FIRST TAKE | Are we witnessing the most legendary playoff run of Jokic’s career? – Stephen A

FIRST TAKE | Are we witnessing the most legendary playoff run of Jokic’s career? – Stephen A

He led the Nuggets with 29 points and 14 boards in last night’s 119 107 win. Joic is averaging 29.8 points per game, 14.7 rebounds per game this series. This is his 26th playoff game leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists. Perth, the question is, would this be the most impressive Jokic run in the playoffs if they close out against the Thunder? Absolutely. Hell yeah it would. And and and it’s for a few few things. Number one, they just they just fired their championship coach and Michael Malone. So now Jokic leadership skills have went through the roof. I’ve never seen Joish more vocal like I’ve seen him this postseason as a leader on the floor in the timeouts, coaching, having a clipboard, directing traffic, things to that nature. Also, from a physicality standpoint, I’ve never seen Joic Jokic Joic had to go get uh a lot of these wins in the trenches. You look at the Clipper series going against Big Zubac, battling against him, having off nights, having to do bring out uh Zubac bringing out the best of him. Now, you translate to this Oklahoma City uh series. You’re watching him right now. He had three horrible games in this series and two fantastic ones and all of a sudden you force a game seven against the number one seed against a guy that’s probably going to win MVP over you in SGA with a rookie head coach and you could walk into uh Chesapeake Arena and go get a dub game seven dub against the best team that’s still in the playoffs how deep they are. You damn right. This is uh the most impressive run of Jokic’s career in the postseason. First off, they haven’t won game seven yet. That’s number one. Number two, we see this if they win it. I said if they win this Jokic’s most impressive who watch your mouth, man. That was It’s not your rules. It’s not your rules tonight. I understand. Watch your mouth. You understand? I like the tie, by the way. And the and the shirt and all of that stuff. It’s Steve. You brought it out for the Knicks tonight. You brought it out for your Knicks. Um, this happens. And by the way, this isn’t just about this. This happens every year. People overreact to the first two rounds. We’re only halfway there. Halfway there. There’s a month left, more than a month left. You’re going to win the whole thing. Do I think that this could be Joic’s if he wins two game sevens and then goes and sees the team that knocked them out in in the last year? By the way, I think the Nuggets could have won the championship last year. The only team I think that could have touched the Celtics was the Nuggets. They didn’t get there because the Wolves took him out. So yeah, I think the possibility is there. This is a man with a title already. So no, I can’t say that. But it’s been darn impressive and I suspect it’s going to be regarded as one of the great runs if he can get another game seven win and then beat the Wolves. Well, listen, here’s what I think. I think that Perk makes a a good point based on what we’ve seen from Jokic thus far, particularly considering the changes that was made at the top in terms of their coach and their GM um and the absence of a bench of depth that he’s had available to him in the past. But I’m also in the same breath looking at him and what he has done throughout the years and he’s had so many great performances. I just think that when you see him being a walking triple double this year, responding to the challenge, going into OKC this Sunday and winning a game seven against SGA, knowing for example that Russell Westbrook over the last three games before last night was struggling like averaging like six points on on 22% shooting that Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t doing much. Um, now if you go into this game seven, uh, with your team being sporadic, absence of depth, now the health of Aaron Gordon is a question mark because of the hamstring. Um, if he ends up pulling this off, uh, I think Perk will have a good point. Really good point. I just think that needs to happen before we can have that discussion. We know that. Yeah, they’ve been dealing with second quarter junior to show 16 wins it takes to win the title. 16, not eight. I know that. Well, you know, I want one. I know. Nicole, you played it. This is the best shot the New York Knicks have had since then, and I’m going to go out on a limb. I think this is going to be the best shot the New York Knicks are going to have for the foreseeable future. Where Ant-Man going? Where Indiana going? Where Oklahoma City going? Dallas. Let’s pay attention now. We have to understand that there are teams either already here or on the come up. Cleveland, they will be back. Now, these are not scrubs. What about the future? The fact of the matter is we don’t know. So, the level of urgency that the Knicks should have, it should be extreme because this is the closest the New York Knicks have been or may very well be to an NBA championship. Think about that. Think about that. You are right. Let’s bring in Kendrick Perkins to join this conversation with us. Perk, I got to give it to you. You said from jump that you thought this series was going to go to six or seven games. Here we are. He did. He did. He did. What is at stake regardless of the injuries? What is at stake now for the Knicks tonight? Well, not just tonight, but for the series, right? If the Knicks lose this series, it will be one of the most disappointing uh uh it will be one of the biggest disappointments in NBA history. Why? Because you’re facing the defending champs. Because you went got two games on the road. Because now all of a sudden you were up 3-1. The now the defending champs are missing one of their best players or or if not their best player in Jason Tatum. And you have three games to win one and you don’t get it done. It would be the one it would be one of the biggest disappointments in the history of the NBA. On top of that, you made a trade for Carl Anthony Towns, which sent Julius Randall to Minnesota, Julius Randle and Dante are back in the conference finals, you mean to tell me with this roster that you have, giving up all those picks for Mikuel Bridges, acquiring OG Noi, Big Body Brunson, the best closer in today’s game. Hell, one could argue he’s been the best player in the postseason and you have three games to close one and Boston is missing their best player in Jason Tatum and you don’t close this series out. Forget just tonight. If you don’t win this series, period, this will be one of the biggest disappointments in NBA history. I have to say I agree with everything he just said, but I’m a little bit worried because that’s not what Stephen A needs to hear right now. Perk. No, it’s what I need to hear. I don’t have any problem with what Kendrick Perkins is saying because I completely agree. And let’s not matter of fact, as great as Big Perk just did, I don’t think he completed the whole picture. You know what I’m going to add to it? It’s not just about the Julius Randle call Anthony Towns trade. It’s the fact that Julius Randle’s still playing. Julius Randall may help the Minnesota Timberwolves win a world championship. Could you believe that? Think about that for a second. This is the closest you’ve been in 30 years to a championship and the closest you may be for the foreseeable future if you’re the New York Knicks. And not only do you not get it done, but in the same breath, the dude that you traded away for, the dude that you traded away rather, helped Ant-Man win a championship the very next season. I mean, think Tom Brady depart from New England and winning in Tampa the very next year. Think about no matter how great we know Bill Bich is as a coach. Think about how he was viewed prior to and think about how he was viewed the moment Tom Brady went elsewhere the very next season and won it without him. But Bill Bich could barely scratch 500. made one playoff appearance in four years and had a losing record two or two or three years. Think about that for a second here. There’s a luster that fell off of that. If Julius Randall averaging 27 and seven against, you know, who Minnesota brain, right? If 27-7 and you help propel them after doing that against Golden State and you help propel them to a championship. Oh Lord. Uh it it it it will be heartbreaking. Heartbreaking. So all of that’s at stake and that’s why even Carl Anthony Towns should be in the spotlight even more. I love Carl Anthony Towns but he got to do better. He got to do better cuz Julius Randle is balling. Yeah. And that’s why Carl Anthony Towns is here because Junius Randle was gone. The two made threes by Carl Anthony Towns are just not great in this entire series. But Perk, let’s let’s talk about Jaylen Brunson here a little bit. We know how he how good he is, especially in these playoffs in terms of comeback games after a loss, averaging 36 points plus after a loss in these this series and also the entirety of the playoffs. But tonight, is Brunson’s superstar status on the line? What do you think for the series? It is. We already know Big Body Brunson is a bonafide uh superstar already, but it’s levels to this, Shay. And when I talk about levels, I’m talking about the history, the organization of the New York Knicks. Jaylen Brunson is already knocking at the door of being a top five greatest Knicks n greatest Nick ever, right? But when you look at the list, you have Walt Frasier, you have Willis Reed, you have Bernard King, you have Patrick Yuan. You know what the debate is right now? Is Jaylen Brunson uh a better Nick in the history uh better than uh Camello Anthony. Jaylen Brunson closed this series out. He’s a top five greatest Nick of all time. And that’s what’s at stake for him when it come I’m going to be Good night. Get forward forward. out. [Music] How can I help? [Music] Hello. I’m [Music] [Music] Och. [Music] Come at [Music] me. Yeah. [Music] Oh yeah. No, no, no. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Hello sabbat.

FIRST TAKE | Are we witnessing the most legendary playoff run of Jokic’s career? – Stephen A