Has OKC PROVED they can WIN IT ALL? 👀 Perk & Stephen A. AGREE, but THERE ARE QUESTIONS! | First Take
Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins join Molly Qerim on First Take to react to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s win over the Boston Celtics
0:00 Stephen A.’s fashion police on Perk
1:49 Time to favor OKC to win it all?
5:04 Stephen A.’s point
7:11 How dangerous are Anthony Edward & the Minnesota Timberwolves?
10:55 Perk says he was wrong!
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30 Comments
Bro lowkey flamed perk in the beginning 😂😂
To me, there are only 2 teams realistically speaking that can beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. OKC and GSW. The way you beat is not by outscoring or outshooting them, you have to take things away. Boston is a well-oiled machine that is a mixture of the 2014 Spurs and the 2018 Rockets.
To Beat Boston:
1. Take away 3 and prevent constant rotations (all they're 3's are drive and kick)
2. Take away their role players and put pressure and force those role-players to play above their standards
3. If you can take away one of the J's. (which isn't very likely)
4. You have to be able to get them in close game situations and have a dude who can match or outclass JT or JB in the clutch
To me, only the teams that can do this, in my opinion are the Thunder and Warriors in the West.
OKC will have the best player in the series in SGA. This season against OKC, Boston shoots 26% from 3 in the two games and they average 102 points against OKC, which is 15 points below their average and 11% down their 3-point average. (Point 1) Celtics role players like Holiday, Pritchard, Houser have been awful against OKC (Point 2). And Jaylen Brown has been awful against OKC averaging 15 on 38/9/100 shooting splits (Point 3). In a close game I trust SGA over Tatum and Brown. OKC also hasn't been fully healthy when they've played Boston and beat them twice.
GSW will have the best player in the series, Steph, and possibly the two with Jimmy. This season series doesn't matter because the Warriors are a different team when they played them this year. But with that being said the Warriors have two dudes since 2020 who have ended the Boston Celtics season with JT and JB healthy, Steph (2022 Finals) and Jimmy (2020 & 2023 ECF). 2021 (No JB) and 2024 (won the title).
Now I understand the Celtics are different from what they were from 2020-2023. But, the Warriors always matchup well with the Celtics. From 2021-22 to now in their last 14 matchups, reg.seas and playoffs Warriors have the edge 8-6 (including 2022 Finals). In 5/6 games the Celtics beat the Warriors by a blowout of 12-50+ points. The only time when they beat them in a close game was in 22-23 in Boston because Jordan Poole left Jaylen Brown wide open. The only time the C's have beaten the Dubs is when the Dubs get out talented. But when it comes to execution the C's get outplayed but the Dubs in close game because Tatum and Brown can't go bucket for bucket and create offense for everybody like Steph and Jimmy. (Point 4) Draymond historically is KP best defender, JK is Tatum best matchup defender and for the most part Tatum doesn't dominate the Warriors at all (Point 3).
Why does Stephen A gotta hate on Perks suit like that? 😭😭😭 💀💀💀
I am happy whenever I get to see OKC play. It won’t til the playoffs that I see them every other night.
East Coast guy here.
SGA is my favorite player to watch.
why Stephen A always in ppl sockets
Molly is so beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤
The Celtics have to get past Cleveland first
When OKC and Cavs be in the finals i hope Perk and Stephen keep that same energy
Idc what anyone say Boston in 6
Porzingis is a big game changer for Boston. When he’s out there against a team like okc, he shuts down the drives in the paint, Alex and Jaylen Williams are good, but porzingis mismatch is a problem for any team. This makes bostons guards stay home on D and play better help defense. Anyways, until OKC gets to finals and proves it, let’s not start putting them in that category yet.
GSW got the tie breaker Stephen A
GSW has signature wins against both OKC and Boston what’s perk yapping about
Kp was being called bust few years ago now he's this game changer tbh he good but we act like he's kd tbh he's soft
They can't beat Boston in 7 games when a team adjust to them
I don’t have them beating the Boston Celtics when they just beat the Boston Celtics without their 2nd best player Jalen Williams.
Did perk just say warriors haven’t beat OKC this year?
I fouled SGA when I clicked this video smh
if okc proved anything its that both they and cleveland have similar resumes and can win it all this year. boston may be second in line.
You prove it in the playoffs not during the season
OKC was missing caruso and jalen williams so the KP missing argument doesn’t track
well perk no matter what the wolves did the luka trade was the worst in history already 😂
Idc k perk injurys are part of the game CHET WAS INJURED THE WHOLE SEASON LAST TIME WE BEAT YALL WITHOUT CHET THIS TIME WITHOUT J DUB
They not gon believe until they win the chip and even then perk might be talking bout the fakers still
Keep sleeping on the dubs just like 2022.
Not quite. I think obviously they have shown they can win consistently in the regular season with the current group. But, legacy is made and cemented by how you and your team performs in the postseason. To be considered real contenders and a threat they would have to get to at least the conference finals like Minnesota did last season to be taken seriously. Even as we know how SGA has been ballin' you need that deep playoff run to get your true and lasting praise. It was that way for every legit franchise run no matter what team you bring up across NBA history.
These guys are pathetic. Jw was out to among others. Bro y’all speak in hyperbole and imagination and feelings. When can we get were can we get some real insight that gets in the weeds and really dissects the game and the teams not just elementary level banter I can hear at work from some random half way informed dude who really knows more than yall
Stephen A claiming he miss Randle but wanted New York to trade him 😂🤔
He talking bout Celtics was missing porzingus how does that change Jaylen browns terrible performance and okc doesn’t have Jdub this would’ve been a blow out Jdub isn’t shooting 0/8 like Aaron wiggins did
Windhorst was right lol
Molly looking sizzling!