice Shannon I want to come back to you on this who do you think’s the most electric player today in the NBA Kyrie the way he can Pat the rock the

Way he can get any shot he wants anywhere on the court that he want he can get to the rim finish with either hand on either side of the rim the English that he puts on the ball Kyrie uh from in the close second of Steph

Curry because he can Pat the ball also and the way he can Pat the ball between his legs behind his back back step back and get a three off in guys face from 27 ft away is unbelievable but to to just watch somebody Kyrie irban AJ it’s interesting you know the

Definition of electric as the way we’re using it is producing a sudden sense of thrilling excitement and we we talk about the time about Kyrie being one of the most skilled players ever and he certainly is when I think of Kyrie on a basketball court I think of him as an

Artist paint ing on his canvas in his own special way right in terms of a sudden burst of excitement I I think it’s got to be Anthony Edwards right now and I would certainly put Zion Williamson and a healthy jar rant in that category of just pure electricity but the plays that Anthony

Edwards has made particularly this season to me it’s he’s the most electric player now the other guy I I want to mention too is wemi but wemi 74 75 yeah whatever so it’s a it’s a little bit different to watch but some of the plays

He made you know the behind the back uh off the dribble to a dunk then he had the reverse layup the other night his blocks but Anthony Edwards to me is the most electric player in the NBA right now I agree with you it’s Anthony Edwards K Kyrie Irving is spectacular

He’s electric all of those things are true um but to look at Anthony Edwards and what he can do Above the Rim and what he could do on the defensive side of the floor as well I mean I just I just look at it from from that perspective offensively obviously he

Brings what he brings but Kyrie Irving is definitely up there I can’t knock you for that Shannon at [Applause] all NBA is

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe and JJ Redick discuss teams outside of the top 4 in the West that can make a finals run.

0:00 Western Conference standings
3:30 Shannon’s picks
5:00 Stephen A.’s picks
8:00 JJ’s top pick in the West

#espn #nba #firsttake

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