Stephen A. DOESN’T SEE the Knicks as contenders + Clippers headed WHERE?! | First Take YT Exclusive

Stephen A. DOESN’T SEE the Knicks as contenders + Clippers headed WHERE?! | First Take YT Exclusive

Happy New Year welcome back to First Take exclusively on YouTube here with the Hall of Famer Shannon sharp and of course the one and only Stephen A Smith I’m Molly guys let’s Dive Right In so sa how about your Nicks making some money moves so here’s the deal over the

Weekend New York acquired Ford OG and anbi in a trade that sent RJ Barrett Emanuel quickly in a 2024 second round pick to the Toronto Raptors your last night OG made his NYC debut in front of a home crowd and took the challenge of guarding wolvar Anthony Edwards playing

35 minutes and scoring 17 points before fouling out the day before anobi trade took place the Knicks odds to win the NBA title were 50 to1 the day after that trade their odds increased to 40 to1 okay so ESS here’s what I want to know do you think the Knicks are stronger

Contenders in the East now no I don’t um I think they’re a better team defensively I think they’re weaker offensively and that’s what what this really comes down to I don’t have Shannon any problem per se with the trade and meaning and acquiring ogan anobi he can shoot Corner threes is at

44% the season he’s one of the better catch and shoot three-point Shooters in the game certainly better at like 37 and a half% certainly better than than RJ Barrett in that category and he’s a better Defender so I think when you look at it from that perspective and the fact

That you you’ll take the ball you you’ll put more opportunities in hands of Jaylen Brunson and Julius Randle offensively fine but we’ve already seen that Julius Randle is relatively limited comp postseason time because he doesn’t use his power game he keeps jacking up too many jump shots and I’ve told him

About that needs to get to the home he’s a powerful dude take it to the rack right having said all of that uh the fact that you’re going to elevate yourself defensively is going to be an excuse for thibo to shorten his rotation which is never a good thing it’s going

To be an excuse for him to be somewhat limited offensively because he’s going to rely on defense and that’s not going to work but so much against the likes of Boston and Milwaukee and that to me is the measuring stick for this trade are you going to be better suited to beat

Milwaukee and Boston and that’s not going to happen and I I the one thing that I do not like I did not like losing quickly right I like him a lot and I loved him runner up the Sixth Man of the Year last year coming up to bench spark

Plug he’s got skills He’s Got Talent he’s gonna be a starter in Toronto I believe he’s got a lot of potential I’m going to miss him but the Knicks have eight first round picks or and 11 picks over all first round picks over all the next seven years give some of them away

And get me somebody like ad Donovan Mitchell until that I am not going to be overly excited about this deal it doesn’t make them worse but it doesn’t knock my socks off yeah I agree with you it it doesn’t make them worse but does it put them in front of Boston does it

Put them in front of Milwaukee does it put them in front of Philly what it did do is it gave Theo a premier defender on the wing which he lack it also gets it gives them now all of a sudden Julius Rand and Jaylen Brunson they get more opport

Because he’s not a usage guy RJ Brad needs the ball quickly needs the ball so now we get a guy that can catch and shoot he can defend and he doesn’t take the ball out of Brunson and Julius Randall hands now the playoffs is a different story we’ll see what Julius

Randle does but like you said he has come up small in the playoffs and he needs to do better at that Jaylen Brunson is Jaylen Brunson he’s only so big he can only give you so much I like it but like I said at the end of the day

When we when you make moves I’m thinking you’re trying to say okay this is a move this is a chess move that puts us in front of I still okay at best case scenario what you’re the fourth best team in the East you’re not better than Boston you’re not better than Milwaukee

You’re not better than Philly and so for me you like it I mean but how much better that’s right does OG make them after this train y’all all right y’all are right and it’s it’s a classic it’s a classic example of gods and I’m not knocking Leon Rose and William Wesley

And all of these worldwide West and all them I’m not knocking them for it but what I’m saying is you can tell there’s a difference between people who are doing a good job to sustain their tenure as opposed to people who are going for

It and putting it on the line and and I have yet to see them do that this is nice you’re not bad you’ll be in contention you’ll make the playoffs or what have you but I’m waiting for the New York Knicks with all them damn picks

To make the kind of move that says oh we going for it and I haven’t seen that yet if they make the move that you want with Donovan Mitchell how does that Donovan Mitchell how does that decrease the production of a Jaylen Brunson because you’re going to take the ball out of his

Hands some how do that decrease the production you look at it as decreasing the production I look at it as saving them because the more owners you put on their shoulders the more worn out they’re going to become postseason time and Jaylen Brunson because of his size

Even though I think he’ll still find a way to be effective but that combined with Julius Randall that is not enough you need a Bonafide number one scoring option which neither of them are Jaylen Brunson has resembled did and we saw how he performed against Miami in the postseason particularly the closeout

Game but Donovan Mitchell is a Bonafide number one scoring option in the NBA well you do realize you get Donald M Mitchell not Tio G he gonna just play his five starters 42 minutes that’s a problem Stephen Stephen a real quick before we get to Shannon’s Lakers so

What would you say is their ceiling now the same as it was last year you go to the conference semi-finals and you go home okay uh let’s switch coasts and talk about Shannon’s Lakers so they haven’t been the most consistent losing back-to-back games over the weekend after coming up short against the

Timberwolves on Bron’s birthday and then getting blown up by the Pelicans that was 129 to 109 New Year’s Eve so it hasn’t been all sunshine in La since winning that inaugural inseason tournament they’ve gone three and eight and their defense has been the problem giving up over 120 points per game and

More than 15 threes per game so Shannon was winning the inseason tournament really Fool’s Gold for the Lakers I don’t think it was fool go Fool’s gold but I do I remember Stephen A and I having a conversation I think they’re going to put a lot of emphasis on it

Because it is something that the NBA instituted it was going to be the inaugural event and you want to win the first there will be many after that but you can no one can say they won the uh the first except the Lakers now I’m disappointed in how well they they they

Played the showing over the last since the the tournament LeBron and AD I don’t know what else they can do ad is giving you 25 and 12 and a half two and a half blocks Lebron is giving you 25 7 and seven they need a third option I mean

Austin Reed is giving you great great production Off the Bench but DLo hasn’t hasn’t stepped up a few games he’s played well but when you look at cam reddish and you look at uh van they got to give you more Sten they’re too much of the same guy and for what they’re

Giving you offensively it’s not like they’re locking down the defensive end like an Alvin Robertson like a Dennis Rodman or like a Gary pton so I’m asking myself if I’m looking at him I’m like okay you’re only giving me three Five Points a game it’s not like you’re

Locking down the opposing guy that you’re supposed to so do we really need both of those guys I think you can if you move one or the other I don’t think there no worse no no worse for it so uh yeah I’m disappointed but I don’t think

It was Fool’s goal they’re better than where they were last year at this time remember they were way under 500 no you can’t go by that I’m going to tell you why you can’t and I won’t let you because it was before the trade see if if if you had

This team and they were like they were worse last year but this year they’re better that’s different they made it’s the the trade before the dayline they Acquired haimura and then in the later trade they got vanderbild and DLo okay so you kept the team together and now

This year after getting to the Conference Finals okay and exceeding expectations before getting swept by Denver you got the off season you come into this season you know Anthony Davis and LeBron James was talking and what kind of mission that they own well guess what they’ve backed it up LeBron has

Been balling Anthony Davis is a candidate for defensive player of the year he’s averaging 252 like you said 2.6 block shoot 55% from the field by the way 37 a half% from three-point range I’m looking at Anthony Davis playing out of his mind he has been available he’s only missed two games I’m

Gonna lose the damn bet to you because apparently he ain’t gonna miss a bunch of games before before Valentine’s Day so I got to give you credit in that regard but that to me should Elevate the level of Shame the rest of the Lakers yeah what are you doing you know that

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are giving you their all and they’re the cornerstones of the franchise all you got to do is your job somehow someway y’all ain’t getting it done I would move DLo because I’m tired of that he just looks lack of days go I’m not accusing

Him of not giving effort he just never seems like he’s on the court going all out and he certainly isn’t a high-end producer most of the time I got to find to get something for him and Austin Reeves I know again he hasn’t been what we expected him to be but I still

Believe in that kid think that we’re see residue from participating in the summertime and I think that’s that’s on him a little bit but I think he’ll get it together but they got to do something because pelinka jeie bus you kept the team together they’re supposed to be

Better than a 500 team and plus you know you signed Toran Prince I mean he’s jacking up 13 threes a game and like I said when you look at Prince you look at uh uh cam reddish and you look at vano they’re basically the same guy you don’t

Need three of the same right I need one can opener yeah I don’t need three can openers that’s right you know how how about three can openers and none of them are the great andone none of them are working none of them are working ideally

How about that yeah I need a can over give me a spk give me a I get it trying show that she’s in the kitchen sometimes she not I’m we know it I was complimenting you was whatever you know what Shannon you know what I’m going to start doing

She ate it already she ate that stuff already Shannon I’m going to start texting you pictures you’re going to start getting texted pictures of what I make for dinner you’re you’re starting to drive me nuts with this I absolutely am you’re telling you’re telling Stephen

And I something that it was a joke we took it as that we didn’t think you actually cook you thought we thought you cook I actually thought that she did da she bragged about being able to dabble in the kitchen I actually thought that she did no no I don’t think anybody in

America is looking at Marly said oh man you know what I think she might be a gourmet on the low L she be a Gourmet Chef my might Shannon no Shannon no big n Big O no Shannon mol Shannon we know people in common you can ask them I’ll

Leave it at that okay okay okay I’ll leave it at that so before we head out uh Stephen A what’s your boldest NBA prediction for 2024 I don’t want to be held to this you have to be that fluid fluid but I reserve the right I reserve the right to

Change my mind but I got to tell you something right now it would not surprise me at all if the Los Angeles Clippers were in the NBA Finals the Los Angeles Clippers led by Paul George not Kawai even though obviously he’s gonna be there by Paul

George I’m not I’m not sure of course this is help I’m not sure about those two but I believe in PG and I’m telling you right now now him with kawhai and Harden with Russell Westbrook being the Energizer Bunny off the Russ great Russ has been great Russ Russell Westbrook

But you Ain Thanksgiving I know that I actually I did see him I was out the other day exactly you sry about about but I will tell you this I I’m not sleeping on the Clippers and their ability if healthy to win the West well

You know what you went Bowl in the west I’m gonna go bow in the East I’m goingon to take the Sixers okay I’m going take the Sixers Jo as as as presly constructed or do they make a move they going to make a move okay okay okay but

Even if they don’t make a move somebody gonna catch dealing with Joel and B cuz he he’s going to average in a playoff series he’ll average 40 he’ll average 40 and 10 he’s averaging 35 right now Stephen A so in a in a seven game series

Oh yeah well you got to go well we know where go why she got her hand on her head look at you like that got I’m not even sitting in my chair we said you have your hand on your hip we didn’t say you was sitting

I’m not mad at you cuz you paid off your bet and I have great shoes on right now so thank you Stephen animal get mad get upet if you come wins the national championship again I’m just gonna up I’m GNA up the stakes Shannon see she doing

Looking to get more you’re going to get some you’re going to get some nice photos videos of things that you can’t eat so don’t worry about it oh my goodness Molly you know what actually the shoes the shoes I got you would have been good with that suit the shoes I’m

Just just saying all right hey guys part’s over thanks for watching I need a break from the two of them uh be sure to let first take Monday through Friday 10: a.m. on ESPN be sure to check out more exclusive First Take debates on YouTube obviously follow Stephen A and Shannon

On there as well for a ton of great content Shannon we’ll see you in Houston travel safe saay I’ll talk to you in the morning enjoy your life

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe join Molly Qerim to talk about some of the biggest stories from around the NBA.
0:00 New York Knicks’ money moves
6:00 Troubles for the Lakers?
10:00 Stephen A. reserves the right to change his mind!
11:00 Clippers in the Finals?!
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