James Harden, Draymond Green among stars 'Under Duress'
While it's NBA fans' favorite time of the year, the NFL is still near the forefront of many sports fans' minds, with the draft recently wrapped up.
With that, Chris Broussard's most recent "Under Duress" list features a group of NBA superstars in pivotal postseason situations, as well as an NFL star who needs next season to be his season.
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Chris Broussard's "Under Duress" List is back, and the NBA playoff performers take center stage.
Check out the "First Things First" host's complete list.
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
The outlook: Lamar Jackson lost his top receiver, Hollywood Brown, and he's reportedly frustrated about it. Jackson is in a challenging position following the trade, considering that he's coming off the worst season of his career. Last season, Jackson threw for 2,882 yards but tossed only 16 touchdown passes while throwing a career-high 13 interceptions. His passer rating also suffered, going from 99.3 in 2020 to 87.0 in 2021. Now, without his No. 1 receiver or a long-term deal, it could be an uphill climb for the Baltimore star.
Broussard's thoughts: "Lamar still has yet to sign his lucrative, long-term contract extension that the Ravens seem to be begging to give him. So I really am trying to motivate Lamar. Go sign the contract, Lamar. You might have your worst season in the last three years coming up. Then maybe that extension isn't there. They're ready to give it to you. Go ahead and get it."
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Colin Cowherd trusts the Baltimore Ravens, who have decided to trade Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to the Arizona Cardinals.
4. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
The outlook: Dončić is averaging video-game-like numbers through the first two games of Dallas' second-round series against the Phoenix Suns. However, the Mavericks are down 0-2 coming off a 20-point loss Wednesday in Game 2. Something needs to change in Big D, but in addition to getting more help this offseason, does the European wunderkind need to alter his game?
Broussard's thoughts: "Luka Dončić, the large-adult Slovenian son of one Nick Wright, is only on this list because of his short, American dad. Period. He's only on here because of Nick. Nobody would be killing Luka if it wasn't for Nick Wright. Nick and his custom of prematurely crowning and anointing people have gone too far, and it's killing Luka!"
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Nick Wright breaks down why he believes Chris Paul has found Luka's weakness and whether he thinks his adult Slovenian son can pull the Mavs out of this deficit.
3. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
The outlook: When James Harden was traded to the 76ers earlier this season, pairing him with MVP candidate Joel Embiid, some compared the duo to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. That might have been a reach, but to say that fans and analysts expected more out of them would be an understatement. With Embiid out, Harden is now the No. 1 option for the Sixers, and while few expected him to lead the team to an NBA Finals appearance, most expected him to score more than 18.7 points per game in these playoffs.
Broussard's thoughts: "Miami is a good team, but they're not world-beaters. If Harden was just 80% of the old James Harden, they may be up 2-0 or tied 1-1 because Tyrese Maxey is giving you 26 points on 47% shooting. Tobias Harris is giving you 24 points on 57% shooting. It's James Harden! He hasn't shown up."
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Marcellus Wiley and Emmanuel Acho discuss whether the Sixers made a mistake trading for James Harden.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
The outlook: After a spectacular first-round series from Antetokounmpo and a subpar performance from Kevin Durant, the world was ready to crown the Bucks' superstar the best player in the NBA. That is, until he had to face the team that shut down Durant: the Boston Celtics. While Giannis hasn't been horrendous, his efficiency is suffering against Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He's averaging 26 points through two games but shooting only 38.3% from the field and 12.5% from 3-point range.
Broussard's thoughts: "Ninety percent of the basketball world was ready to crown Giannis as the best player in the world. Then he gets up against the Celtics, and he's struggling a bit. Old man Al Horford, who will be 36 next month, is holding Giannis to 6-of-22 shooting."
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Shannon Sharpe defends his stance that Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the best NBA player on the planet.
1. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
The outlook: Draymond Green's emotions during the Warriors' series against the Memphis Grizzlies have already nearly cost Golden State. Will his actions continue to jeopardize his team's success?
Broussard's thoughts: "Draymond Green is on this list because he has two flagrant foul points in this postseason. If he gets one more Flagrant 2, he will miss a game, and if you miss a game against Memphis or Phoenix or in the Finals, it'll cost you."
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Ric Bucher discusses whether he has an issue with Draymond saying he will never change his game, despite drawing two Flagrant 2 fouls so far this postseason.