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The Boston Celtics may have dropped their Christmas day matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. However, their performance in the season-opener has resonated within NBA circles, as many peg the Cs as a prime candidate to emerge out of the East this season.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins took things a step further in a recent airing of First Take, proclaiming the Celtics are a flat-out a better team than last season’s No. 1 seed out of the conference, the Milwaukee Bucks.
While his take could be considered biased, as Perkins won an NBA title with Boston back in 2008, his reasoning behind his somewhat hot take holds weight.
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Perkins Heaps Praise on Jaylen Brown: ‘Should be Considered a Star’
Following the Celtics’ one-point victory over the Bucks on Wednesday, First Take co-host Max Kellerman proclaimed that there was “no way you can say the Celtics are definitely better than the Bucks.” A statement which Perkins utterly opposes.
“When you look at the Celtics lineup – getting a guy like Jeff Teague to provide that offensive firepower off the bench. Getting a guy like Tristan Thompson, a center that they had been missing,” Perkins said. “And now that you have Kemba Walker being out… Jaylen Brown, who tore up the bubble last year in the playoffs, one of the best two-way guys in the league today, is now getting a chance to prove himself and show the world that he should be considered a star. He’s an all-star caliber player. He should have made it last year.”
Perkins’ support of Brown should come as little surprise, as his take echos a previous one dating back to August where he deemed Brown the “best all-around shooting guard in the league.”
Perkins then directed his attention to Brown’s backcourt mate, Marcus Smart. The ESPN analyst lauded the scrappy guard for his defensive skillset while also sending warning signals to any burly bears who may dare get in Smart’s way.
“I don’t want to have to deal with Marcus Smart,” Perkins said adamantly. “One of the best defenders in the league. If you see Marcus Smart in a fight with a bear, you better help the bear. Because Marcus Smart is just that difficult and a matchup problem as far as taking charges, getting extra possessions.”
Perkins on Celtics: ‘Sky’s the Limit’
The ex-14-year vet doubled-down on his take of his former team, claiming that “the Sky’s the limit for the Boston Celtics.”
“They’re a better team than the Bucks and they were missing Kemba Walker, one of their all-stars,” said Perkins. “When you look at the complete roster of the Boston Celtics, they’re deeper than the Bucks. They’re better coached than the Bucks. One could say that Brad Stevens is a better coach than Mike Budenholzer. So to me, it’s not even a question. After watching the game without Kemba Walker, the Boston Celtics are the better ball team.”
The Celtics currently sit at 1-1 on the season and will next take the court on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. The matchup will mark the first road contest of the season for Boston.
The Bucks also evened their record to one apiece, rebounding from their loss to the Celtics by demolishing the Golden State Warriors to the tune of 138-99 on Christmas day.
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