Stephen A. EXPECTED BETTER from the Celtics & doesn’t see the Knicks winning the chip 👀 | First Take

Stephen A. EXPECTED BETTER from the Celtics & doesn’t see the Knicks winning the chip 👀 | First Take

You’re the Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown Jason Tatum and Chris STS porzingis is in the lineup for you I ain’t even bring up Dereck white a Drew holiday shout out to Dereck white okay sherck white hell of a season how in the hell are you losing to a Lakers team

Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis that ain’t supposed to happen that’s just not supposed to happen I’ve had I’ve had Boston as my favorite to come out of the East and yes I have from from day one I didn’t expect them to be backing up 44 to 45 threes a game I mean

Damn have you ever heard of a layup you understand I’m saying have you have anybody that knows how to play with that back to the basket I mean is there an uncontested shot that you can create uh Missoula the the Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum will one day they learn to play

Off of each other missoula’s got promise I respect the man he’s a good coach um I’m happy he’s got the opportunity but if we’re being completely honest can we look down at Houston Houston and see eay Oker and understand that there’s levels to this emay Oker can coach his ass off

This is a coach this man could coach I’m telling you something right now that em May Oker that took the Boston Celtics to the finals in his very first year as the coach When Brad Stevens who I respect immensely who by the way is doing a hell

Of a job as the president of the basketball operations for the Boston Celtics and deserves a lot of credit for that but what he couldn’t do in seven years as a head coach em May udoka did in year one let me tell you something right now we wouldn’t see the Boston

Celtics having the kind of pro as great as they’ve been we wouldn’t see them playing this way or having the kind of problem they have with e udoka as their coach this man can coach and Missoula is still showing us that he can Tatum Brown greatness porzingis big- time pickup

Horford the age- old veteran he’s still there size defense chemistry cohesiveness discipline at the guard spot defensively in holiday and white I get it but you’re not supposed to be losing a game like this if you’re the Boston Celtics and to lose a game like this to me I understand just a regular

Season game the two and three in their last five games I just haven’t been as impressed as I expected to be with the Boston Celtics even though they’ve been winning more games obviously than anybody in the East this year I expect it better than what I’ve seen from them

Thus far because you don’t like them stylistically is what you’re saying yeah because I don’t think that leads to Championship I got you um I’m not going to put too much on this game not too much on this game uh the supposed toos of Life mess us up and that’s a word for

Bishop Wood we’ll talk about that later um you saw they did this oh Brian ad9 playing we got this and Austin Reeves was like Checkmate y’all don’t but it happens I thought Jason Tatum’s sound post game was as honest as it could get he said you guys got jobs you have a bad

Day at work we’re having a bad week at work they are coming up short in their job for sure with this loss but I’m not ready to negate the fact that they’ve largely been very successful at home they’re sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings now the

Three-point shooting has caught all of our attention as a collective and I am very curious about what adjustments they will make in the second half of the season but I was asked about the teams that I’ve had a chance to see in person Boston to me is still one of the best

Ones and the Los Angeles Clippers are the other and I’ve seen quite a few teams this season in person so I’m not going to put too much on this game I think the Lakers and those role players needed a moment to build on some confidence and that’s what you saw they

Are obviously in a Vortex of their own trying to figure out what works for the Lakers um but I’m not going to put too much on this game in regards to the Celtics well you could sit up there and say that I’m just looking at some of these numbers here okay Austin Reeves

Had 32 points he went off on them and what have you and I’m looking at this you had had Derek white in the lineup you had Drew holiday in the lineup um and and Tatum eight for 21 five of 10 from three-point range porzingis 10 of7 from three-point range Derek white one

Of5 from three-point range Jaylen Brown 0 for three from three-point range Drew holiday 0 for two from three-point range so you take out Jason Tatum and your starters combin to shoot literally two of 17 from three-point range I’m looking at it from that standpoint and I’m just saying saying you’re missing about

2728 threes a game that is the part that we have to address I I don’t believe that’s going to win you a champion I got you on that that we agree on the three-point shooting do the Knicks have a title contending roster as is so nine straight

Wins I I am having a hard time betting against Jaylen Brunson and this team is there room to add potentially sure but but I think back to last season and the way the Miami Heat got hot at the right time and just thinking through the playoffs at how important it is to have

Matchups and have camaraderie and chemistry when you get there the way that they are playing it’s tough to really embody with the stat you can look at their top 10 defensive rating you could look at on off with Jaylen Brunson on the floor but when they are healthy

The level of force that they are able to play with defensively I think the way that the game has been simplified offensively yes you’ll look at their current record and you’ll see the losses to Milwaukee and the 51 matchups between the inseason tournament and the regular season games the losses to Boston early

In the season but that was not this version of the squad post the trade so is there room to grow sure but I also think they are playing such special basketball and Jaylen Brunson is a tremendous leader I would be willing to roll with them they don’t have what I

Believe is to be a championship contending roster I think that I I have to say yes from the standpoint that I believe this team right now can get to the east in Conference Finals but do I see them coming out of the East do I see them winning the NBA Championship no and

I need to be able to at least see the possibility of that in order for me to label you a championship piece I think they’re a piece away and I’m dead serious I mean I’m I’m hyperbolic to some degree talking about LeBron but I really really mean it if LeBron was on

This Team Ag the way this team is playing they could win it all I agree they could win it all if LeBron was there and Mitchell Robinson came back and whatever and listen Rich Paul and them have told me for years if LeBron would to leave because he loves LA and

The whole bit but if he was to leave any place it would be to go there it would be to come to New York City that’s the only place he would leave to come to and we all know it’s p the Scott it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s not uh likely But to

Answer the question about Jaylen Brunson I can’t I can’t I owe the man a Deb of gratitude and I didn’t pick him as an All-Star starter but the reason I didn’t do that was because Hal Burton was averaging 24 game he was leading the league in assist by double the amount

And they had the number one offense and and his team I believe is inferior to the New York Knicks and so because of that was why but I should have I thought about him and I had Donovan Mitchell as my off guard because he’s averaging 28 a

Game in Cleveland I don’t see Cleveland having much but I love Jaylen Brunson and I look at that and I’m regretting that because obviously Allen Burton has been hurt and Jaylen Brunson has turned it on averaging 29er games since OG and noi arrived in New York okay so I look

At it from that perspective mad love for him mad appreciation for him but when you look at the New York Knicks roster we have to be honest and we have to say listen they get to the Eastern Conference Finals for me I’m ecstatic I don’t see them going any further than

That unless they had an additional piece go ahead Wendy yeah I don’t think yeah I don’t think they’ve got a championship roster but they have two things going for them that are very important number one I still think it’s important I guess I’m old school but I still think it’s

Important that you are both good at offense and defense yeah compete in the NBA I think you gotta be good at both guess what the Knicks are top seven in both mhm that right there just that alone if you’re looking to create a case of why they could win the East now

Granted Boston’s top four in both so Boston’s really good but the Knicks are top seven in both right there is a is a case the second thing is unlike Boston unlike the Lakers unlike you know the Clippers or some of these other top teams the Knicks roster has the ability

To massively improve because of everything that they’ve got this is not the max of their team Boston has done their move they have built their team they need to win it now the the the the the the Clippers have built their team they need to win it now the the Knicks

Can improve and if even if it’s by not by next Thursday they can improve over the next six months and that is where you’re G to you’re going to bet if you’re if you’re believe in the Knicks LeBron James is number two on my list all

Time if LeBron James was to come to New York City oh boy and they captured a champion ship at Madison Square Garden that would be wow I would have to entertain I would have to entertain the go comp I still can’t imagine giving it over to Michael Jordan but I would have to

Entertain that conversation I okay look the way we started this I do believe was very rational on your end in terms of on paper but how many times have we seen on paper Talent not get it done that’s true that’s all I got other thing we have to

Pay attention to however is Tom Tibido in all seriousness because I said this before and this is why I prefer tyo instead of him even though I know Tom Tibido is a great coach he will exhaust his starters he will play them right now since OG and anobi arrived their Ben

Production has has dissipated significantly which you know which you know and so my my fear is come postseason time we don’t have fresh legs which I’m almost glad that julus rand’s going to be out for a while I’m glad he’s going to be able to rest those leg

And he thater anderon come back after being gone for so long because Tom your ass the ground I’m worried about that with them but that’s it

Stephen A. EXPECTED BETTER from the Celtics & doesn’t see the Knicks winning the chip 👀 | First Take

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Brian WIndhorst and Monica McNutt discuss the Boston Celtics’ recent struggles and whether the New York Knicks are legit contenders.

0:00 How concerning is the Celtics’ loss to the Lakers?
4:45 Are the Knicks legit contenders?
8:46 Stephen A. brings up the GOAT conversation

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