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The Stephen A. Smith Show
Stephen A's Take: Dallas Mavericks are still contenders despite trading Luka Doncic
00:07:22
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- [00:00]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday, keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:31]
Julie Swerbinks
What's up everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
- [00:36]
Nate Thompson
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [00:38]
Julie Swerbinks
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [00:42]
Nate Thompson
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [00:47]
Julie Swerbinks
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
- [00:51]
Nate Thompson
Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [00:55]
Julie Swerbinks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:06]
Stephen A. Smith
Now let's look back to the trade between the Mavs and the Lakers that swapped all NBA players Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, who's now with the Mavericks. I want to look at this deal from the Mavs perspective who now have a chance to come out of the West. In my opinion, ladies and gentlemen, this is not complicated. To me, it's relatively simple. It's relatively simple. Anthony Davis is an all world player. It ain't like you traded Luka Doncic and you bring some scrub that's struggling to average two points a game, even 10 points a game. Anthony Davis is averaging 25 and 12. He's an all NBA defensive player. He's a candidate for defensive player of the year. He's one of the elite defenders and the elite big men in the game of basketball. He's a champion not only at the collegiate level for Kentucky, but with the Lakers with their championship in the bubble from four years ago. The brother can bowl. Okay. When he's had success in the past, it was with a. It was with a point guard. Whether it's Jew Holiday or whether it's Rajon Rondo or somebody, this is what he's had available. Now you're going to be playing with Kyrie. Let's look at their front line. You got Gafford, you got Lively, and now you got Anthony Davis. Now he told the Los Angeles Lakers, he wanted them to get a five so he could play the four position because that was his natural, that was his natural slot, his natural spot. That's what he wanted to do. That's what he told them, okay. When he told him that, they obviously weren't too happy about it. Okay? Because they, you know, once again, it's another complaint, I guess. But the Lakers said, hey, he was nothing but professional when we called them. He was nothing but professional when we called him. And like I told you, Rob Pelinka called him first, then he called Rich Paul, then he called LeBron James. This is according to them. And as a result, that's how things were handled. Were they happy about it? No. Anthony Davis just bought a 32 million dollar mansion in Bel Air. That brother wasn't trying to leave. He looked at himself as the face of the franchise. And then lo and behold, when LeBron James put on the show Saturday night against the New York Knicks, Anthony Davis was texting him, congratulating them, thanking the players for standing up and holding it down while he was going. Cause he didn't play. And then next thing you know, he gets word he's been traded. So it was obviously devastating for him. But he's going to Dallas and in Dallas, they are better in Dallas. They do have him in Dallas. The offense will go through him. And Anthony Davis, according him and Kyrie Irving, I'm sorry, according to Jason Kidd, who I spoke to, told me that. So you got that going on. You kept PJ Washington, you got Klay Thompson, by the way, career low 38% shooting for three point range. You know how many people in the NBA wish they could shoot 38% for three point range? This Klay Thompson we talked about, this is a four time champion. This is a brother that lives for big moments. This is Klay Thompson. We talked. This is Klay Thompson, OKLAHOMA CITY, Game 6, when he dropped 41 on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and those boys. Remember that. Remember how many big shots he's hit in numerous playoff appearances. That Klay Thompson, he might have left Golden State, he might not be the same player, but he's in a better situation than Golden State is in right now. So when you look at Klay Thompson and his experience and his marksmanship, when you look at the fact that you got Kyrie with the ball in his hands, no longer having to defer to Luka Doncic, when you look at Anthony Davis having a post presence and a big man that you could kick the ball to, whether it's from 15, from 10, from 5 or from 3 point range. And you consider the fact that the Mavs have improved defensively by leaps and bounds. I got them as a top two team in the West. The. Let me tell you why I put them at number one, assuming they get their act together. You know, Oklahoma City's been on a roll and they've been balling all year long. And we all know that. We all know that about the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shay Gilgeous Alexander was my MVP last year, Damon. He's my MVP right now, even though that damn Jokic never goes away. My God, is he special. But Shay Gilgeous Alexander is that dude. Oklahoma City's record right now is. Is 38 and nine. Best record in the NBA is Cleveland at 49. Oklahoma City is number one seed in the west at 38 and nine. Six game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies. Six and a half game lead over the Houston Rockets. Who I'm telling y'all are coming. IME Udoka, Amen Thompson and those boys are coming. Make no mistake about it. But Oklahoma City would be the number one team right now, right? Do you know why I put Dallas up there? Because even without Luka, the same Dallas Mavericks team that beat Oklahoma City in the playoffs last year when Oklahoma City was number one seed, that's the same Dallas Mavericks team that beat Oklahoma City twice in the last two weeks without Luka. This is what they do. For some reason, they just seem to be an Achilles heel for the Oklahoma City Thunder. You go out and you get Isaiah Hartenstein. Of course, you got Chet Holmgren, who's been out, and eventually we hope he'll be back. But if I told you you got a choice between Anthony Davis and Isaiah Hartenstein, who would you pick? I'm just asking a rhetorical question, because we all know the damn answer. It's Anthony Davis. And so Anthony Davis joining Gafford and Lively and P.J. washington. I got news for y'all. That's formidable. That's no joke. That's something to pay attention to. Now you, Anthony Davis, do you know he already. He got an automatic at least 9% spike in his salary just because he departed from Los Angeles to Dallas, from California to Texas. No state income taxes in Texas. You know. You know you had a 9% spike in his money. This is a brother getting paid over 50 million a year. That 9% matters. It matters. That's what Anthony Davis got right now. Now you gotta. You know, he can lease out the mansion, he can sell it, he can live there in the off season. They say Luca had a $12 million mansion he just closed on a few weeks, a couple weeks ago, just like Anthony Davis did. Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, Luca's crib is probably just as big and probably just as fly as Anthony Davis says. But notice the difference between 12 million and 32 million because one was in Cali and one's in Texas. So Anthony Davis money gonna go pretty damn far. In other words, whatever he's going through, he'll get over it. He's had a long standing relationship with Nico Harrison. He was coached by Jason Kidd during the championship year, and he's going to a place where his money will go longer, stretch wider. He'll be fine, and he's on a better team. LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Lakers, that's an entirely different matter, especially for LeBron James.
- [08:25]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [08:56]
Julie Swerbinks
What's up, everyone? Julius Rippinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
- [09:01]
Nate Thompson
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [09:04]
Julie Swerbinks
The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [09:07]
Nate Thompson
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [09:12]
Julie Swerbinks
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
- [09:16]
Nate Thompson
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [09:21]
Julie Swerbinks
Listen to EnergyLine with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.