Stephen A. breaks down the Lakers chances in the West & Kyrie Irving's future with the Mavs | Get Up

And what LeBron's Lakers did yesterday, it's LeBron versus Kyrie Lakers and Mavs on ABC. First half was all Dallas, up as many as 27. Yeah, and at that point in the game, Grignard was like, hmm, I don't know about these Lakers in this back stretch of the season. Believe me, everyone here was talking that way as well. Kyrie had 21 in the first half, but look at LeBron playing defense. Yeah, and LeBron was huge in terms of changing the momentum in this ball game. He had that one big block with three assists, he finished with a big game. They cut it to 14 at the break, and then third quarter, they're coming back, and it's Anthony Davis leading the way. A monster double-double performance from AD, 30 points and 15 boards. He was able to play physical and kick off the ground quickly in this one. But then here's the moment, LeBron on the ground, and if you read his lips, he says, I heard a pop. That's a bad thing to hear. Listen, now that we know, and LeBron kept playing, don't be so dramatic and scare the entire NBA world. I was standing there thinking, well, we're going to have to redo the entire get-up rundown for tomorrow. As it turned out, he never even came out of the game. And then here's Dennis Schroeder, no good, but tipping it around, and it's Davis, and it's good, and the Lakers have come all the way back and taken the lead. And then it's LeBron on the next possession posting up. I mean, this is why you fear him. I mean, finding the mismatch so physical, able to will his way to the paint for a high percentage shot. I mean, he's LeBron. He had 26 in this game. Mavericks now facing a deficit. The three from Justin Holliday, no good, but Kyrie is there making it a one-point game. So they need a bucket, and it's AD who gets it. It should have been AD on this particular night. The Mavs had no answer for him. That is a shot of confidence. That is a shot of, I'm in my bag. He knocks it down. So the Lakers, down as many as 27, come all the way back and win. It's their largest comeback since 2002. It's equal to the largest comeback LeBron has ever had in his career. They now have two wins this season when they're trailing by 25 or more. The rest of the NBA has zero wins in that situation. Steve and I will begin to talk about it a little later in this hour, but let's bring Windy into the conversation as well right here. As the morning is going on, I'm strengthening my case. Windy, I have decided the Lakers have a chance to be the surprise. Any team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis that have Lakers on the front of their jersey can only be so much of a surprise, but I think they have a chance to be the surprise team of the stretch run here and the playoffs once we get there. They look dangerous with this new look. Maybe a surprise team, and we still haven't seen Kevin Durant with the Suns. He's going to be playing his first game, I believe, on Wednesday in Charlotte. We still haven't seen the best of this Mavericks team. I think the Lakers, if they didn't have to deal with the legacy, if you will, of that terrible start to the season, they would really have a different outlook because they'd be a team in the top six that you could feel would have a fighting chance. Now I just think that they're in a difficult position to truly make a run. But I will say this, this is the type of team, and I want to qualify this, the type of team that the Lakers had when they won the title in 2020. Because it's LeBron and AD with really good supporting players that give them a margin for error. Since the trade, they've won four or five. D'Angelo Russell led them to a win, Malik Beasley led them to a win, and yesterday Jared Vanderbilt, 17 rebounds, four assists, four steals, 19 points, was tremendous. That's the kind of support that you need around two stars. That's what they have now. I really like their medium term future, but the short term, I'm not sure they're going to get where you're hoping they're going to go. But look, I mean, I can't disagree with Phoenix, and we'll see what they look like with KD, and they got 20 games to work him into the mix. The Suns with KD should be the best team, I would think, in the West. But outside of that, and we'll see, I mean, you know, chemistry is a complicated thing to build. I think that there's no one else, the Lakers, there's no one else that if you said to me the Lakers are going to beat them in a seven-game series, I would say they have no chance. Denver, the Clippers, none of that, none of that would I say, no, they have no chance whatsoever. OK, I'm with you, but I think the question for me is, do the Lakers have two seven-game series in them? And I don't think so. No. So that, you know what I mean? Like, I think LeBron and AD should be respected. They can lead this team to potentially go on a tear. The math, to Wendy's point, is stacked up against them, because to me, the teams that are ahead of them, outside of Utah, everybody else is trying to win, as I understand it. So it's not as if there's just this space waiting for them to jump up in the standings. And so, I got you, Greeny, like, I don't think that that's a wild assessment of the situation. I think that they probably finished nine or ten, and it's still going to require them two games to get to six, and then we'll see what happens. If they wind up not, you're right. Make sure that everyone understands, because the play-in tournament is still a relatively recent phenomenon. If they wind up nine or ten, they have to win two games to get into the playoffs. If they wind up seven or eight, they only have to win one game to get into the playoffs. If they wind up six, then they're in the playoffs before it even begins. So there's an enormous difference between those things. But as you look at it right now, I mean, these moves they made, Wendy, and we all sort of lamented, LeBron lamented, not getting Kyrie Irving. But as it turns out, they may have put together exactly the roster that this team needed to make that kind of run. Final thought on this, Wendy. Yeah, so I think the Lakers have a favorable schedule relative to the other teams. The big thing for them is, is Anthony Davis and LeBron going to be able to stay on the floor? Now, we're already worried about LeBron's right foot after that injury yesterday, whether or not it'll swell up before they play Memphis tomorrow. He's already dealing with a left foot injury. If LeBron and AD can stay healthy and play for the majority, if not all of these 23 games coming down the stretch, their schedule gives them a window to make something possible. And the reason that they are, that Darvon Hamm is talking about sixth, is that they're targeting the Sacramento Kings. The Sacramento Kings are in third. I think they're very likely to finish third. That's the team that they want in the first round, an inexperienced team. That's their dream scenario. If you're a Laker fan, you're dreaming of somehow getting to sixth against the Kings because you could end up in a tougher situation if you fall elsewhere on the bracket. Elevate their level of intensity. They really attack. They really attack the Dallas Mavericks, neutralize them offensively, and obviously Dallas is challenged defensively, particularly on their front line. So when you think about even though LeBron James got hurt and we got to wonder whether or not he's going to miss any games, and if so, how many, particularly with Memphis and OKC coming up, it can be challenging. But like I was saying to Will Bond and Jalen Rose, don't tell me that a healthy Lakers squad, obviously injuries, that's different, but a healthy Lakers squad can't go 15 and six over the next 21 games, which is what people surmise would enable them to attack to get to sixth seed. You've got Utah in there. They're going to fade, in my opinion, because obviously they're building for the future. You obviously got the Dallas Mavericks in there. They're questionable. They're trying to figure things out offensively and defensively. They're incredibly challenged. You've got the Pelicans and the Minnesota Timberwolves. You've seen what's been happening to them. Don't tell me the Lakers can't move up and potentially grab a sixth seed. It's not a guarantee. Of course it's not, but there is no question that they're in position to make a run. Now that they won that game, they're only two and a half games out. So I look at it from that perspective and I say, excuse me, LeBron with Anthony Davis, Malik Beasley shooting the ball the way that he is. D'Angelo Russell's been out the last couple of games. They've won anyway. OK, you got this kid Vanderbilt with his activity, Reeves coming off the bench and giving you something, some good things as well. I just look at the Los Angeles Lakers and I say, yes, they can ultimately get themselves in position to get a sixth seed and avoid Denver and Phoenix in the first round. Assuming Phoenix works their way up. That's right. Assuming in the West, which I think we think they will. But Phoenix might just wind up being too good for everybody. We have no idea what they're going to be in the absence of that. I've been trying to make the case this morning, and I'm not getting a lot of buy-in from Wendy or from Monica. I'll warn you ahead of time that I could see the Lakers doing something pretty interesting when we get to April and May. If they sneak up there, unless Phoenix just winds up running away and hiding and just blowing everybody out. You look at Denver, you look at Memphis, you look at the Clippers. There are flaws in all of these teams in the West. I think the Lakers could be very dangerous in the play. Well, I'm on the record. I've stated that the Lakers could get to the sixth seed, and they'll win a first-round series and get to the semifinals. Because obviously, if they're sixth seed, they play at three. Now, I have been very, very impressed with Sacramento. They've just been doing their thing. De'Aaron Fox, Sabonis and them brothers. Malik Monk, who was a Laker and dropped 45 in double overtime against the Clippers Friday night. I mean, he was absolutely sensational. I just look at what I'm seeing from the Sacramento Kings. Mike Brown is my runaway coach of the year. Thus far, I think he's done a sensational job. Of course, Sacramento is not somebody you can summarily dismiss. Memphis, you can't summarily dismiss. They reminded you of that based on what they did to Denver at home the other night. But in the end, playoff times, a best of seven series. We're talking about champions in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Again, assuming health is there. These guys are experienced superstars who can produce when it's time. And then you take into account the fact that they've improved their perimeter shooting. They've got the ability to spread the floor. And their defensive tenacity is unquestioned. Look at how they shut down Dallas last night. Look at how they clamped down on Dallas after being down 27 points. There's no question in my mind that the Lakers could potentially make some noise if they advance to the playoffs, being a sixth seed. And they don't go up against experienced bunches like Denver. And of course, like Phoenix. More so Phoenix than Denver to me, personally. Because I love the idea of Anthony Davis being able to go against Jokic. Jokic is great and phenomenal as he is. It's not always that way when he's going up against Anthony Davis. That's how I look at it. Yeah. I mean, the Lakers are going to be a dangerous team. And then there's the Kyrie of it all. So he goes to Dallas. So whatever it's worth, he and Luka are one and three in games they've played together so far. Woj told us after that trade was made, the Mavericks did not bring him there to be a rental. But you got LeBron talking so nicely about him at the All-Star Game. All those kinds of things. Reading the tea leaves. Do you think the future is still Kyrie in L.A. with LeBron as soon as next year? I think it's entirely plausible. I think it's all a matter of who's willing to dole out the most dollars. And if you're Kyrie Irving, you're in a pretty good position. Because the reality is, since he's been there, he hasn't dwindled or diminished offensively. He's still spectacular. When you look at the Dallas Mavericks, it's a level of cohesiveness that you're They made the deal just as much for Luka as it was for Kyrie. They knew what the team looked like whenever Luka went to the bench. Luka was complaining about how he needed an additional weapon. When they went out there and they got him, they got the guy that leads the league in scoring in the fourth quarter in Kyrie Irving, who is a champion, who is an offensive juggernaut. And so when you have that in your possession, obviously, are you willing to be deferential? Are you willing to share the basketball, particularly in key and pivotal moments? That was a question offensively. Defensively, that's not Luka and Kyrie's problem. That front line, there's a problem. The howls of the world and others. What are they going to be able to give you on the front line, Christian Wood and others? Right now, it's not much. Then because that's a problem for Dallas, they've got to find a way to figure that out. But in the end, if you're Kyrie Irving, all you have to do is shut up and play. That's it. Shut up and show up to work. That's all he has to do because there's no question about his skills. We know that Kyrie Irving is a $50 million a year player as a talent. The question is, is he going to make headlines for the wrong reasons? All he has to do is my advice, my personal advice. Let me look at the national television to say this. Go back to the days of Antonio Brown years ago. Remember about two or three years ago when Antonio Brown was playing for the Raiders? And all he has to do is shut up for four days. And he's got $29 million guaranteed. And the brother couldn't keep quiet. He couldn't do it. Okay. It was a Thursday. All he had to do was get through that Monday night game and get to Tuesday. And $29 million of his contract would have been guaranteed. He couldn't do it. If you're Kyrie Irving, it's a little bit longer. Shut up for the rest of the season. Just play. Okay. Just play. Because he's down in Texas now. So some of that stuff that they were dealing with, you know, you tolerate in New York City. They ain't gonna tolerate down in Texas. Right. Texas is a little bit different. Right. Shut up. Play. And all you got to do is sit back. And either the Lakers or the Dallas Mavericks are gonna up the ante. And you'll get some of your bag. Maybe not all of it.