FIRST TAKE | “I’m owe Jaylen Brown an apology!” – Stephen A. calls Brown are best player on Celtics

FIRST TAKE | “I’m owe Jaylen Brown an apology!” – Stephen A. calls Brown are best player on Celtics

all right here’s our as first take question of the day Stephen A would you trade Randall and first round picks for KD if you were the NIT oh have one could you put you and UD on the screen when I answer this question please I I need to see them both please please oh this is a tough one I know people would sit up there and say it’s easy Kevin Durant is a superstar one of the greatest players to have ever played the game so on his face it’s to Nob brainer because as much as I love Julius Randall he ain’t no damn KD but doggy old school UD old school when you hear what we have heard about not Kevin Durant’s ability and greatness but his Detachment per se from teammates like in a locker room just living in his own world being distant not talking to people stuff like that when you look at the culture that the New York Knicks have and you look at what they’ve built you got to worry about something disrupting that and that concerns me now having said that to answer the question directly it’s hard JW just ran the police give me but I got to take my chances KD K KD all World brother I mean I I can’t at the end of the day it does come down to you being on that court in between those lines and what we’re talking about with Kevin Durant is a generational talent I I and the way Brunson looking too could you imagine if they had KD to lean on offensively with Brunson I I I I I I’m worried I’d be worried about the culture being compromised but I got to take my chances cuz KD is just too Sensational to pass up that’s my answer UD D doggy that’s my answer he’s 36 he’s 36 years old and he didn’t look good against Minnesota but I think Stevie is right youis I think you have to make that th% Stephen I gotta go with you on that when you down there at South Beach so I’mma quote Mr South Beach everything for sale when you got a chance to get a whale when you got a chance to get a wh everything is for sale and I got that from Mr South Beach the great Pat Riley himself so I’m with you on that you got to go with get ktie if you got a chance show all right we’ll take it and he is right morning I say hi he is right do there there there’s Wade County there’s Wade County there’s Miami but when it comes to South Beach it is Pat Raley Town everybody know that that’s the man there that’s the man have that me and got that understanding he takes South Beach I take Miami Stephen A who runs Boston was roll up to the dude that said Pat Riley told me to come here it was done it was done that’s all I said that’s all I said told I believe that where was that Stevie Jo Stone where’d you go I we can’t reveal we can’t we can’t reveal such things though we’ll talk about that when I get down all right that’s right that’s right that’s right we’ll keep it rolling fellas staying in the East the Celtics have had with some are calling an easy path to their 23rd NBA Finals appearance they beat the heat in five games in the first round but my Miami was without of course Jimmy Butler and Terry roier in the entire series they then beat the Cavaliers in five games despite losing a game two at home for the second straight series Donovan Mitchell didn’t play the last two games as they Advanced the East finals for the third straight season and then they swept the Pacers to get to 12-2 in the playoffs Indiana they were without Tyrese hurn the last two games of the series had fourth quarter leads in three of the four games but couldn’t close them out okay all right who’s the most important Celtic heading into the finals UD to me it’s always got to be The Golden Child it’s always got to be Jason T he’s been The Golden Child since he was at Duke he’s been the chosen one they built everything around what he’s capable of doing he’s the guy who gets more guys involved than Jaylen Brown Jaylen Brown is a great one-on-one score but I think jadden Tatum Jason Tatum is more inclined to get off the ball and make others a little better so I gotta go with Jason Tatum on that one overall that’s a toss up but I’m g go with Tatum yeah I agree with you you donos what you know one thing if I might add and this is tricky to say but I’m going to say it anyway can halberton give it a chance in game three and four and get out there and play I’mma tell you this OG OJ gave it a chance for the Knicks in game seven I’mma tell you this Mad Dog when you put put you in every action on defense and they’re attacking you it make that hamstring hurt a little more and every chance they got Boston attacking henbert and putting him in his picking rolls and just attacking him so that hamstring might have hurt a little you might have hurt the other hamstring trying to compensate I understand but do you give it or go I listen listen I elimination game at home no no no no I appreciate I appreciate where it’s coming from and CP3 was educating us about this when we were doing NBA Countdown last week you know during the Eastern Conference Finals a few days ago CP was talking about the hamstring injuries he incurred and how had he gone had he gone out out there it might have ripped it completely and then his career would have been severely compromised and he wouldn’t have been in a position to get paid down the road now it’s not just about money and we understand that I’m certainly not implying that and he wasn’t implying that but the point is you do have a right to think about your future long term instead in terms instead of doing irreparable damage and Halle Burton’s career is too bright his future is too bright Indiana’s future is too bright for us to be of the mindset that he should have gotten out he should have gone out OG lasted two minutes doggy two minutes into that game seven he was pretty much done he couldn’t run up and down the court it’s not worth the risk it really really isn’t I saw Willis go out there and help the Knicks win a championship I’m old I would have tried thank I’m I’m a utility guy there we go tried but that’s just me and that’s and I’m not saying there’s a clear-cut answer I’m saying there’s an old school thought that you know what an elimination game you got to give it a goal for 30 seconds yeah you’re also the organiz well the organ that’s right doggy that’s where I was going UD no no no no doggy no no no that’s something something you need something you need to know that’s going on in today’s Sports World doggy a lot of times there are organizational decisions that’s being made because of the investment they made in you and a lot of times players are getting blamed for stuff that the organization enforces upon them you can speak to that I’m telling you it happens a lot players have called me on numerous occasions like yo it’s not us Stephen A the team throws the heavy hammer down on them because they paying us and they’re like we made this investment in you we don’t want you damaging your stuff down the road they do this Stephen it’s not us you got to call them out on that so I got to do that Stephen hey let me ask you this though I want to hear your answer who do you think is the most important Celtic heading into these playoffs I think it’s Jason Tatum I’m sorry I’m sorry not Jason Tatum Jaylen Brown I think it’s Jaylen Brown you got to take this into consideration y’all know that Jaylen Brown is averaging 29.8 points on 52% shooting shooting 50% or better in every single game in these playoffs yes think about that for a second all right so he’s been he was the MVP for these conference for a reason so we got to take that into consideration we also got to take into consideration the fact that Marcus SM once he was traded to Memphis Jaylen Brown stepped up and made sure that his voice was a bit more pronounced to uh to make sure that he sustained the standard that Marcus Smart helped emulate the Implement rather that was very very important to Jaylen Brown so the fact that he took that upon himself and he’s not just an elite player the number two player on the Boston Celtics in the eyes of most number one and some but he’s also the clear-cut vocal leader knowing that you’ll need that vocal leadership against a team presumably Dallas possibly Minnesota you’re going to need it’s not just the game it’s the voice and that’s why I say his name instead of Jason Tatum you’re looking for Jason Tatum to perform you’re looking for Jaylen Brown to Galvanize the troops while performing there’s a difference and I think that role for him is going to be pivotal I think it’s Tatum I’m with Honis here uh I think that he the bullseye is is on his back they need to he needs to win a championship he’s their best player uh you know he’s played pretty well in the postseason he goes through these gaps where he doesn’t do a lot but then he seems to explode I think he’s the most important guy on the team they if he scores six points they’re not going to win not at all if Brown has a bad day they can still win so I think it’s Tatum and what I what I will say about the leadership of Jaylen Brown is yes he has stepped up to be a vocal leader but I also think that falls a little bit on Drew holiday as well and I think it’s a little bit of leadership at all levels in Boston I think it’s overrated to just to say one guy is their leader I think it’s leadership at all levels I think they respect the opinion of most of those three guys when it comes to Brown Jason Tatum and Drew holiday I have a question going into these playoffs did you all pick Boston to ultimately win it all no I didn’t I picked him to get to the Eastern conf finals I did not pick him to win it all who you have winning at all well I got to see who win the next series no no I’m saying going into the playoff oh going into the prior to this naavs Minnesota because what I’m finding is a lot of people real quick I just want you to know where I’m going a lot of people had the Celtics and I feel like now that’s kind of shifted and a lot of people are leaning toward the Mavs and many people didn’t think the Mavs until this most recent series well they have the Celtics every year that’s nothing new but uh for me personally I going into this I had Denver again I had Denver going back again and winning it all again I thought they would really get back there I had Denver over Boston too and Boston is going to be not a slight favorite no matter who they play they’re going be think you’re wrong there leaning now you’re still Le Boston win six games oh wow Stephen A where are you right now the subject to change I’m just curious Boston I I had Boston winning the championship from d won I had them winning the championship coming into the playoffs and then as I watched them in the playoffs where my where my mind was altered was the Synergy that I witnessed first with Minnesota and how defense the defensive prowess was in that game two against Denver and then obviously again in game seven and then I looked at Dallas and their cohesion and I’m like Luca and Kyrie can’t be stopped so to me I think no matter what direction you go in it’s going to be a pick them Series in the NBA Finals if I had to pick right now I would tell you Boston but I’m not sold I’m not sold I think it’s that tight I think I reserve the right to change my mind before the series starts I think it’s GNA be tight I think it’s going to go seven I think the superstars are going to shine bright and I think that’s what it’s GNA come down to it’s GNA come down to your Superstars yeah I think Boston’s gonna win I in six game I think I think thatas be a good series but I think Boston win all right we shall say coming up on first take it is a for e let me take the [Music] shot first Blood double kill it’s over ultimate I never miss a shot your team has destroyed a tower let the dark EMB an enemy has been defeated you have defeated an enemy shut down acquiring Target an ally has been defeated great to run away you have defeated an enemy I always find my mark an enemy has been defeated h an enemy has been defeated I never miss a shot an enemy has been defeated double kill let me take the shot an enemy has been defeated double kill [Music] [Music] [Music] H onslide let’s this you’re brave [Music] enough my turn [Music] fre onslide

FIRST TAKE | “I’m owe Jaylen Brown an apology!” – Stephen A. Smith calls Brown are best player on Celtics title over Tatum