Perk says SGA will be a TOP-10 PLAYER if he can repeat & win the MVP! 🏆 | First Take Exclusive

0:01 Welcome to this First Take exclusive.

0:02 I'm Courtney Cronin.

0:03 He's Kendrick Perkins.

0:05 Let's get right into it.

0:06 The NBA playoffs are in full swing and the reigning champion OKC Thunder

0:10 look like a welloiled machine behind

0:12 their leader and reigning MVP Shay Gildris Alexander.

0:16 Although SGA was held to 18 points in game one against the Lakers,

0:20 the Thunder were in complete control.

0:22 And Perk, you've been extremely high on SGA and what's at stake

0:25 for him and this team historically if they're able to go back to back.

0:28 Which brings me to my first question.

0:30 What would the Thunder need to accomplish this postseason

0:33 for it to be considered a historic run?

0:37 Oh, completing the mission and winning the championship again.

0:40 And when you think about what's at stake,

0:42 you think about SGA and if he could mimic and duplicate what he did last season,

0:48 me winning MVP, regular season MVP,

0:52 which he's probably going to win this season,

0:54 win another championship and finals MVP.

0:57 We're going to be having a a a uncomfortable conversation when

1:01 it comes to SGA and what he ranks for his all-time

1:05 greats because I strongly believe that somebody in that top

1:09 10 is going to have to have to step aside.

1:12 And the reason that I'm jumping off the porch early is

1:14 because he's just now knocking at the door of his prime.

1:18 SGA is 27 years old and if he goes out and complete

1:22 the mission and get another championship MVP and finals MVP at 27,

1:28 I mean, we going to be talking some

1:30 real we going to be having a real conversation.

1:33 We have at least six or seven more years

1:36 in my opinion of seeing this version of SGA.

1:40 Six or seven more years.

1:41 Think about that.

1:42 And so when you think about where he's at now,

1:45 in my opinion, he's already the greatest thunder ever,

1:49 the greatest thunder ever.

1:50 No disrespect to Russell Westbrook, no disrespect to Kevin Durant.

1:54 Russell Westbrook is going to have a statue outside of that damn arena,

1:58 but SGA since he completed the mission is the greatest Thunder player ever.

2:04 If they go to repeat, he wins another Finals MVP with an MVP,

2:09 then we have an uncomfortable conversation.

2:11 Somebody in that top 10 got to move aside.

2:13 Well, let's just do it right now.

2:15 I mean, everybody's top 10 look list looks different, but on yours,

2:19 who would you move out if SGA is able to finish

2:22 the job off here and lead his team to winning another finals?

2:26 Courtney.

2:26 Wow.

2:27 Wow.

2:27 I mean, to be honest, if if he was to complete the mission right now,

2:32 I would have to lean more towards because I do have Elijah in my top 10, right?

2:38 And I would have to lean more towards getting Elijah Warren out of there.

2:42 That would move him in the top 15, you know.

2:46 But hey, listen, it's a hard, it's difficult,

2:49 but I'm always answer the question and I don't

2:51 want the Rockers fans to be mad at me.

2:53 We know how we value Elijah one down there in the Htown, but you know,

2:57 finishing top 15, being top 15 greatest of all

3:01 time ain't the worst thing in the world.

3:03 Okay.

3:03 So, since we love doing rankings here on First Take, it just made you do that.

3:06 I'm going to ask you,

3:07 where does the Thunder rank among LeBron James postseason opponents?

3:11 They're down 1 right now and obviously going into game two,

3:14 a lot of things need to change for this Lakers to get back in the series.

3:17 I I would put him I would put him I

3:21 would put him top five because of where LeBron is,

3:24 where LeBron is at in his career, right?

3:27 Like at this point in time, we're talking about a guy that's 41 years old.

3:31 And when you think about his rankings,

3:34 obviously I would put Golden State up there.

3:37 I would put them at number one, right?

3:39 Because they stopped LeBron from winning three championships.

3:43 Dallas would also be in that conversation.

3:46 Uh, you know, we would also put the Spurs in there

3:49 and I would put my Boston Celtics in there because we stopped LeBron

3:52 a few years from accomplishing his goals

3:55 in his early days with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

3:58 But I would say I would have OKC ranked fifth on that list just because

4:03 of where LeBron is at right now in his career at being 41 years old.

4:08 Yeah.

4:08 I mean, it's it's honestly remarkable that he's carried his team this far.

4:12 Sands Luca Donuch.

4:14 You heard the comments the other night just about,

4:16 yeah, you got 37 points on the bench.

4:17 Of course, we lost this game.

4:19 Um, but we'll see what they're able to do in this game,

4:21 too, and throughout the rest of this series.

4:24 That brings me to like the point of, you know, the outgoing LeBron James.

4:28 Whenever it happens, it's it's going to happen.

4:29 And the whole face of the league

4:31 conversation is something that we've had throughout

4:33 the last couple of years trying to figure out who takes the reigns next.

4:37 It's more alive than ever in this postseason.

4:40 So, who would you say has that face of the league

4:44 status most at stake here throughout the remainder of the playoffs?

4:47 Uh, I would say, and it's it's it's really unfair because he's not 100% healthy,

4:54 but I would say Anthony Edwards, right?

4:56 Like Anthony Edwards is every former player favorite player, right?

5:01 The his approach to the game, obviously,

5:04 how he gets it done in between the lines,

5:06 but also they love everything about his character, right?

5:10 And how authentic he is, how real he is,

5:13 and how he approaches the game with that mentality.

5:16 It's only a certain amount of people that's able

5:19 to pick up the phone and call Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

5:22 I wish I was one of them, but Anthony Els is one of those people.

5:26 When you able to do that, that means you're something special.

5:29 And I think when you think about what SGA has done,

5:32 winning the championship in your same conference,

5:34 knocking you out of the playoffs.

5:36 Obviously, Wimby on Wimby's on the rise.

5:39 You still have Luca.

5:40 Like, I feel like it's that time

5:42 this postseason for Anthony Edwards to take that leap.

5:45 I understand he's battling injuries, but when you talk about a moment,

5:49 I want you to think about this for a second.

5:52 If Anthony was team, if Anthony was could lead his team,

5:55 he pass Joic, pass Wimby, pass SGA,

6:00 and possibly whoever he face in the finals could

6:03 be Big Body Brunson and the New York Knicks.

6:06 We're having a different conversation.

6:07 That could be arguably top five top

6:11 five really greatest championship runs of all time.

6:14 When you talk about the legends

6:16 and the and the and and the guys that he had to go through,

6:18 Hall of Famers, I mean, future Hall of Famers,

6:21 like, we'll be having a different conversation.

6:23 I get it.

6:24 He's hurt, but Anthony Elvis don't care about him being hurt.

6:27 He wants to win and he wants to win the championship.

6:29 Yeah.

6:29 I think it was Julius Randall who said he's like Wolverine.

6:32 He just faster than everybody else.

6:34 And clearly, he has a point.

6:35 Like he he comes to mind for me, too,

6:38 simply based on the fact that he probably shouldn't be playing right now.

6:42 he probably shouldn't be out there.

6:44 This guy got a bone bruise on April 25th and his team was able to carry the load

6:49 in his absence of day they also lost

6:50 Dante Devenenzo and make it to the second round.

6:54 This guy loves basketball and he's made this team so

6:56 much fun to watch and to watch how he takes over.

6:59 Yeah, game two wasn't great.

7:01 He didn't look good.

7:01 Timberwolves didn't look good.

7:02 They got punched in the mouth.

7:04 But to see Anthony Edwards get this team at minimum back

7:08 to the West Finals would be a third straight year doing that.

7:11 I think you could easily put him into that conversation is this is yours.

7:14 I know he doesn't want to talk about it a lot and says like

7:16 I don't want the face of the league conversation to be centered around me.

7:20 But hey, you do great things.

7:21 You will learn greatness.

7:22 But but real quick, can Victor Webinyama become the face of the league?

7:27 I know it's early in his career.

7:28 It's only year three.

7:29 It's only his first time in the postseason.

7:31 That's your pick to win the NBA finals this year.

7:35 If that happens, is he the face of the league or has he

7:38 already arrived considering all the great things

7:40 he's done for such a young player?

7:42 Listen, I I love everything about Wimby.

7:45 I love how he embraces the league.

7:47 I love how he don't take the league for granted.

7:50 I love how he challenges everyone for, you know,

7:54 he set the tone in the All-Star game.

7:56 He said he wanted to participate in the dunk contest.

7:58 He's bringing that level of competitiveness back to the game, right?

8:03 along with what he's delivering on the floor.

8:05 We've never seen anything like him.

8:08 And he's marketable.

8:09 Like, it's only a few people out there that I

8:12 would spend my hard-earned money to go and see.

8:15 You know, a lot of those guys I probably will sit in the suite or in the stands.

8:19 When it comes to Wimby, I need my feet on the hardwood.

8:22 I'm blind.

8:23 I'm buying floor seats.

8:24 My hard earned money.

8:25 I ain't calling to get comps.

8:27 I'm actually sitting on the on the hardwood to watch him play.

8:30 With that being said,

8:31 I think we're in the space in the NBA where it's not a face.

8:35 It's not going to be a face.

8:37 I think it's going to be faces employ right when you think about SGA,

8:41 Wimby, Ant-Man, like Jason Tatum to a certain degree,

8:46 like K Cuttingham, all these guys.

8:48 It's going to be faces.

8:49 I don't want to leave out Luca either.

8:51 It's going to be faces of the league that's going to be carrying the torch,

8:54 but he's definitely going to be one of them.

8:56 I I'm glad you brought up plural because it doesn't have to just be one

9:00 player when there's so much greatness here

9:02 that we're seeing in this in this postseason.

9:04 And I don't know, my mind goes to the Knicks right now

9:07 just because we've seen Carl Anthony Towns take over throughout these playoffs.

9:12 Two playoff career two triple doubles now that he has in the playoffs.

9:16 We saw that in the first round.

9:18 and and to see what he's doing right now,

9:20 what Jaylen Brunson's doing right now with the New York Knicks and being able

9:24 to get a 20 lead on um you know in in this Eastern Conference semi-final series.

9:30 Where do you fit either of them into the conversation?

9:32 Cuz we just don't seem to have

9:34 that enough with Jaylen Brunson or Carl Anthony Towns.

9:37 Why are they a tier below you think in most people's minds?

9:41 Well, you know what?

9:42 That's that's hard.

9:42 I mean, I just I just think is with Jaylen Brunson, he has to get it done.

9:48 Um, I think you know what when you think about the history of the game

9:53 and you think about what a lot of people have highlighted when it comes to a guy

9:58 under 6'2 actually completing the mission of winning

10:01 the NBA championship and being the leader

10:04 uh and being the the franchise guy to lead the team to win the championship.

10:08 You only had two guys that have done it under the the height of 6'2.

10:12 Isaiah Thomas, you know what I'm saying, with the Pistons.

10:15 and then you have uh Steph Curry.

10:18 So, I think he has to actually complete

10:20 the mission in order to really get his respect.

10:23 But I do want to give Jaylen Brunson a whole lot of credit.

10:27 He's playing in arguably and delivering and arguably the the toughest

10:32 franchise in sports and the toughest market in sports in playing

10:36 in the New York Knicks for a fan base that is

10:39 so spoiled and so entitled that haven't won a lot of championships.

10:44 He carries that and weighs it on his shoulders.

10:46 He never makes excuses.

10:48 He never throws anyone under the bus.

10:50 He He steps up time and time again, especially in clutch moments.

10:55 He's always delivering.

10:56 So again, I don't know why we don't put him in there.

10:59 I think, you know, it comes more so

11:01 to you also got to consider highlights, right?

11:05 Like I think highlights make also is part of being face of the league.

11:09 That's why I just can't give it to Shay because we want to see the dunks, right?

11:12 We want to see the crossovers.

11:14 We want to see everything that comes with it.

11:16 So again, I want to give Jay Jaylen Brunson his Big Body Brunson his card,

11:21 his flowers right now.

11:23 Like, but I think he has to actually win

11:25 the championship for us to put him in that conversation.

11:29 We've got Big Body Brunson,

11:30 we've got Carl Anthony Towns, we have SGA, Wem, Ant-Man.

11:34 So many great players, so much good basketball,

11:36 and there's only more of it coming up over the next couple of days.

11:40 That's going to do it for us.

11:41 Thanks for watching this First Take exclusive.

11:44 Make sure to tune in weekdays on ESPN at 10 a.m.

11:46 Eastern.

11:47 We'll see you tomorrow.