ESPN’s First Take saw Shannon Sharpe steal the headlines yet again. The on-air personality isn’t shy of proclaiming his LeBron James fandom. But the NFL Hall of Famer went overboard during the show following Los Angeles’ Luka Doncic debut.
“Let us get OKC in the Western Conference Finals,” could be heard from Shannon Sharpe on ESPN airwaves. This was followed by something that could be interpreted as a Charley Barkley-like Guarantee exclamation.
The co-host appears to be very high on the recent trade for this LA side. Many NBA fans are. But his comment is simply too much of an exaggeration to avoid. Granted, he could be playing it up for the show. Either way, taking his take at face value, saying the Lakers would beat OKC in a seven-game series is too much of a bold stance.
This team looked good in their first game with the new rotation together. Furthermore, there’s understandably a lot of excitement with Doncic coming to town. Unfortunately, the first viewing of the new signing was against a bad Utah Jazz team. They are a team competing for a high-end draft pick later this year.
As is, the defense is still an issue, particularly in transition and miscommunication that leads to easier buckets. Then the rest of the lineup will need to be more consistent in contributing. Austin Reaves has had some good showings as of late and illustrates the need for a third or fourth person to get going on any given night.
More importantly, the Oklahoma City Thunder are simply a strong force. They’ve dominated throughout the year. And the scary part is that they’ve done so without Chet Holmgren. The team has lost Anthony Davis and replaced him with one of the more talented players in the NBA, but there’s a clear letup defensively.
Either way, this LA side doesn’t have someone who can stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And if the guard is involved in pick-and-roll action with Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein, it’s hard to see how the Lakers would have a prayer of slowing any of this action down.
How Shannon Sharpe could be proven right
This take is likely to age within this season. But the move was the future. Moreover, trading AD for Doncic indicates a shift toward further stability. The LeBron greatness is coming to an end. Everyone knows this. But this Los Angeles team secured their position in the league by acquiring one of the world’s best.
This is a potential matchup to look forward to. But Rob Pelinka will need to make more moves. His team needs more in order to truly compete with OKC in the West. Shannon Sharpe isn’t correct right now. The Lakers face tough competition against their counterparts in the West. They’ll need to have more great front office days. As of right now, this franchise is far from advancing to the NBA Finals.