UNDISPUTED | "LeBron vs Jokic is a NBA lovers dream!" - Shannon on West Finals: Lakers vs Nuggets

Here we go, Western Conference Finals, talent, storylines, just as good as any NBA Finals. Alright, don't take my word for it, listen to how the Lakers are talking about these nuggets. We already know that monster in the Rocky Mountains that's waiting on us. You know, the fewer teams, the tougher the matchups, the more skilled the players. I'm talking about the two-time MVP with a well-balanced squad, hungry. We're going to have our work cut out for us, but you know, they got to guard us too. They've been the number one team in the West for a reason, and they've played exceptional Do you guys feel like you're playing with house money at this point? Nah. Xvander will say, nah. Nah. We're trying to win every hand. You know, in a series that features LeBron James for the first time that I can remember, right? All eyes, not necessarily on the NBA's all-time leading scorer, in fact, we go, okay, what's I got that right? You got it right. How about that? I mean, we're talking about two premier big men, both multi-talented, skilled. This is the first time in these playoffs they're going to play against an equally talented big man. And just in terms of what they can have and how they can impact the game, Joker, obviously, if you look at his offensive bag, the passing, the shooting from the outside, obviously the offensive rebounds and tap backs. That's really a very underrated part of this game, by the way, and just really making his teammates better. Anthony Davis against the Warriors and the Grizzlies, impacting both rims, defensively intimidating, blocking shots, and also that mid-range jumper that the other team has to respect. So when you look at these two big men, they're just playing outstanding basketball. They have to respect each other. I think the question is, which one of these guys is going to get in foul trouble? Because then it's a pretty big drop-off. They really don't have a backup center. And this playoff series could be decided upon who stays on the floor and who's going to be affected between Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic. You also have an observation about LeBron James, right, that goes, when he gets this deep into the conference finals, what happens? He punches his ticket. I mean, you talk about this guy, he hasn't lost a conference final in about a dozen years. So, I mean, look, he's hungry for that fifth NBA title. It gets him that much closer to Michael Jordan. And again, with LeBron James and how he can impact games, age 38, 20th year in the NBA, we really didn't see much drop-off at all between his record season, which was very good, and this postseason. He said the last time he lost a conference finals, a dozen years. I got 14, my man. So we're showing some respect to one LeBron James, speaking of respect. He did that. Golden State. We've seen him at two locations right now. But I'm saying he was the MVP of back-to-back finals, and he was, to my eye, the best player on the floor. And in LeBron's house and back-to-back game threes, he took the games over and made big late clutch shots both times to win those games. And that, in Kevin's mind, I believe, was his career. He was a made man. And you know what happened against Toronto the next year? He tore his Achilles tendon, and then it took him like two years to get back. Shannon, he's never been the same. Let's face up to it. But when you say he's not the same, what do you mean the same? His body language looks different to me now. He doesn't look like he really cares that much about winning. He cares about the work. He still has high work ethic. He likes to practice basketball. He likes to make himself better. He likes to stay in the lab through the offseason very quietly. He doesn't post a lot about it. But I think he works very hard at his craft. He really enjoys that part of basketball. Whether they win or lose to him, I think he doesn't care anymore because he got his two rings and he was the MVP of the two finals. And that went down in history. But here's the thing, though, Skip, and I think everybody will sense this. He has to do it outside of Golden State. All right, I got it. I know for a fact he chose to go to Phoenix for Chris Paul. He loves living in Phoenix. Who doesn't? But he liked what they're made of. He likes Monty. Monty's great. Monty's like. He knew Monty from OKC. Yes, he did. And he's, Shannon, I don't know him, but I've kind of been around him. I know a lot of people who really know him. Yeah. He's the best. His heart is the purest. He's such a pleasure to play for. And he's going to lose his job over this because I don't see how you can withstand the heat of these collapses. Plus, there's a new ownership coming in. They're in. OK, OK, they're in. And they paid an absorbent amount of money. And they said, look at what we gave up to get Kevin Durant. We gave up Bridges. We gave up Cam Johnson. We gave up four pigs. We gave up pig swaps. They did. They bet their entire future on this man. We started like a song on repeat. So what are we going to do? And that owner, Matt Ishbia, was sitting in the front row. He went up in a box. He's up close and personal, right? The guy that was here, yes. OK, Matt Ishbia, who played basketball at Michigan State for Tom Izzo, still very close with Tom Izzo. You don't think they're having conversations? Coach, what did you see? Well, I don't know. That's your big guy, right? Oh, yeah, DeAndre Ayton. Well, they should have let him skip. They should have just went ahead and moved him at the deadline. OK. Because he doesn't want to be there skip. Clash with Monty. And nobody ever clashes with Monty. All the time, but all the time. It got so bad in that wipeout game seven last year against Dallas at home. They were screaming to each other in the third quarter. Remember, Monty, for the first time, to my knowledge, in his career, yanked a player and sat him at the end of the bench and said, you're not going back in as starter, DeAndre Ayton. And then they gave Ayton his money. And they were supposed to coexist. And it never quite clicked. OK, so. Skip, I think the thing is, look, the rib contusion. And like I said, I'm not going to get it. I've had rib issues. And so I don't know the severity of it. But when you get a player like Ayton, and at the slightest, he's not willing to fight through it. I agree. Like I said, it's just time to move on. Well, now you're stuck with a big contract. Can you move him? Is he movable? Yeah, I think you can move him. I think somebody's looking for a seven-footer. All right, OK. Now back to Kevin Durant. I've never seen anything like this from him, because he is the most efficient superstar we have ever seen. He can score more points on fewer shots than anybody ever. It's historical. The numbers he put up in the regular season this season were historical. Remember, he was the first 55-40-90. He shot 55. 55, OK. And then he had a great game one in this series. He was pretty good against the Clippers, but it was just the Clippers without Kawhi and Paul George. OK. He had a good game one. And then I start looking at the numbers starting in game two against Denver. And they're horrendous. Shannon. He's shooting terrible from the floor. 10 of 27, 12 of 31, 10 of 24, and then last night, 8 of 19. And from three, over the last, what would it be, five games, he went 5 of 24 from three. You're going to lose. The other team is really, really good. They've been the one seed the whole year. We get it. Yes. But I thought maybe they could just shoot them out of the gym. And the reason this was so sad for me last night is I know for a fact Chris Paul was on course, a done deal, he was going to play in game seven. I believe they missed him in this series. I believe they missed his stability, just his coach on the floor. He can be the Monty on the floor. He can get them situated. He can get the two wings in places where they need and want the basketball. And instead of Book trying to play point guard or maybe Cameron Payne, who weirdly had a great game last night in a 30 point, like, it didn't end up 30, but they're down 30 at half. And campaign was sensational. Seven to nine from three, 31 points. It just didn't matter because the tone got set or unset from the start by Kevin Durant, Kevin Bleepen Durant, and Devin Booker. That's the first play of the game. I sat back and I said, you're going to give them an uncontested layup to start the game? It's a bad sign. And before I could look up, they were down 17 to five. And basically, they kept sort of hanging in for a little while. But by halftime, they're down 30. You can't give up 81 at the half. You gave up 41 in the first quarter. So you're on pace to give up 162 for the game? It's lunacy. It's shameful. And as Katie said after the game, it's embarrassing. Well, he was in embarrassment because they played with no heart, and maybe even worse, no pride. So now we're to Devin Booker, and you just gave the numbers. I love Book. How can he go from so extraordinary to so ordinary? OK, he didn't make first, second, or third team All-NBA, and you and I were saying, but we're prisoner of the moment because he's going Donovan Mitchell explosive. He's looking like 70-point book. Shannon, then I don't know if he just ran out of gas. Did he hit the playoff wall where he's trying to play point guard and shooting guard all wrapped into one? I don't know, because he was in embarrassment last night, maybe even worse than KD, because he was just so quiet. I didn't even know he was on the floor. Devin Booker? Are you kidding? OK, so in the big picture, you say, well, where did they go? Well, I'm going to say it again. I believe they would have won this series if Chris Paul hadn't pulled his groin. But to your point, he always pulls something. He's done it every big year of his career. But Skip, OK, let's just say for the sake of argument, for this discussion, I agree with you. They'd have won with Chris Paul. Skip, you can't be down by 31 with those two players on the floor. They're too good. Something is really wrong if you're down by 30 at halftime with those two. Yes. What was it, 51 to 21? You had 21 points at halftime. No, they had no 81 to 51. I'm sorry, I'm backwards. I'm thinking of the other, the last year. 57-27 would have won.