Kendrick Perkins makes bold claim to Stephen A. about Knicks-Nets that fans will love
The New York Knicks are off to a 3-2 start to the regular season. New York has (three) wins over three of the bottom teams in the Eastern Conference, but the team’s schedule over the next couple of weeks is far more challenging. Their tough stretch started on Friday night when they visited Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Milwaukee.
After a wild offseason for both New York NBA teams, the Knicks have enjoyed a better start to the regular season than the Nets. Brooklyn has a 1-4 record with losses to New Orleans, Memphis, Milwaukee, and most recently Dallas. The team’s lone win came against Toronto.
The Nets had a tough slate to start the year, but a 1-4 start wasn’t expected. Kevin Durant is averaging 33 points per game and Kyrie Irving is averaging 30 points per game, but Brooklyn’s lack of defense has been one of the team’s most glaring issues. The Nets’ schedule moving forward will be easier, but Knicks fans have certainly enjoyed watching Brooklyn struggle thus far.
On ESPN’s First Take on Friday morning, Kendrick Perkins spoke highly about the Knicks, and he even went as far as to say that they’ll have a better season than the Nets if things don’t change.
"The Brooklyn Nets should be named the Brooklyn Hostess Cupcakes because they're creamy and they're soft in the middle."
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 28, 2022
😭 @KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/I3igG2htq2
Kendrick Perkins believes that Knicks will have a better season than the Knicks
Kendrick Perkins, who spent the majority of his 14-year career with the Boston Celtics, went in on the Nets the morning after they fell to Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in overtime.
As all Knicks fans know, Stephen A. Smith rarely (if ever) has positive things to say about the team. Ahead of New York’s season opener, Tracy Morgan appeared on First Take and called Stephen A. out for not being a true supporter of the Knicks. Because of everything that SAS has said about the team, Perkins said that he owes the Knicks an apology.
Perkins mentioned that Brooklyn’s offensive firepower isn’t enough to win games, and that’s been evident in the Nets’ first five contests. That’s why Perkins thinks that with how both teams are currently constructed, the Knicks have the better team.
"“When I look at the New York Knicks and I look at RJ Barrett, and I look at Jalen Brunson, who’s been playing at an All-Star caliber level right now. And you look at big Robinson down there holding down the middle along with Julius Randle. And at the point guard position, you can mix it up by throwing in D-Rose and Brunson together, and you still have the young stud in Immanuel Quickley. I must say, in the short minutes that Obi Toppin plays off the bench, he has a serious impact. This Knicks roster is fiesty, they get down and dirty, they get gritty, and they’re not afraid of anyone. They’re sharing the ball and passing up good shots to get great shots. If the Nets stay the way that they are with the same coach in Steve Nash, the Knicks will have a far better season than the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks will actually make the playoffs and the Nets won’t.”"
It’s still very, very early in the year. Brooklyn has 77 more games to play in the regular season, so there’s plenty of time to turn things around, but we saw how things played out last year. The Knicks have been doing everything that Perk mentioned, which is why they’ve been able to have more success.
Hopefully, what Perkins said ends up being true. After all, New York City belongs to the Knicks, not the Nets.
