Stephen A. can’t hide his smile during Woj’s optimistic outlook for New York Knicks | NBA Today

Stephen A. can’t hide his smile during Woj’s optimistic outlook for New York Knicks | NBA Today

OG and anobi can play it is not a bad trade he elevates them to he’s all second Team all defensive player last year what I’m saying is this is the mecca this is Madison Square guard this is New York City baby they can’t get a star the Stars com to visit we never

Have any we do do you realize a legitimate argument could be made that Stephen A Smith is one of the big stars in New York you realize that that’s a damn sh well Stephen A the Knicks they sat in eighth place in the East after New

Year’s Eve the day before the anobi deal for the Knicks and since then New York’s won five straight they’ve vaulted up to fourth in the conference are you still the biggest star are you buying the Knicks as a contender for the NBA Finals

No I am not but I am happy with what I have seen from them o OG and anobi has been impressive they have elevated defensively obviously we got to give credit where credit is due right now in his five games he’s averaging 14 points so 55% shooting since the trade Julius

Randle was averaging five more points a game leading them with 28.2 points per game but I know the Knicks and so here you are you have elevated defensively offensively with what you have have we forgotten wge big perk willbond what Julius Randle does when it comes to

Shooting them damn jump shots in the postseason when you got a best four or seven games to prepare for him taking ill advised shots holding on to the damn basketball too much with tho not using Jaylen Brunson as a number one primary option we got to take all of these

Things into consideration I love what I’m seeing from the New York Knicks I said it when the trade happened they’re not worse they’re better there’s no doubt they’re a good team are they one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference right now I say yes I say yes

Not because of their record Milwaukee’s a problem defensively Milwaukee’s a problem defensively Philly’s a problem with their depth and I’m looking at Miami who I never underestimate but the bottom line is the New York next one of the top four teams in the East if the

Knicks conf if they can get to Third and it’s avoid Boston avoid Boston yes you get Milwaukee in the second round and Milwaukee look there’s a lot of time but they look discombobulated now and they have not recovered at all from the absence of Drew holiday and some good

News for the Knicks I’m told Mitchell Robinson who had ankle Sur ankle surgery uh last month there’s optimism almost an expectation that he’s going to be back before the regular season is over and so you look at the way Isaiah hartenstein has played in his absence and Robinson

One of the best defensive centers in the league leading the league in offensive rebounds when he went out this season uh there there’s optimism he’s back he’s there for the Knicks in the playoffs and that certainly makes this an even more for formidable team it’s almost like a

Trade deadline pickup and guess what he’ll come in as a reserve right because I would leave hard hardenstein in the starting lineup for what he brings to the table the Knicks are the second best team in the Eastern Conference right now it’s the B Austin Celtics and then in

The New York Knicks they will the New York Knicks right now since they made that trade they will beat the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee bus they’re the one team that physically matches up with MBI in the front Court in a way some others don’t stop it physically yes but skill-wise it’s a

Different Stratosphere they wouldn’t do anything against him be but I will say this to you I’m willing to concede that’s possible but again none of y’all have addressed what we have religiously seen from the Knicks with Julius Randle and the post I root for Julius Randle I

Appreciate the effort Iron Man before he got hurt the last five gam season this played the first 77 games got mad love for Julius Randle but you it’s southp cental at Madison Squad garden and going left come playoff time can I rely on him to look the way he looks now Julius

Randle spent uh this offseason looking at a lot of tape of what he how he played in the postseason how he played uh in the later stretches and you’ve seen seen a different player this year he’s been more efficient this is a dangerous team like the the the the

Parts may the some may be bigger than the parts the way this group competes the way they play together Tom Tibido to me is a coach of the year candidate uh this is a dangerous team if they stay healthy it is and then they have some dude named McBride right remember look

You can fix your face you and I need you to fix your body language but let me remind you none of us on this panel last year thought that the Miami Heat was going to be representing the Eastern Conference and they had some dude by the name of Caleb Marton that should have

Won what’s that the Eastern uh easn Conference Finals uh player yeah yeah who should have won it right so it’s right there they got the culture they have the coaching and Tom Tibido this Nicks team score need one more score I just I I just wonder though if we would

See if they do get all the way to the NBA finals don’t sweet don’t temp him I know look at his face when we see like we saw the national champion game would that will be an indictment of the Celtics if get to the yes it but I’ll be

Listen I’ll be proud of nck they get to the Conference Finals I’ll be proud of them they get to the [Applause] conference oh

Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins, Michael Wilbon and Adrian Wojnarowski join Malika Andrews on NBA Countdown to discuss the New York Knicks’ trajectory thus far after trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby.

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