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Post by IamQuailman on Nov 1, 2013 11:15:15 GMT -6
Please don't comment until the show is completed! Thanks! |
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Post by IamQuailman on Nov 1, 2013 11:37:06 GMT -6
Kerry Champion: And we're back folks! Welcome again to ESPN First Take: #SLOE!
Skip Bayless: We should rename it "Two Girls, One Skip".
Kerry Champion: Today, our two favorite personalities, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, will be further dissecting the 1991 NBA Playoffs as they see 'em and make their predictions for this 2nd round. First, before we jump there let's look back at Skip and Stephen's predictions for the last round. I think there's a bit of crow to eat here.
Skip Bayless: I never eat crow, but when I do, I like to give it a little flavor. But I'll let Stephen A. go first. Ladies first and all.
Stephen A. Smith: Skip, your shots keep getting cheaper and cheaper with every episode we have. SO disrespectful.
Kerry Champion: Well Stephen, you had predicted the Celtics to overtake the Knicks in 6 games. Didn't exactly happen.
Stephen A. Smith: Yeah, I had the Celtics coming on strong in games 3 and 4, exerting themselves against the Knicks. But, for lack of better words, I was wrong.
Skip Bayless: Can you say that again?
Stephen A. Smith: I was wrong, Skip. But so were you. But we'll get to that soon enough. Yeah, Knicks proved me wrong, living up to their Regular Season matchup record. The game 3 3-point loss took the wind out of their sails and the Admiral redirected that ship to a Knicks victory. Blowout victories at that. I was shocked that Boston gave up like that... then again it seems like giving up is in Boston sports blood, with the Red Sox getting swept by the Oakland Athletics this past season and the Patriots going 1-15 this past season as well.
Kerry Champion: Skip, how about you? Crow?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 12:00:45 GMT -6
Skip Bayless: Not today! Cari. Stephen A. Smith: Shocker... The man who's never wrong. Skip Bayless: If you remember what I said, I said my heart said Indiana in 7. I also said that their coach is aloof and stubborn, but he surprised me and made the changes necessary to to win this series. So here's your standing applause. With that being said, i'm not so sure it WAS the Pacers change in strategy or the Cavs change in strategy to throw bricks at the goal for the final 4 games of the series.  Cari Champion: Well, we all heard the Pacers' GM come on national television and call you out Skip, what's your response to their GM.
Skip Bayless: Cari, I'm happy for him. I've been doing sports journalism for years and i've made my fair share of mispicks but as I said before my heart was with the Pacers in 7, so I didn't totally get it wrong. But don't worry PaulyP, you may have gotten out of one 0-2 deficit, but i'll guarantee you won't make it out of this one. That's right, Stephen A. you're hearing it here first, this Pacer has run out of gas. They're buried in this 0-2 hole and it's all over but the crying.
Skip Bayless: Stephen A., you know every player from the NBA, you could have gotten the Pacers point guard Jay Humpries of Magic before this series. He's about as in awe of Magic as a little kid when he visits schools. I think the only time Jay Humphries has ripped Magic is when Magic blows by him and he rips his autographed Magic Johnson boxers he wears to every game in this series. It's unreal, Magic posted 32-17-11-3 and 26-12-8. Luckily for the Pacers GM, he'll get to see Magic play all the way into the next round and eventually in the finals. The Pacers' GM can sit right next to me for the Conference championship edition of First Take.
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Post by IamQuailman on Nov 1, 2013 12:21:46 GMT -6
Stephen A. Smith: Ha ha ha, Skip. Way to give the Pacers more bulletin board material. That's just the fuel they need to make another stunning comeback. It's hard to pick against the Hawks, but I'm all in on the Pacers. They had a great run at the end of the season, and have shown time and time again that they aren't as "aloof" and "stubborn" as you so incorrectly called them.
Skip Bayless: You weren't so all in on the Pacers last round? Stephen A. Smith: Beside the point, Skip. Times change, and so does the Pacers gameplan per matchup. You spoke about Magic doing his thing everywhere, but the real battle is down low. Ewing needs to BE THE MAN HE IS MEANT TO BE. Moses Malone is old enough to tell the tale of the Red Sea parting. Ewing, being the young fella he is, needs to show that man the way to the retirement home and Picadilly Cafeteria. Between Ewing and A.C. Green, they should control the boards and the paint against these dominating big men from Oldlanta. Control them and it's a series. That is the key to victory for the Pacers. And a Pacers victory it will be in 7 games. MARK THAT DOWN, SKIP.
Skip Bayless: Oh I have. I put that prediction in my Roladex next to 9-1-1... because you must be brain dead to think that.
Cari Champion: Where to next Stephen? Shall we stay in the East with the Bucks versus Knicks?
Stephen A. Smith: Let's. And it was surprising to see them drop one, but that does not change my pick that the Bucks will win this series. The Bucks owned the Knicks all season long, and they will continue to do so in this series. Don't get me wrong, the Knicks have forced the Bucks into some inefficient shots; but let's look at the true tale here: Free Throws. In Game 1, the Bucks had 25 more free throw ATTEMPTS. And the Knicks had 33 attempts from the line. As inefficiently as the Bucks scored, they had 47 points from the stripe that kept them in the game regardless of shooting a team field goal percentage of a scary 32%. Game 2, guess how many free throw attempts they had Skip?
Skip Bayless: No.
Stephen A. Smith: 38. 19 more than the Knicks. That's been the Bucks M.O. all season; get to the line and get the other team in foul trouble. Oh yeah, and score a crap load of points. Home or away, Bucks will do that regardless. Bucks in 6.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 12:35:13 GMT -6
Skip Bayless: Stephen A., I hear you and I don't think you're wrong, but even with all the Knicks faults ALREADY in this series, they achieved what they set out to do. Win one game in Milwaukee where it is all but impossible to do. The Bucks were 32-9 during the regular season and hadn't lost one until this series in the playoffs. The Knicks meanwhile weren't a slouch at home posting a 30-11 record at home themselves. Sure the free throw game is being won by the Bucks who averaging 48 free throws a game, but to me that's a huge red flag. The Bucks who have dropped one despite this astronomical free throw rate and only won their one game by a point. The seem to be peaking at the right time and are one of the teams at the top of the league when it comes to scoring. Stephen A. Smith: Are you saying the New York Knickerbockers can keep pace with the Bucks? Skip Bayless: No one can keep pace with the Buck playing their style, but the Knicks have a defense that's just good enough to not let the impending flood through the dam, and Stephen A., if that damn doesn't break.. the Bucks are damned. I've got the Knicks in 7. Stephen A. Smith: I like that Skip, that was fresh. Cari Champion: I know, i know, are you trying to be a rapper. Skip Bayless: I'm a man who wears many hats.
Stephen A. Smith: the only hat you wear is a donkey hat...  Skip Bayless: I don't get it.. Cari Champion: Allllright. Well now that we have the Eastern Conference down, how about we move out West where Jazz have a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors. Skip, your take? Skip Bayless: Thanks Cari, I'm firmly on the Jazz's bandwagon in this series. It seems they've finally woken up from the regular season when they almost got burned by the Suns. The Suns gave the Jazz all they could handle and more; and honestly I think they gave the series away by changing their defense after holding the Jazz to 73 points in game 6. It was a baffling move to me, but it seems to have awaken a sleeping giant. Skip Bayless: Michael Jordan's Jazz are absolutely manhandling this Golden State team so bad, that they should rename themselves to the "Pacifist" because they're getting the brakes beat off of them. It really seems to me Stephen A. after only losing game 1 by 6 points and have lost all of their hope and conviction for the playoffs. Kemp is playing pretty well but that's the constant for the Warriors and this team goes as Reggie Lewis goes. It's a case of good Reggie versus bad Reggie and if he becomes the inefficient shot chucker he was in game two, which he has been known to do, the Warriors don't stand a chance and lose all of these games. We've even seen already when Lewis has a great game they still can lose, but they at least have a punchers chance. In the end I don't think it happens and the Jazz win in 4. Cari Champion: Alright, and you Stephen A. ? |
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Post by IamQuailman on Nov 1, 2013 12:51:42 GMT -6
Stephen A. Smith: Finally, something we agree on. As impressive as the Warriors looked in the first round of the playoffs, they have looked equally as unimpressive in the second round. If anything, we thought the Suns may have found a weakness in the Jazz's armor, a weakness that the Warriors are just unable to exploit. But something to highlight here for this season, and quite possibly the deciding factor: ball movement for the Jazz. They've averaged 30.5 assists per game in this series so far. The Warriors have averaged 24.5. Now while that looks close overall, it was evident the most in Game 2. The Warriors had only 16 assists, with Kemp and Lewis being their only double-digit scorers. Meanwhile, the Jazz had 26 assists and 4 double digit scorers. Obviously the Warriors need to get more ball movement and more involvement from non-Kemp and non-Lewis players, if anything to just take some of the pressure off their obvious main two scoring options. You can't have Lewis shooting 8 for 29 again. MY GOD. But if that lack of team involvement happens again, there won't be a game 5.
 Your pick? Stephen A. Smith: I like an upset as much as the next guy, as you saw in my first pick, but there's just no way the Warriors make it to the next round. Jazz in 5. Cari Champion: That brings us to our last matchup: the Mavs versus the Kings. Stephen A... take us away!
Stephen A. Smith: Well, if I didn't make it clear in the last episode, I love what the Mavs are doing. They held true to their tough, nitty-gritty type play and won in round one, despite all odds with their injury issues. Now they are facing the Kings where the series is tied up 1-1 heading back to Dallas for 2 games. These next two games will decide the series. If the Mavs win their two home games - and they have an impressive 30-11 home record - the series is theirs for the taking. Skip Bayless: Hm...
Stephen A. Smith: Hold that thought Skip. The biggest factor in this game won't be John Stockton, Steve Kerr, Mark West, or Sidney Green; it is the man named Scott Williams. The weight of this world lies on his shoulders as he's squaring off with Karl Malone. In Game 1, he was crushed by Malone's 55-point man-musk, but in Game 2, he held Malone to a "measly" 22 points... 22 points and a field goal percentage of 32%. If Scott Williams can keep the latter up and make Malone a non-factor, then the Kings are in for a world of hurt.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 12:52:31 GMT -6
Skip Bayless: I respect your pick, but i'm going to have the courage to stay with my convictions here and pick the Kings and 7. But here's what worries me Stephen A., through these two games in Sacremento: The Kings are not playing Sacremento basketball. That's hard nosed grind it out ball and giving teams little opportunity to score. I have a feeling their coach will realize this, but I hope it's not before it's too late. As we saw from the win the Kings got at home they scored 122 points. They can't rely on that type of offensive production throughout the rest of this series. The backbone to this team is defense and we really haven't seen that so far giving up 100 a game in both games. Skip Bayless: Now I don't hate the Mavericks either. They're a very capable team but I thought the Eddie Johnson injury would be too much for them to make a deep run in the playoffs...BUT! Stephen A. Smith: BUT?! Here we go again just like the Cavs Pacers series, Skip Bayless is giving the youth of America on hedging his bets. So much for "courage of your convictions". Skip Bayless: BUT if the Mavs can keep scoring like they're scoring without their top scorer, i'm not sure who can stop them. I think the Ferry injury hurts them a bit, but as we've seen already they've got a lot of heart and won't go down without much of a fight. Unfortunately for them, i think the Kings pack a little too much of a bunch for these guys and this series will be Epic, but the Kings in 7. Cari Champion: Alright well there you have it. Until the conference Championship! Skip, Stephen A., it's been a pleasure. Until next time.
Show is over, everyone please leave comments; we thrive off of both positive and negative constructive criticism and people reading the show is what makes this worth it..
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Post by DarthVegito on Nov 1, 2013 12:57:30 GMT -6
All I have to say is thanks to Cari Champion's parents.
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Post by TrayWithAnA on Nov 1, 2013 13:35:41 GMT -6
Good stuff. I didn't even know which 8 teams were still in it. I'm glad this article informed me.
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Post by beeballoversohard on Nov 1, 2013 13:40:30 GMT -6
Good work as always guys
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Post by NOLa. on Nov 1, 2013 13:43:33 GMT -6
Loved all of it again and nice observations on the Kings/Mavs matchup.
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PaulyP
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Post by PaulyP on Nov 1, 2013 14:08:45 GMT -6
I love the underdog role but damn the Hawks are tough, Stephen A. has some balls to pick us in 7, enjoyed the other write ups too
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Post by bowtothebill23 on Nov 1, 2013 15:58:12 GMT -6
glad yall could both finally "agree on something" that I'd get blown out lol
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Post by IamQuailman on Nov 1, 2013 16:05:24 GMT -6
glad yall could both finally "agree on something" that I'd get blown out lol Aw Neb... Maybe this will start your turn-around like PaulyP! |
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Post by bowtothebill23 on Nov 1, 2013 16:39:13 GMT -6
glad yall could both finally "agree on something" that I'd get blown out lol Aw Neb... Maybe this will start your turn-around like PaulyP! You're an ass |
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Post by IamQuailman on Nov 1, 2013 17:14:46 GMT -6
Aw Neb... Maybe this will start your turn-around like PaulyP! You're an ass But y u mad bro? |
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PaulyP
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Post by PaulyP on Nov 1, 2013 17:25:51 GMT -6
Im rooting for Bow just cause Cprej is makin us wait on this sim
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Post by bowtothebill23 on Nov 1, 2013 17:27:26 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2013 8:49:53 GMT -6
Thanks for the comments guys!
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Post by IamQuailman on Dec 10, 2013 22:17:58 GMT -6
(via Darth PM) BALLS and QUAIL, AWARDED 5 POINTS! THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!
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