ESPN First Take’s own, Stephen A. Smith, completely disregarded the talent the Denver Nuggets and other Western Conference teams possess.
If you watch ESPN First Take regularly, then you know about the completely idiotic prediction Stephen A. Smith made about the Western Conference standings this coming season. The dude actually thinks the Los Angeles Lakers will be the third seed in the Western Conference. Talk about an insult to not only the Denver Nuggets, but the other perennial Western Conference playoff teams.
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The Lakers have accomplished damn near nothing for the past three years! Other than adding LeBron James, please tell me what there is to be scared of on that roster?! Rajon Rondo may be a beast when the playoffs come, but other than him and LeBron, no one on the Lakers’ rosters screams ” fear me.”
Did Stephen A. Smith forget that the Lakers do not have many consistent perimeter shooters, players who have been crucial to LeBron’s success?! LeBron does not have a Kevin Love to be the back up star anymore and will be in for a tougher test in the Western Conference. Love was an All Star last season, Rondo was not.
The jury is still out on Kyle Kuzma. Lonzo Ball has been a let down so far ( the man shot 45% from the free throw line as a point guard per basketball reference, enough said). Lance Stephenson does not have the necessary skill set to co-exist with LeBron and Javale McGee is nothing more than a “Shaqtin’ a Fool,” highlight reel at the center spot ( he only averaged 0.9 blocks last year, a terrible average for someone with his wingspan).
Why are the Nuggets better than the Lakers? How about team chemistry which Stephen A. Smith seemingly always ignores. Denver has kept their main core together for a few seasons now without making too many drastic changes. Just ask the Spurs how vital team chemistry is in the NBA.
Not to mention, they have two solidified stars in Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap along with two other budding stars in Gary Harris and Jamal Murray. Oh, and let’s not discount the addition of Isaiah Thomas, someone who was an MVP candidate a couple seasons ago!
Denver has improved every year for the past three seasons and has only missed the post season by one game the past two years. Smith did not only insult the Nuggets, he also insulted the other talented teams in the West.
As much as I hate to admit it, the Timberwolves, Jazz, Thunder and Trail Blazers are still more promising squads than Los Angeles. New Orleans may have the next best player in the world with Anthony Davis.
Houston added Carmelo Anthony, an offensive savant, and were only one game shy of knocking out the overpowered Warriors last season. Last but not least, the Spurs are still a force to be reckoned with with the addition of DeMar DeRozan and still possessing coaching legend, Gregg Popovich.
Stephen A. Smith needs to get out of his feelings for the city of Los Angeles and start getting back to being an un-biased analyst and journalist.
Especially since right now, his love affair with LeBron James being a Laker is rather sad. The Denver Nuggets will be a better team next year than the Los Angeles Lakers next season and I am willing to bet money on that prediction.