Getty Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks walks off the court.
The New York Knicks may have just been bounced in the second round of the 2023 NBA Postseason, but there are those who see them as being much closer to title contention than some of the clubs believed to be more equipped for such a run.
At least, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is under this impression as he made the bold claim during a recent episode of First Take that Jalen Brunson is closer to winning a ring than both Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young and, more shocking, Philadelphia 76ers reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
“I’m going to go with Jalen Brunson and the Knicks,” Smith said when asked who of the bunch will win a title first. “I don’t know if Philly’s going to be able to get Embiid the requisite help that he needs. I certainly don’t believe in the Hawks in terms of championship contention. So I’m going to go with the Knicks.”
Smith continued with his reasoning by noting that there are “a lot of question marks” when it comes to both the Sixers and Hawks, and highlighted that, in comparison, there is enviable stability in the Knicks organization what with “Tom Thibodeau, having an elite defense, knowing that they’ve got some continuity, 11 picks over the next six years including eight first rounders.”
It is because of these specifics that the ESPN personality has Brunson and the Knicks claiming a title before these two other Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Stephen A. Smith Proposes Blueprint for Knicks Title Run
During the episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith would reveal the “blueprint of what can be” for the Knicks to thrust themselves into championship contention and specifically highlighted who and what Leon Rose and company could exchange their slew of draft capital for to bring them there.
“We got picks…We gonna get Damian Lillard to the Garden. That’s what we gonna do,” Smith said.
New franchise-record 64 points and 12 3-pointers… only D.O.L.L.A.
Smith has been vocal about his desire to see the Knicks pursue the superstar guard since officially requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this summer.
During a July 25 episode of First Take, he would go as far as to propose a wild trade that would see an outbound package headlined by the inclusion of RJ Barrett.
Lillard capped off his 2022-23 season with the Blazers posting tremendous per-game averages of 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from deep.
Knicks Pursued Thanasis Antetokounmpo in Free Agency
Upon re-signing with the Milwaukee Bucks on July 28, it was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that veteran forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo opted to stay in Wisconsin rather than inking a deal with the Knicks.
“Antetokounmpo chose return to the Bucks over multiple options, including Knicks, sources said. Brothers Giannis and Thanasis, Brook and Robin Lopez all reunited in Milwaukee for next season,” Charania reported via Twitter.
Selected by the Knicks with the 51 overall back in the 2014 NBA Draft, Antetokounmpo spent his rookie season revolving in and out of the lineup for the club’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
He has served as a member of the Bucks since 2019 and boasts career averages of 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds across 164 games played.