WE ARE ON A ROLL 🗣️ Stephen A. makes the case for the Knicks being a threat this season | First Take

WE ARE ON A ROLL 🗣️ Stephen A. makes the case for the Knicks being a threat this season | First Take

OG an anobi is staying in New York sources tell our Adrien W jarowski that the free agent Ford intends to sign a 5-year 212 million contract to return to the Knicks the deal includes a player option and a trade kicker this of course is good news obviously for New York especially after acquiring male Bridges so don’t look now Gotham but following the acquisition of bridges and the signing of anobi the New York Knicks are now tied with Denver and OKC for the second shortest odds to win next season’s NBA title on ESPN Bel bet the Celtics remain heavy favorites to repeat all right Steph I’m going to start with you on this one since it’s your Knicks how much of a threat do you think that the Knicks are now well listen first of all they’re threat let’s get that out the way right now bad news for you CJ I’m so sorry they’re more of a threat for the championship than the New Orleans but that’s right I’m saying it t CJ and I love you but I’m going to say that on National Television yeah it’s more of a threat tell y’all set right now okay the Boston Celtics are the creme Dela creme they’re the standard they’re the reigning defending NBA champions we get it we understand it we see it for what it is but outside of the Boston Celtics I mean who can we look at definitively and say the New York Knicks can’t take I don’t know about Milwaukee Giannis and Dame dollar you gonna get it together as a pair you going to do that you going to do that do you have the depth necessary in Milwaukee Wisconsin where they got you know where they got cheese going on down the road and all this St do you have what it takes what about you in terms of of the Philadelphia 76ers embid I appreciate you baby I know how big time you are but damnn it you ain’t never healthy come playoff time that’s going to be an issue as well you look at the New York Knicks you keep anobi you’ve acquired Mel Bridges you still got Brunson and d venzo and H excuse me I’m looking at some of the things that you had moving away from these pcks whatever because you’re trying to accumulate you TR to accumulate or actually save some dollars so maybe just maybe you can keep hardenstein all I’m saying CJ all I’m saying is this it’s orange and blue skies baby it’s orange and blue skies all right The Best Is Yet To Come we ain’t there yet but we climbing we climbing we coming and I know people like you hear the footsteps you better recognize orange and blue skies I think I think you said a lot of great things about the Knicks how they’re all in they signed my boy Mel shout out to Mel great player is going to be in a great role love Jaylen Brunson he’s showing that it just might be his team Julius Randle coming back OG may sein hardenstein may not May sign Mitchell Robinson may not all that is fine and dandy and I like the way your team looks don’t worry about the West because you still got to get out the East and in the East we know the Boston Celtics are the best team in the East they will be the best team in the East next year which is why they are grossly favored to win it all they have a younger core than your lovely Knicks right you look at Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum they are younger than the core of the New York Knicks and I love those Knicks but I think you have to be realistic Stephen A you have a really good team you have a really good roster but the truth of the matter is the Boston Celtics aren’t going anywhere Drew holiday has signed a long-term deal Chris as porzingis even if he doesn’t play to start the season they’re still going to be heav favorites Derek white will be back for at least another year Al Horford is aging gracefully like the fine wine that I make out in Oregon I think this is a great opportunity for the Knicks to take strides but I still think the Boston Celtics are the best team in the East CJ listen what does youth have to do with next season it’s not like Jaylen Bronson Mel Bridges Josh har ogan noi they’re not they’re in the middle of their Prime they’re just scratching the surface of their Prime when I think about the New York Knicks if they had Julius Randall and he was available and they played the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Final which I thought they which I think they would have they would have pushed Boston to seven games when I look at this team they’re not far off Jaylen Bronson was the best player in the Eastern Conference this past season he was the top five MVP candidate I voted him number three on my ballot to be honest with you the way he was tearing up the league he was addressing everyone like the numbers on the house he has the capability when healthy to be the best player in any Series against anybody is proven when I think about the culture I think about the the marriage right Tom Tibido having the players around him that fits his identity they’re not going to take any kns off defensively and when it comes comes down to being a legit title Contender they’re top five team in the NBA right now we’re not just talking about the Eastern Conference we’re talking about the entire league and they’re a real threat right now fors A team that could deliver a championship well I completely agree with you ain’t nobody refuting that they are a top five team in the NBA and CJ don’t you get some look on your face acting like that as a false statement because you know that it is not when you look at the New York Knicks right now and the way they defend the Rough Riders that they are you know something that not you because you know what you’re a veteran your class personified you handle your business or whatever but uh you know if uh some of your teammates were Rough Riders CJ I mean you know I’m just saying I’m just saying you know if some of your teammates were Rough Riders I mean who knows what New Orleans would be if they had that intestinal for fortitude if they had that grit if they were as committed on the defensive side of the ball the way that they should be and what have you who knows what New Orleans could do we were very very pleased with what we saw from Zion especially that last game against the Lakers before he got hurt very very pleased that’s the brother we were looking for I got that but I’m just speaking collectively CJ I mean when you look at the Western Conference I mean there’s several teams and there’s several players on your team I mean you know if if you could take some of the Knicks and just put a couple of a Sprinkle a couple of those Brothers in New Orleans you you would have a better idea what I’m talking about top five peric is Right top five I want to ask you first I feel like it’s New Orleans not New Orleans I no no no no no New Orleans New Orleans who gives a dce that’s how that’s you’re supposed to say knowled it is that’s what it is careful be careful how you speak about us down in no no no I got I got love for the city I got the best restaurants in America I mean the fool you you want to eat you know you want to eat I mean come on as New Orleans is the place to go I’m I’m just talking about that damn basketball team um okay but I do want to ask you you got your Nova Knick you have OG do you actually think that a championship is in sight for your nexts no because the Boston Celtics are standing in the way I’m simply saying the Boston Celtics are the only one standing in the way I don’t look at anybody else in the NBA and say the Knicks cannot beat them I think the Knicks can beat anybody but Boston that’s where I’m at with it I’m not saying they’d be more favored you know I’m not saying they’d have a better chance against Boston than a couple of other teams but they’d have a shot to take out anybody I’d give them no chance to beat Boston perk you agree so so here that’s the problem right there that’s the problem what’s the problem you’re talking about the West you’re talking about my teammates you’re talking about my City and you’re not even focused on the city that you can get to from a small bus ride like the Boston Celtics are better than most teams in the NBA you could say that they’re the best team in the NBA right now because they just won the championship and you worried about the Pelicans you worried about Minnesota you worried about Denver all those teams in in the Western Conference OKC but you need to be focused on the Boston Celtics I love what the Knicks have done I think that they are positioned well to be successful not only now but in the future I love the fact that you got Jaylen Brunson and Mel bridges for less than $50 million combined I love the fact that you have a chance here to bring back OG you have a chance here to play with Julius Randle you can get one of your bigs I love all the things that they’re doing the problem is it’s similar to how Dam and I ran into the Warriors over and over and over again the Boston Celtics are in the way for now and the foreseeable future so it doesn’t really matter who they get they’re still going to have to go through Boston and Boston’s still going to probably win 60 games next year we we understand that CJ we understand that right but here’s the thing to it’s two things Chris Al porzingis right like is he going to be able to stay injury free because the reports are Brad Stevens say that he’s not going to be available start of the season right how he’s going to look when he returned because he was a crucial piece for as them completing the mission and winning the championship and then another thing the same thing that I saw that happen with the Denver Nuggets and that I was worried about right it’s a difference when you’re chasing that first championship you’re starving right you’re starving you you’ll do anything in your power to get that first championship are the Boston celes going to get complacent and when I say complacent I’m not saying that the hunger is not going to be there but are they going to be starving for a second to repeat because it’s harder to get back and win another championship I have them as my favorites make no mistake about it coming into next season I got the Boston Celtics I I trust J Brown I trust J Jason Tatum we know what Drew holiday brings to the table but the New York Knicks are here they are gearing up for the Boston Celtics it’s been W reported it when they made the trade for Mel Bridges that they’re looking to match up with the Celtics and rightfully sold because they are the standard they have set the bar [Music]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and CJ McCollum debate how much of a threat the New York Knicks are after acquiring Mikal Bridges.
#firsttake #nba #espn

0:00 How much of a thread are the Knicks right now?
2:30 CJ McCollum tells Stephen A. to be realistic about the Knicks being the biggest threat in the East
3:50 Kendrick Perkins says the Knicks are a top 5 team
7:00 Is a championship on the way for the Knicks?

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