The Celtics are TITLE FAVORITES with Kristaps Porzingis! - Stephen A. Smith | First Take

what did the porzingis move do for the Celtics I think it makes them the title favorites that's how I feel about it I'm looking at every team in the NBA and I dare somebody to tell me who can the Boston Celtics not beat I love Marcus Smart and I'm gonna miss him and that's a tremendous loss for them uh in terms of their Spirit but statistically speaking even though he was the defensive player of the year the season before this one uh some people look at at least statistically there was some slippage there I'm looking at porzinga's third best defended field goal percentage in the NBA behind Giannis and Draymond I'm thinking about that I'm thinking about the fact that he's seven three and he can step away from the basket and he can shoot a j if not a three I'm thinking about the fact that he had a pretty damn good season this year played about 65 games he's had a plethora of injuries he's never won a playoff series been in the playoffs twice we get all of that but when I think about Orford who's not getting any younger 37 years of age I'm thinking about Robert Williams III he hasn't played more than 40 games the last couple of years he's not reliable can't do over 60 games in his five-year career we understand all of that you need an additional big body you need an additional big body out there in terms of of rent protection you need somebody that has the ability to step out and hit shots you're looking at him you add size you add size to Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown you keep Derek white and Brogden I'm sorry I look at the Boston Celtics and I said I can't blame them for making this deal at all Brad Stevens was a damn good coach in seven years he was in Boston he's got him for a few Conference Finals obviously he never got him to over the hump to the Comfort to the NBA finals like he may udoku did but he was a hell of a coach I think he's been an even better executive some of the moves that he's made I've been incredibly impressed with Brad Stevens this man knows what he's doing and I think that when you got a chance to put porzingis with that crew I can't say enough about the job he's done I think on paper the Boston Celtics have elevated themselves to being the team to be in the NBA think about the fact that thief and every look every trade is different we have to look at within the context of the the actual player in the trade but like about the fact that the Washington Wizards traded Bradley Beal Christophe sporting and Chris Paul all within a week and they got one first round pick out of that and it's in 2030 and it's protected Brad Stevens had to give up Marcus Smart which I'm going to get to that in a second and he got christops porzingis and two first round picks Brad Stevens the Brogden deal basically stole Brogden from the Pacers last year like he's done a phenomenal job as a GM I believe this deal makes them the favorites in the east and in particular because I'm very high still on the Milwaukee Bucks given the regular season they had and given the fact that Giannis was hurt in that first round series but in particular in that match-up when you can space the floor the way porzingis does and Milwaukee plays that heavy drop coverage with Brook Lopez and you can't put Brook Lopez on anybody else because they can all shoot and they can all pass and they can all Drive I think the Celtics become the favorites in the East I still unless somebody unless I see otherwise the beginning of the Season or you know halfway through the season the Denver Nuggets to me are still the favorites to win the championship next year but the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks Phoenix Suns as it stands right now right now those to me are the four favorites porzingis in particular had his best season of his career last year and what impressed me the most was defense because early in his career despite the athletic blocks and all that he was not known as a great defender he had his best defensive year last year the only question mark I have with this trade is what is the the cultural effect of losing Marcus Smart who's been a stalwart and a pillar for that team since he's been drafted I totally agree I totally agree with you there but the argument against that can be made whether that do for us in terms of championships zero that's not his fault um we get that but nevertheless if you're not going to if you haven't won the chip you've got to try something new I'm a person who firmly believes that if Boston had gone up against Denver that would have easily been a six-game series likely seven and so that's what I thought before you exchanged smart for porzingis and now that in porzingis you have an additional body that can Rim protect plus can space the floor and pull you out I'm thinking about jokic now and he's going to do what he's going to do but who's going to help him Aaron Gordon and these guys can play but it's entirely different going up against a Jimmy Butler who's smart Savvy predicates his success offensively by getting to the free throw line as opposed to going up against Jason Tatum who just averaged 30. no Boston Celtic has ever done that and on top of it all he's six nine with a game who can shoot long range he can finish in the open court Jalen Brown you're the secondary option he's a legit six six we know what he can do you don't have undecised guys like Gabe Vincent out there a Max struce who's gonna go two games can't score damn point that kind of stuff ain't happening with Boston porzingis is an upgrade I think Boston's a favor oh my gosh this is so this is what it's really like yeah oh okay that makes sense it was crazy Molly wow it was crazy I mean I've never stood next to anybody that tall ever ever it's never happened okay but let's talk about this we love a post draft fashion Friday let's get into the looks okay so first one here we start with scoot Henderson let's get scoot up here okay let's see all right okay um it's a little much for me it's a little too like flashy blinged out but listen it's his moment it's his night and and he flexed he had fun with it I gotta say I love the fit again it's not how I would show up to the draft I didn't know so I love the fit particularly flared bottoms oh yeah it just all goes it's on Trend yeah yeah it's all on translations the shoes were spectacular I thought it was a little too much because of the chain okay based on the outfit that you have available you don't need this right here it sort of took away from all of this to something I'm actually impressed What's this called Molly What's this called is it Bejeweled is it called but yeah I agree with you we took the chain off I like the Rings are working it would have been I think a little smoother but I want to be nice I want to be nice okay you've got big sisters and I don't want them coming after me I love it the next one Grady dick can we um look I get the nod to Wizard of Oz but hell no hell no I can't take this guy seriously I'm sorry my mom I'm sorry when you have nothing nice the brother's got some games yeah all right I give him props I mean the Blazer it's a little outfit here's my problem when I saw him the first thing I thought about was Vanilla Ice and you cannot come into the NBA reminding us of Vanilla Ice that is not good so I hope he's got a game on the next level to make up for this I like the chunky Prada bug Soul shoes just not with this particular look um and I think the shades are fine this was this was just this was just a lot for me with the it almost looked like a turtleneck under it but he was but but he was trying to make a statement and he did he was trying to make a state he's like I'm here okay all right I'm not gonna he also talked about afterwards it was an Ode to Wizard of Oz yeah we're not in Kansas City Kansas yeah so it was it was almost like a meth ball he stuck to the theme for that okay now let's get to my favorite I you already know who this is I love this on so many levels okay can I just break this down for a moment it's Louis Vuitton obviously I just think obviously but the forest green to me is just such a Timeless color it's so Chic he wanted to it's double-breasted then he wanted a little bit of flavor so it has kind of the kimono thing going I love the Rings oh that's what he said he was it was inspired kimono inspired oh I'm just telling you we're not debating we're listening I'm reacting to your excellent breakdown of the outfit no but I love this one I love it like I would call his stylist right now and say would you dress me because I'm looking a little cheesy today so yeah the pinky ring and then obviously having the pointer as well shoes are clean and then also the thing I thought was unique and I got this from your interview the Bismuth Stone he wasn't just all about bling and Flash he went with like a unique piece and I don't think it was too much it was understated but he still had some like flair and uniqueness to it the outfit initially struck me as relatively Bland plain but I liked it the more I thought about it I liked it here's what I wish it's the only the only thing I didn't like the shirt I wish the shirt I don't care if it was white hot pink something yeah I needed something to offset okay offset the rest of the greens what are you doing right now I know that what are you doing right now but I'm off I'm not on a red coffee even this is the best did you see how I was dressed last night my sister his sister was the best dressed female of the night and I also no I'm just saying it was so I need a Parisian stylist clearly I mean I was just I'm just do we have a picture of her yeah I think we've yes oh we have a picture okay yeah just it was just you can't see the full look there but it was just the whole thing all three of them even the little brother as well yeah yeah and it was such a special moment to see them all together it was all special and great family I really really enjoyed talking to him I'm just I got two more um Brandon Miller no that's all I'm gonna say now okay no can I say one thing you look like when JJ red and color right there no I I think it's I think it fits no Stephen A it fits really well the fit's done really well the shoes all of that I just don't know about the Plaid this time of year it didn't feel like the right season for that tone to me it gave me like a little bit more of like a Christmas Vibe now I didn't see him in person so maybe this is more of a curl but to me on the screen it's reading a little like red and green but but it fits the tailoring is exceptional yeah Molly can I make a suggestion I think Molly needs her own show I think Molly needs her own I'm not saying that I've been saying that these breakdowns but it actually gets in the way of some of her outfits because she analyzed you over analyzed Molly three times we have yours oh we had they're surprising me they're surprising me I thought oh wow okay all right all right that's [Music] so here's what I would have said throw it for the photo 2006. okay that's fine 2006. I get it 2006. I'm there with you all right we could pull up some 2006 Molly photos they would be embarrassing I would have probably just buttoned this for the photo I didn't need to see like the little the shirt peeking sometimes always never oh yeah oh that's a that's the rule with the three buttons real quick okay so first of all you never match patterns so I've got a pinstripe suit and I've Got Stripes in my tie you're so angry that's really bad also what's up with these sideburns bro uh yeah I don't think these are cuffed why Brown other than that because the blue you know what nothing nice can I say something brown with black no no no no can I say something is that black this is a navy blue suit it comes off darker in pictures but yeah had the best draft class obviously I mentioned 84-96 all these classes spectacular right and especially at the top uh I think 96 potentially a little bit deeper than 04 or 84 or 03 or 84. I gotta go 1984. 1984 best NBA draft class ever let's just break it down to the top three guys in each class I'd say O3 is mellow D-Wade LeBron 96 I'd probably go Nash Kobe AI you compare that to 84. MJ your greatest player of all time allows you on top 12 to 15 player of all time Barclay top 12 to 15 Talent of all time never won a championship I'll put them top 20. the other classes they don't they don't stack up the same way at the top then you add in the fact that John Stockton's a top five point guard ever all-time leader and assist all-time leader in steals I mean MJ himself has to weigh a little bit more just in the same way that LeBron has to weigh a little bit more and Kobe has to weigh a little bit more but if we're talking just the top I got 84. yeah I still got 96. I mean you think about like 10 All-Stars 10 All-Stars Steve Nash talk about point guards talk about MVPs Kobe Bryant do I need to say more Alan Iverson basically a generational Talent Stefan Marbury Jermaine O'Neill stayalkovich I mean like the depth of this draft class is absolutely ridiculous and you have generational players very similar to to 84. I'm look you're talking about the best players and then and I didn't even mention Ray Allen would you consider yourself the best shooter in the history of the game and second best I wouldn't even consider myself in the top five I I well back in the day I'm I'm hyping you up here uh but I mean that that class was absolutely ridiculous Championship caliber and think about the number of teams that won NBA championships well I get where you coming from I listen I can't make up my mind and be quite honest with you I think about 96 was what you talk about the depth and then you think about Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant those are who stand out their Champions and of course I'm gonna always bring my man AI into the mix uh because of how Sensational he was made my career covering him every day for the first seven years of my career of my career in Philadelphia that's one thing you look at the draft class of 2003. you got LeBron the number one mellow at number three Bosh at number four D Wade at number five and so you look at it from that perspective it's like damn how can you ignore that but then you get to that 84 class which JJ just brought up with MJ and and and you know what he brings to the table and then you go with Olajuwon one of the top centers in the history of basketball of course you'll look at somebody like Barkley's got to be thrown into the mixes of talent but I would still say as I look at it as I really really look at it um depth you go 96 but I would think about 2003 because guess what LeBron does have four rings D Wade does have three Bosch does have two although obviously two of it came together with each of them or with them playing together I Gotta Throw That in the mix and I gotta say hey I'll go with that for now but that definitely goes to 96. one thing I'll say about all these classes you think about the influence of the players Michael Jordan of course Allen Iverson one of the most influential players of all time Kobe Bryant one of the most influentials LeBron D Wade Carmelo Anthony one of the most influential players and then Hakeem Olajuwon right number one pick in 1984 the last pre the last draft without the lottery uh I believe he was the first foreign-born player to ever win MVP won two championships like he set the stage for this International Revolution that we've seen over the last you know 20 30 years it was Hakeem he was one of the first he was a Pioneer in that so I look at all these classes they all had not Beyond just the basketball accomplish accomplishments the influence on the game and the culture around it uh all of these classes had pillars of that and that you talk and you talk about influencers I mean like AI yeah I mean come on now I mean Kobe will be an influencer for for forever now for eternity a question I mean and you talk about it it's not just in his generation AI changed the way the game was played I've said this before people don't realize is that somebody that that that again covered them as a beat writer for the self-inquirer I will tell you the only person more popular than Michael Jordan I'm sorry the only person that you know after Michael Jordan it was it was Iverson Iverson was more popular than Kobe for years this is when Kobe was winning championships the first you know the first and the second of the three-piece Iverson was still more popular than Kobe Bryant and a lot of people don't realize that it was like covering a rock star seriously it was it was a separate beat in and of itself fashion everything speaker culture I mean you could probably trace the lineage of my sleeve tattoo to Allen Iverson to be honest with you he probably influenced that as well yeah it was crazy obviously a lot of people when we're talking about recent drafts and some of the best recent um the best recent drafts we've had how do you think this class could Stack Up um it could stack up very well particularly at the top okay um I don't know that to cess point I don't know that there's 10 All-Stars in this draft but I I'm I'm willing to bet that scoot Henderson Brandon Miller and Victor webignyama are all all NBA players yes so am I yeah and Victor he could be a generational player of all time right with his skill set size athleticism length and and everything that he how long do you think he's is he just going to be great out of the gate or you think it's going to take some time Julie serving was great Michael Jordan was great I think we all have to have patience about great takes time great just doesn't happen influential impact the game but I I think let him be a 19 year old playing his first year in the NBA let him see if they can win 20 more games let him see if he can impact the game but thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming Sports and premium content subscribe to ESPN Plus

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Keywords: 2023 nba draft, first take, jj redick, jj redick first take, victor wembanyama, nba draft, scoot henderson, nba, nba draft 2023, nba draft news, nba draft prospects, nba news, first take nba draft, stephen a smith, espn first take, espn, stephen a. smith, first take espn, nba on espn, first take celtics, kristaps prozingis celtics, boston celtics, celtics, kristaps porzingis, kristaps porzingis celtics, kristaps porzingis trade, basketball, celtics trade, nba highlights

Id: qmx5j63Kreo

Length: 18min 34sec (1114 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 23 2023