Stephen A. predicts the Lakers will get SWEPT vs. Rockets 👀 | First Take

All right, let's go to the NBA because I mentioned yesterday was the regular season finale. Quite a few outcomes actually impacted the playoff field. We start in the West where Denver beat San Antonio last night. Nikola Jokic played the first half and dropped a casual 23 points. Victor Wemenyama on the other hand did not play. He sat to rest that rib contusion that he was dealing with earlier last week.

The Nuggets win their 12th straight game. They'll face Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. The Spurs, as the two seed, will face the winner of the Suns-Trailblazers play-in matchup that will happen in the coming days. But let's go to the Spurs here. How costly is this loss for them? Because had they won the game, maybe the seeding would have been

different. Wendy, what do you think? Okay, I purport to be some sort of basketball expert and let me just say that I think it was easy in the world of tanking that the NBA has been in for the last few weeks to just sort of disregard a lot of these games over the weekend because a whole bunch of players were sitting and it's like get us to the playoffs. Having said that, I do not understand what went down with the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs over the last couple of days.

I just don't get it. I don't understand what they were doing. I know what they've said, but these teams have strategy departments that are multiple people deep. They plot out strategies for years in advance. They rank every second round

picks value for seven years and I flat don't get the strategy of how this went down. The Denver Nuggets actively as far as I could tell were trying not to be the three seed. They were trying to force their way into the four seed because they didn't play anybody all weekend, Shea. They sat everybody on Friday against the Thunder. Okay, the Thunder are a good team, but the Thunder were sitting everybody, but they still won.

Then they sat everybody yesterday, apparently because... Now, I know what they said, Shay. What they said was they were worried about health, and I know that they had injuries, and I can't deny that, but I have to look at their actions. It looked to me, dumb dumb that I am,

that the Nuggets were trying like crazy to get out of the three seed so that they could avoid playing the Minnesota Timberwolves. They can deny that, they can call me names, but their actions indicate to me that this is exactly what they were trying to do. Now this would should have been seen as a absolutely wonderful opportunity for the Spurs and let me tell you why. Because the Spurs have dominated every team they have played this year,

including the Oklahoma City Thunder, who they beat four times. The only team that has been able to get the Spurs number all year long has been the Denver Nuggets. And so here they were brought a silver platter, Shay, of the opportunity to punch the Nug nuggets to the other side of the bracket on the last day of the season to make their pathway to the finals so much

smoother that instead of having to beat likely Denver and Oklahoma city, they would only have to beat one of them. And yet Victor Wembenyama was deactivated. Shay, I understand he had a rib injury, but he played on Friday and he scored 40 points. I reject the notion that he couldn't have played. He would have had another week off. So the Spurs come in yesterday,

no Victor Wembenyama. The Nuggets play Nikola Jokic for the first half because he's got to check the box for his 65th game. Okay, they did that. And then the Spurs are playing their backsides off all game. They're pressing full court in the fourth quarter and they still can't beat Denver.

And so when the dust settles here, this was a huge setback in my view for the Spurs because not only do they are they now on the same side of the bracket as Denver haven't been given this great opportunity to knock them away. They can't apparently beat them even when they bench all their start players. really got a thing over them both in the bracket and mentally going into these playoffs. And you've got Oklahoma City who's throwing a little mini party because they look like they were going to have to play Denver in the second round. And now they don't have to see Denver or San Antonio to the finals.

Even a that was a lot there. I'm going to simplify it for you. Shay. Sorry.

You should be very,

very disappointed in the words that you just heard coming out of Brian Wintour's mouth. Cause I know I am. I'm very, very disappointed in what I'm, I just heard from Brian Wintour. Because I think he doesn't miss much, but I'm going to tell you what you're missing. Wendy, you're missing yourself. Go back and look in the mirror.

Go back and find numerous clips of you on various shows. Get up first take NBA today countdown, etc. Sports Center. Go and look at all of the things you've marveled at the San Antonio Spurs all

year.

You've marveled at Victor Wiminyama all year long. You didn't just talk about his greatness. You talked about a team that was flourishing that was blossoming before our very eyes. And what was the one of the top things that you you loved and applauded them for Wendy.

They don't care. They don't give a damn ain't scared of them.

All right.

It's a regular season. We got it. You said we push you out. We're trying to avoid seeds and all of this other stuff. We don't give a damn who we go against. That's been the mentality of the San Antonio Spurs. How can we fault that? How can we sit up there looking perplexed on national television scratching our proverbial hairs? You have more than me, of course, going through all of this other stuff, Wendy, when the Spurs, as far as I'm concerned, are living up to an

identity that they've shown us throughout this year. They're different. They're I'd say, okay. See is right there with them because it arraigned the defending NBA champions and ain't worried about a damn thing. Well, guess what? They're going to have to

go up against the San Antonio Spurs if they meet in the conference finals, right? And San Antonio Spurs have had their number, but you get the impression from OKC where they're saying, we'll be ready. You look at the San Antonio Spurs. And what did I see last night? We'll be ready. It doesn't matter. And that's what I'm talking about. We should be applauding it. You know, think about this for a second. If it's true, what you say in terms of team,

you know, doing everything they can to, to, to, to be in a position where they get to play the Minnesota Timberwolves or anybody else. It's not what champions are made of champions are made of. It don't matter who we going up against. It don't matter what the seating is. We'll be there. We'll be ready. That is what I'm seeing from the Tannetonians first.

And when we talk about a team in this organization that we believe if not this year, like Big Perk says, then next year or the year after definitely has championship in their window. You we know that eventually if they stay healthy, they are going to win the championship within the two to three years. If not this season,

what you want to see is what they're showing us. What they're showing us is that listen, we got to figure things out, but we are 62 and 20. We're 42 games over 500. We've had our way with everybody else. Yeah, Denver has given us something, but we lost to Denver the other day in overtime.

Yo, kids drop 40 and 13 and sealed the deal with some damn one-legged fall away. Jump shot over the stretch outstretched arms of the seven foot five Victor Wimby Yama. Well, you don't anticipate that that's going to happen too often when you play defense like that. So you're the San Antonio Spurs. You're not fearing anybody and you're not playing that game of this is who we'd rather play.

What you're saying is yo, we those dudes and we ready to show you we those dudes. Wait and see. I have no problem with what I saw from them whatsoever.

Zero. So really quick. So Stephen A,., I just hope we keep that same energy when it comes to the Knicks and the

Hawks, okay?

I hope we keep that same energy. Go ahead, Wendy.

In five weeks from now, Shay, in five weeks, if San Antonio was standing there, having vanquished the Nuggets, standing there ready to roll on the Thunder, and let's say, look, we're going to have a great Western Conference finals and they love their position. I will admit that I was short-sighted. Okay, but I'm watching a league right now Stephen a where I see teams ripping their seasons to shreds to get an extra 3% chance at getting a top four pick. Okay, and then justifying it and I see an opportunity where they

could have pushed the Nuggets right out of their way and then no laying down their arms. That's what I saw.

That that's that one has nothing to do with the other. Those other teams are not San Antonio. Those other teams don't have a seven foot five superstar in this league. That is arguably the face of the NBA. Those other teams don't have Castle and Fox and Barnes and the rest and Harper and the rest of these guys then they're not young and To I don't want to say dumb or ignorant in a negative way in this way It would be a positive way

They don't care and the point is that we we don't get to see that too often We see manipulation coming from the front offices from the ownership group to the front offices down to the GM to the coaches except we see too much manipulation and chess being played at the expense of a fan base. That's not what we're seeing from San Antonio. We're seeing a team that says we the number to see we get

ready for the postseason and we don't give a damn who we going up against. We'll be ready. Now, if they not then they won't be but that's what we're seeing from them. I have no problem with it.

None.

You could be right, but this wasn't chess. This was tic-tac-toe.

Okay. San Antonio has had four losses since February 1st. Three of them have come to Denver. The Lakers are the four seed. They'll host the Houston Rockets, who finish with the five seed.

The Rockets are heavily favored because the Lakers will likely be without both Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves due to injury to at least start the series. As far, we don't know how long they'll actually be out. However, they do still have this guy named LeBron James.

And the King has been a one-man show since Luka and Austin both went down earlier this month. In the final five games of the season, LeBron ranks top 10 in points per game, assists per game, and field goal percentage. So now when we look ahead to the Rockets and the Lakers series,

again, the Rockets are heavily favored. But could we potentially witness this vintage LeBron playoffs against the Rockets. What do you think Stephen A.

Well you can talk about this is LeBron playoffs all you want to you talking about numbers. You're talking about wins. LeBron's going to get his He's one of the greatest players to have ever played this game.

And you marvel at his greatness at age 41 in the year. Twenty three of his of his career is twenty third season this career. All the bronze gonna get you your numbers. He's got the ball in his hands. He's going to be able to dictate matchups and pace.

What have you because you don't have Luca and Austin Reeves to defer to so the numbers are going to be there, but let me be very very clear. Okay, Lake is going home very early at the most five and I anticipate they might get swept. They don't have enough. It's not and it's a damn shame because

one of the one of the favorite things I love hearing is I love LA after a Lakers win. I just love it. I just love that right now. And I don't even know if they're going to hear that this weekend because I'm telling you right now without Austin Reeves and Luka Dantich. What do you have to offset KD in Houston and what they bring to the table. Now. I know that they get a bit rattled in the fourth quarter because they don't have a point guard this year and Shepard's got to step up and he's got to do a better job of controlling the team to some degree strictly. He's a

good player, but strictly in terms of of dictating pace controlling the temple controlling his team getting everybody in the right positions being what a point guard a quintessential point guard is supposed to be which he hasn't appeared to be enough, even though he's a good player and I like him a lot. The bottom line is this the Lakers don't have enough. Deandre Aiton's got to play above the clouds.

Good luck with that. Okay, along with Yuri Hachimura and others. They've got to play above what we have seen them do. I don't know if they can do that. That's where I'm at with it. I think Houston who's a team that's capable of starting literally four guys, 611 and above five guys, 68 and above this team and they can defend mind you. I think that team is going to be too much for the Los Angeles Lakers. The only reason I'm not saying it's a flat-out sweep

just because it's just like I did with AI in 2001. I said AI get you one. I'd like to believe I can say the same for the great LeBron James, but that's about all Lakers are going home in five. This is not going to be a long series. They do unless Luka and AR are able to come back. If they came in, if they were able to come back, I might have picked the Lakers to win this damn series, but their loss is so significant.

They're so potent. The absence of both of them, I think is entirely too much to ask LeBron James to overcome. I don't think he can do it. I don't think he will do it. And without Luca and AR, the Los Angeles Lakers ain't getting past five games.

It might be a sweet.

You have to wonder the way the internally, the way the Rockets and the Lakers were watching what was going on with Denver and San Antonio the last couple days. Because if I'm the Rockets, I'm thinking, look at the Nuggets. They're completely disrespecting us. Are we the marks out here?

Are we the team everybody wants to play? Denver was sending flashing big signals that they preferred to play the Rockets than they did to play the Timberwolves, who are the sixth seed. And if you're the Lakers, you got to be saying, hey, the Warriors didn't play Steph against us last week when Steph could have played in that game, they thought maybe thought you know, that didn't matter. And then the Suns didn't play

Devin Booker against them the next night. And the Lakers were able to maneuver their way against some tankers, I get into the into a home court advantage. So if you're looking at how do the Lakers somehow pull this off, and Stephen, I agree with you, I'd pick the Rockets in this series, et cetera. The pathway, number one, is to get to late in the series,

because while it's gonna be a hard thing to see Luka and Austin Reeves play in this series, it becomes more feasible if you extend it. You know, there's a week between now and the start of it because of the play-ins. You know, there's soft tissue injuries.

I can't predict how it would be. You know, it's going to be pain tolerant in certain circumstances. So how do you get, somehow get to games five, six, and seven just for the dream of getting your team back? Number one, you get home court advantage. Check. That's what the Lakers did. They were able to win their last three games.

LeBron playing point guard. They got over that hurdle. Two, you got to split those first two games at home. And Stephen A., I got to tell you, I like the chances of them splitting the first two games at home more with Houston than I did against Minnesota.

Houston, and I understand there's some guys on their roster who have playoff experience and Kevin Durant's got a billion playoff games, but Houston will be on the road in a playoff game. This team hasn't done this before. And so I, you know, I think Houston's in a command position, but you try to split the first two games. Three, you need to figure out a way to have LeBron have explosive games. You need to have him get space. That means you need to figure out a way to have LeBron have explosive games. You need to have him get space.

That means you need your guys to hit threes. They're going to play Luke Kinnar a ton of minutes. They need their shooters to make some shots to force Houston to move out of the way so LeBron can attack the basket and distribute the ball. You've got to find a way to hit to hit some shots to get him some offensive support. And then three, you have to hope that the Rockets struggle on offense. Now down the stretch of the season,

Stephen a they want eight of nine coming in. They were very strong on offense. They made some changes to their lineups. They come in with some swagger offensively, but they are fragile offensively, but it's going to take a lot of things to fall into place to pull this off. I'm not saying it's going to take a lot of things to fall into place to pull this off. I'm not saying it's impossible, but definitely you're right. It's unlikely.

It's pretty much pretty damn close to impossible. I mean, if you look up the word impossible, you know, saying I mean if it's if it's not there, it's pretty damn close. Okay, you're talking about a dude in KD who's going to be the best offensive player in this series. Let's get that out the way. You're talking about a Houston Rockets team.

That is a top-six team defensively. This is what they bring to the table again. I issue with them is their performance in clutch time their, you know, propensity to turn over the basketball,

ravaged them, but they're nine in one in their last 10 games. I mean, they've been handling their business and KD is KD's a two-time champion. He's a two-time NBA Finals MVP, who by the way, is also nine and five lifetime in the postseason against LeBron James. So we can't forget any of that either. We understand that the Lakers have some guys with some experience, but you got some but but but talent ultimately

usurps everything. And I think that when you look at Houston again, the absence of a point guard. I don't know how the hell they didn't go out and make sure they got a point guard, you know, to make a playoff run. I don't know how they did that. But still in all, it's the Lakers that they're going up against without Luca and without Austin Reeves if Austin Reeves and Luka were there

I would have picked the Lakers to win this series But they're not and in order for them to come back The belief is you probably have to push this series to six games Which means that the Lakers would have to win to ain't happening You're not beating the Houston Rockets two games in this series without Luka Dantic and Austin Reeves.

It's not happening. Okay, so just I'm just I'm sorry, you know, I'm not I'm gonna be kind enough to tell you not to get your broomsticks, but I will say be near the closet with a broomstick is okay be near the closet because damn it is probably going, because, damn it, it's probably gonna happen. okay be near the closet because damn it is probably going, because, damn it, it's probably gonna happen.

I mean, it's like that. It's just like that.