NBA Today | Pelicans are LEGIT title contenders! – Jefferson on Zion taking down Giannis, Bucks

NBA Today | Pelicans are LEGIT title contenders! – Jefferson on Zion taking down Giannis, Bucks

Of Titans between Zion and Giannis last night the big fella the long man going at it it was these two when you get to watch these guys this is when it was fun scary moment though for the bucks take a look Damen Lillard comes up a little hobbled

Here just no contact he would play the rest of the game Damon Lillard he’s tough he’s from Oakland we don’t worry about that but jump to the third quarter Zion drives to the back way makes a tough layup he seems more athletic he seems more explosive going through contact more

Than we’ve seen in the a lot of contact that’s what like I don’t want any he’s going through it he seems healthy he seems healthy it’s amazing you know how some of these things can work and then G is up top for the LW nice feed look this

Buck team we’re still trying to in my opinion we’re been more surprised by what the Pelicans can do and we’re still trying to figure out who these bucks are Jann is finishing in the are they still trying to figure out 20 straight points in the third quarter uh

I don’t know maybe double team them I don’t know we’re going to jump to the fourth though Dame lard not a lot of Rim protection there not not a lot of Rim protection there that’s one thing I would like to see more from Zion is more of that more

Of that Rim protection not theay look Zion has been healthy and on a tear of late and Thursday was just the latest effort he finished with his 19th game of the season of 25 points on 60% from the floor the only player with more in any other uh season for the Pelicans

Is Zion [Laughter] himself so Zach Zion’s putting together some of the best basketball of his young career but what stood out to you watching his play of late it’s the best he’s ever played he’s making a late season push for all NBA his defense is on another planet from

Where it was even two three months ago but there were a couple plays that made me sit up in my chair and say holy bleep and we’re going to look at him now the first is this drive yeah sorry bleep it out the first is this drive this doesn’t

Look like much cuz it’s Zion that’s Giannis atenta kmo and Brook Lopez the most fearsome Rim protection duo in the entire league a defensive player of the year and an annual defense player the kened he doesn’t care and I want to see more of this when Brandon Ingram is back

Inverted pick and roll CJ McCollum screens for Zion uhoh what are we going to do we got a trap we got to do something flar is open for a three that’s Point Zion but it’s Point Zion interacting with the other great players on the team thumbs up holy

Bleep while the pals are are trending up it feels like the Bucks are Treading Water take a listen to a little bit of frustration from Giannis after last night’s loss got to play fast like that’s who that’s who we are you know but we we just got to find it we don’t

Have nine games to find it we got to find it tomorrow we got to find it against Atlanta I I don’t care about the nine games have left I got to find it right now the Bucks have been up and down since Doc Rivers took over and they are

Now 14 and 13 let me repeat they are 14 and 13 in his time on the sideline Milwaukee has been in the middle of the pack during that time and remember Adrien Griffin was 30 and 13 during his time with the Bucks this season we are now joined with Hall of Famer

Mark Spears Mark you know better than anyone what that record says that’s who you are so what do you think that we’re seeing from the Bucks what is it that you feel is the biggest issue with them it’s a wild ride like a Harley that you

Could get Milwaukee right now I mean the thing with this team is they’re still getting used to Doc right they’re still getting used to Dame they’re still getting used to all these different things but this is what’s going to help them one they they got to figure out a

Way to keep that two and luckily the rest of the East will help them right but once they lock that two seat in they got five days MH they got those five days in between their last game and the first playoff game and that’s when Doc Rivers has to do a mini

Camp have these guys come in for those five days get um get used to Chris Middleton again figure out all the problems not only get on the court get in the film room they got five days to figure it out doc could be basically get his his plan together to try to fix

Things cuz I mean this has certainly been disappointing but it’s not like Doc got a training camp so this will be Doc Doc’s training camp to try to try to figure this out that’s a great point and one of the reasons why they had initially hired Adrien Griffin first

Time head coach they thought oh we have most of the same guys back right this is before the Dame Lillard trade this is this is a veteran team that they had had this before they had all this uncertainty and then all in right before training camp they trade for Damen Lillard and they

Trade out Drew holiday and they tra they make such huge seismic changes so you’re right Doc Rivers hasn’t had a training camp he doesn’t have his whole staff there he hasn’t even be able to put in h most of what he does offensively or defensively and this team hasn’t had a

Chance to run it all I mean you don’t get to practice much during the season no I look for me when I watch this team I’m still trying to figure out where what they are trying to figure out that’s the key thing it’s like oh you

Could see that a team is trying to figure something out but when you watch them they’re like what are they trying to figure out there was their defense there was their their pick and roll with Giannis and Dane we’ve seen a little bit more but perk what do you think can get

This team rolling why do you think they aren’t roll knows doc he knows what doc can do or not do well it’s about sacrificing and it’s going to start with yanis an DPO like how much is he going to sacrifice not having the ball in his hands when you look at the Milwaukee

Bucks without Giannis Daman Lillard game goes to another level and I’m not just talking about scoring I’m talking about facilitating so Yannis are you actually going to embrace that role of actually you know being more of a screen set or a dribble hand off guy you’re still going

To get your points but can you do it by sacrificing uh being less ball dominant I think when you look at these numbers right here when you know Giannis is off the court compared to when he’s on the court now I get it Dame roll steps up to

Is is is asked to do more but again you bought Daman little take it’s actually going to be more of a medium take if I’m going to be honest with you last night the Pelicans took down the Bucks behind a 28o performance from Zion Williamson

Zion has been on his game jayw well how far can he take his team in the playoffs I think Zion could take him to the Western Conference Finals I often give him he is like Mike Tyson fighting in the foam Booth that’s the way he carves

Up your body perk and you think about the way herb Jones plays think about the way t Trey Trey Murphy III uh bi when it comes back like this team to me has the makings of a team that could get there granted the road is difficult man but

The one thing I see from him perk is after all the stuff that’s happened this year about the inaugural n Season tournament about all the jokes about his weight whenever you talk to anybody in that organization he’s doing what he has to do it feels like he’s falling back in

Love with the game from a work perspective and to me that’s scary hour Zion that’s a team that can go far yeah really far and I got them actually as my sleepers to come out of the West I believe with looking at the western conference outside of the Denver

Nuggets the Clippers been inconsistent I mean the Phoenix Suns are inconsistent the Pelicans have all the pieces and we’re talking about Point Zion right now because he has done a great job of not only making love to the paint but actually making us around him better and

Then on top of that I’m watching this game last night and you know the thing the the the thing that happened that like you know hit a light switch for me he took a charge late in the game against Yannis And the emotions that he showed the passion that he showed I was

Like you know what he’s in a great place right now mentally because we all know and you know this Jay as a former Hooper when your mind is in the right place you’re going to perform at an elite level and right now it look like Zion has corrected and made sure that everything

Or all the issues that were affecting him off the court are not are not is are not doing that anymore and he’s corrected that so I’m looking at this Pelican team and the way Zion has been playing medium Zion he’s not big but he’s not skinny yet medium Zion and the

Way he’s been dominating they definitely could go to the NBA finals by the way you know we often talk about this I know people at home home may see this as trivial but especially for Zion like how many years have we seen this dude look miserable on the

Bench being being hurt dealing with the media dealing with the weight issues he said last night he said we’re having fun yeah we’re playing for something that’s a different energy that a young team like that needs cuz they’re actually playing for one another that’s a game changer man absolutely all right I’m

Playing for you guys today bringing my game we got some more NBA to dive into it working day well let’s go fire it up baby you come this weekend taking home the Celtics moves back to back to the Hawks Never that So you could do anything here I’m I kill for a living now have back on Your First Blood double kill you have been [Applause] defeated an enemy has been defeated shu theor your team has destroyed a Tower different an enemy has been defeated those with brains don’t often use them what a shame you have defeated an enemy get away from me I shight double kill an ally has been defeated enemy double Kill Che Not M wing For Foree Ed Right I’m che che my just down There do video game First Blood An enemy has been defeated an ally has been defeated you have been defeated s around an ally has been defeated enemy ultimate your tower has been destroyed enemy on

NBA Today | Pelicans are LEGIT title contenders! – Jefferson on Zion Williamson taking down Giannis, Bucks