FIRST TAKE | “Luka & Kyrie duo are UNSTOPPABLE!” – Stephen A.: Mavericks are the big threat in West

FIRST TAKE | “Luka & Kyrie duo are UNSTOPPABLE!” – Stephen A.: Mavericks are the big threat in West

Mavericks extending their win streak to six games by taking down the Kings 107 103 putting them one game behind the Pelicans nobody wants the birds for fifth in the west and dropping the Suns down to eighth firmly in the playoff picture speaking of the playoff picture top eight in the west really two

Different races t-wolves Thunder nuggets all within a half game of one another for the one seed while the other five teams fighting for the final three playoff spots separated by just four games all right no matter who’s the Batman though who’s the robin the maps are rolling Kyrie and Luca when they’re

In the lineup the team has won nine of their last 10 games they’re undefeated in the nine games that Lucas played during that stretch the guru of the breakdown Tim legler has more on how Dallas has turned the corner well Malica there is no doubt the Mavericks are rolling right now in large

Part to the chemistry that has developed between Luca donic and Kyrie Irving and sometimes that action involves the two of them but more often than not they’re independent of each other in the way that they can dominate a defense give you a couple examples of this last night

And why this team can be so special offensively this is where Luca is just I think on a level of his own as he comes up the floor you’re going to see what he is looking at and his eyes right now are scanning the floor at these four

Defenders the first he wants to see is who is going to be the defender in the slot right here going to be guarding Gaff as runs down the floor he wants to know who’s going to be guarding him and picking up the balls you can see over

Here it’s going to be Keegan Murray he wants to know if there’s going to be a strong side defender on the shooter and he want wants to know who the backline defender is is it a guard or a big believe it or not he is processing all

Of this right now knowing that his action will elicit the reaction that he is looking for and lead to something easy so as he gets downhill he gets to about right here and he already knows where he’s going to go with this basketball because you can see defensively unwilling to leave the

Corner shooter certainly if this backline Defender dearon Fox commits too soon this basketball is going to be thrown in a rope to the opposite corner for a wide open three so you see the fox has to sort of hang back and by doing that that tells Luca Don it’s all he

Needs to know gafford’s going to run to the rim and let’s just throw this thing up there and have fun because he knows with a guard back there unwilling to commit there’s no way he’s going to be able to DET turn at The Rim as a result

You get an easy flush now take a look at Kyrie Irving he’s looking at it a little differently he’s looking at it as a raw scorer and as he comes up there’s really nowhere to go you’ve got this sealed off pretty good at the top defensively you

Should be able to contain the basketball but har Irving he’s just special in that way so he’s going to come right here with a little crossover get the split and then immediately look at these back two Defenders and they’re going to have to make decisions on the backs side so

As he makes the split he gets to right here what’s the read going to be if you come off the corner too early the ball’s going to be thrown on a rope to the corner for a three conversely if you commit too early from the backside

You’re going to have a lob at The Rim so instead as a result you’re going to see both Defenders hang back with their respective man and that lets Kyrie Irving take this thing all the way to the rim so their ability to win the point of attack and then engage second

And third Defenders to make the right read that is why the Mavericks offense right now is humming and why I believe malga this team has a legitimate shot to get to the Conference Finals at least Tim thank you so the Mavs they’re among the teams that are in that

Scramble between the fourth and 11th in the west but they feel kind of firmly cemented in a positive direction after that win over the Kings remember these two teams they meet again on Friday that could help decide which team avoids the play there’s so much movement that’s

Going to happen over the final 10 games I know it’s hard to project who is going to be best positioned to make a deep postseason run without knowing the exact matchup so let’s frame it this way perk outside of Denver who do you think is the most dangerous team in the west you

Know I got the Pelicans as my sleepers my sleeper to come out the west but Brandon Ingram is hurt I don’t know when he’s going to come back or if he’s going to come back we don’t know but but it’s so refreshing watching legs break down that film because it’s Luca outside of

Yic Luca is the most dangerous player in the Western Conference what team is LCA on the Dallas Mavericks and then who is his Batman that’s what he said right his Batman is Kyrie Irving Kyrie Irving is averaging the similar numbers up to Anthony Edwards and look watching Kyrie

Play I haven’t seen Kyrie play with this much joy since he won won a championship with Cleveland he’s dunking the basketball he’s showing emotions he’s engaged he’s talking defensively I’m looking at this Dallas Maverick team and the pieces that they added I’m like this team is together right now these last

Few weeks first you talked to a coach and you talk to an executive then a scout on the ground and they start saying you know we just played Dallas I just saw Dallas I was watching Dallas wow wow oh man they’re big and that’s the thing that teams are are noticing

The additions made the trade trade deadline and getting some guys healthy have made them one of the biggest teams in the Western Conference in size it’s going to be so important in these playoff matchups so you look at a team that can bring multiple seven-footers Off the Bench with Derrik livley and

Maxi kba and then has Gafford and PJ Washington right they PJ Washington was a power forward in Charlotte he can play small forward for them they are a very very intriguing team so these seven through 10 spots in the west closely contested only three games separating the Warriors and the Kings among these

Four teams our ESPN analytics gives the Mavericks and Lakers Shannon the best chance to reach the Western Conference Finals okay so here’s the dlsa which Western Conference team from the seventh seed or lower has the best shot of a Deep Run in the playoffs I’m going to

Give you some options but go wherever you want Dallas Lakers Golden State where’s your head Shannon sharp I never thought thought I would say this I’m going to give the Dallas Mavericks a chance wow is that cuz you just left Texas I’m I’m gonna no no not

At all listen I’m gonna give the Dallas marriage a chance yo man what I’m seeing from Luca yeah is what I’m paying attention to Shannon don’t get me wrong I’m looking at size and you look at the greatness of LeBron and Anthony Davis and knowing that you got to go up

Against the bigger teams I feel you on that this is it’s not one of those moments where I’m trying to actually refute what I suspect you’re going to say I’m just looking at Luca right now and I’m saying can we pause for a second to acknowledge what the hell we’re

Talking about and what seeing this brother right now they they Kyrie Irving and Luca donic have played together the last 16 games they’re 11 and five Kyrie’s averaging 25 on 51.7% shooting 42.7% from three-point range he’s doing his thing and we barely ever hear about him you know why Shannon cuz this dude

Luca donic right is averaging a triple double over the last 16 games 33.9 points 10.3 rebounds 10.6 assist nearly 40% shooting from three-point range and when I see how Unstoppable he is how no one seems to have an answer for him it’s not just his shot making ability his intellect on the offensive

Side of the ball but his his ability to control pace and Tempo and how that serves what Jason kid wants to do he’s one of those guys Shannon where I’m looking at others and I’m saying your greatness is going to be required to knock off his greatness it’s not going

To be enough to play good basketball it’s not going to be enough to go on a run and find a momentum it’s going to be called upon for the steps for the LeBron because we talk about playing and that’s where they at the steps the LeBron whatever it’s going to be called upon

Them to elevate their level of greatness to offset what this dude is throwing at them that’s where I’m coming from with this Shannon and that’s the only reason I’m saying what I’m saying well considering Luca over his first six games I mean he’s averaging a triple

Double of his last seven but the six previous he had 30 point triple doubles and so that just goes to show their greatness I remember watching him and after his first year Stephen I said he was the C the closest thing that I had ever seen the Larry Bird before or since

And people laughed at me but I don’t think people realize just how great bird was because bird was a 24 10 and six guy for his career that’s right he scored 24 points a game averaged 10 rebounds with six assists and then when you see LCA

Can score can score the ball better he can rebound just as well but he’s a better facilitator because he has the ball in his hands a lot more than lry bird I’m going to take the Lakers for the simple fact I’m going to say they’re two-headed monsters which is Kyrie and

Luca I think LeBron and AD can cancel those guys out now maybe they don’t score as much those two guys probably going to get you somewhere between 60 maybe 60 65 because Luca is going to probably it’s going to be hard to hold him under 35 Kyrie gives you six gives

You 25 gives you his average that’s 60 if ad and LeBron can give you somewhere the mid to high 50s now you got to go to the third guy can I keep that DLo going cuz been off the chain Stephen A that’s what we hey and I told him don’t tell it

The trade deadline is still an option so I want him to keep playing like he’s playing because he don’t know whether he’s going to come or or go I mean come or stay but he’s been playing unbelievable atin re has been unbelievable all year and now ruy I

Don’t know if youve noticed Stephen A but ever since they put ruy in that starting lineup he’s looked really really well I it’s hard to say no 1,000 am I like as soul or as definitive as I normally would be on the Lakers no because I’ve been watching the Maverick

Mavericks and I’ve been watching Luca and what they’ve been doing but I just believe in a series with LeBron and and ad because I’m not so sure but and and and the maver uh Tim Hardway Jr he’s an outlier because you never know he can go

And give you 10 points a game or he can go eight eight for 12 from the three-point line and give Angel Russ that’s D’Angelo Russell though CH DLo been playing good he been consistent lately two of the last three games when they lost to Sacramento he had 10 points they

Beat Minnesota other night he had 13 now he dropped the 44 against you saw that I I thought that was spectacular well first of all I saw it more than you because I actually show up the games in Los Angeles we know we can’t find you you understand I’m saying you all over

The damn country I actually show up to the games you understand so the point that I’m trying to make to you is that I’ve seen D no no no question he’s been for the most part he’s been very impressive since they put him back at L but what was the knock against him

Because he was doing pretty damn well last year as the tail tail end of the regular season went into the play well and then the West Conference Finals you better put an APB out for him he couldn’t find him for about two months after that e either I mean that’s how

Much he disappeared so he’s got some stuff to prove and I’m saying to you hachimura Vanderbilt comes back that’ll Elevate the the Lakers defense but it will compromise them offensively in a lot of people’s eyes we have to see how that message which is why everybody’s been asking so many questions about

Darin ham I think Austin Reeves has been up and down I got a lot of confidence in him he’s been up and down at Dallas wow they got some offense brother they can put it on you they can put it on you that’s all they ain’t got no defense though understand I

Understand L Ste there you Go V do why did I forget to pack pants Yeah First Blood Hammer there’s a way you have been defeated an ally has been defeated an enemy has been defeated why did I forget to pack pants an enemy has been defeated run ultimate Hammer we go keep and hammer on enemy ultimate an enemy has been defeated enemy double kill enemy blood ultimate

Name Look now like P onl with the all double kill why did I forget to pack pants your team has destroyed a tower Keep call and an ally has been Defeated you have been defeated a shut down your tower has been destroyed V got even if I forget my name I’ll remember her smile First Blood More I’ve known death so I know how precious life is your tower has been destroyed so swap you have been defeated an ally has been defeated an ally has been defeated B our base is under attack my life reborn for the battle an enemy has been defeated enemy ultimate an ally has been

Defeated it’s over they need a sword but I’m just a person an ally has been defeated you’re done for enemy Onslaught our base is under attack my life reborn for the battle hey enemy ultimate I

FIRST TAKE | “Luka & Kyrie duo are UNSTOPPABLE!” – Stephen A.: Mavericks are the big threat in the West