Category: kendrick perkins

‘Scary’: Kendrick Perkins issues Erik Spoelstra warning to Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ahead of NBA Finals vs. Heat

May 31, 2023

Kendrick Perkins is scared for Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, not only because they are facing Jimmy Butler but also because of Erik Spoelstra.

On Twitter, Perkins couldn’t help but share his feeling that Spoelstra is really hungry to win the title after hearing all the interviews he has done. The former NBA big man also heaped praise on Spoelstra’s ability as a coach before noting that it’s “scary” for the Nuggets.

“The more Erik Spoelstra interviews I hear the more I love this man as a Coach!!! You can see it in his eyes and hear it his voice that he want this Championship more than anybody. That’s SCARY!!!! Just saying…” Perkins shared.

Erik Spoelstra has been such a great stabilizing force for the Heat over the past years, though that has been more evident in the 2023 playoffs. When it looked like Miami was on the verge of collapsing in the Eastern Conference Finals, he kept the team composed and steered them in the right direction. In the end, they prevented the Boston Celtics from making history and secured their ticket to the NBA Finals.

As Kendrick Perkins said it, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets will have to worry more than just Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin. With a battle tested tactician in Coach Spo leading the Heat, the battle could very well be more difficult than what they are expecting.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set on Thursday at Ball Arena.

The post ‘Scary’: Kendrick Perkins issues Erik Spoelstra warning to Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ahead of NBA Finals vs. Heat appeared first on ClutchPoints.

‘End this right now’: Kendrick Perkins wants Celtics star Jaylen Brown out of Boston ASAP

May 30, 2023

Some fans have been trying to revoke Kendrick Perkins’ Boston Celtics card amid all the criticism the one-time NBA champ has thrown in the direction of his former team. According to Big Perk, he’s just being honest and he’s merely providing his unbiased opinion on the Celtics — something that he has come out with again after seeing Boston get dominated by the Miami Heat at home in a do-or-die Game 7 matchup on Monday night.

At this point, Perkins believes that Jaylen Brown has to go. This isn’t the first time Big Perk has come out with this statement, and Brown’s no-show in Game 7 only served as more proof for Perkins on how the Celtics have to trade Brown away this summer:

“It’s time to break Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum up,” Perkins said. “Jaylen Brown was horrible tonight — eight turnovers, 8-for-23 from the field. Jayson Tatum (is) hurt; this is the time he’s supposed to step up.

“I just don’t know, if you’re the front office of the Celtics, how much longer you’re going to be patient with this duo. It’s gonna be guys out there that are going to be somewhat on the market, like a Trae Young and a Damian Lillard. And I think the front office, Brad Stevens and Wyc Grousbeck, is gonna have to take a hard look at whether or not they want to bring Jaylen Brown back and pair him up with Jayson Tatum, which I think they shouldn’t. I think they should go out there and try to get a Damian Lillard, and if they fall short of getting him, then go get a Trae Young. But I think it’s time to end this relationship right now.”

Perkins even provided the Celtics with a couple of options in Damian Lillard and Trae Young, which are undeniably exciting prospects for Boston — especially given their current situation. Whatever the case might be, what Big Perk is adamant about is the fact that Jaylen Brown needs to go. Now.

The post ‘End this right now’: Kendrick Perkins wants Celtics star Jaylen Brown out of Boston ASAP appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Heat star Jimmy Butler on brink of ‘cementing’ Hall of Fame legacy in Game 7 vs Celtics, per Kendrick Perkins

May 29, 2023

It goes without saying that a lot will be on the line for both the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Monday night. After all, whoever wins Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals will punch their ticket to the NBA Finals against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The loser, however, will have no other choice but to go home empty-handed and with a broken heart.

Jimmy Butler will have even more at stake in this do-or-die matchup. According to ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, Butler’s legacy will be on the line on Monday. Big Perk firmly believes that the Heat superstar can book his in the Basketball Hall of Fame with a win in Game 7:

“I believe when I look at Jimmy Butler, he’s knocking on the door of being a Hall of Famer,” Perkins said. “I think if he just complete this mission and go in there and have another epic performance — a Game 7 performance — and pull out a victory, it will put him in the Hall of Fame as far as his career.”

I see no lies here. Nevertheless, it’s obviously not an easy task for Jimmy Butler. All the momentum is on the Celtics’ side right now as they host the Heat in the final game of what has been an epic series. Then again, the gravity of the situation will make it even more majestic if Butler is able to lead his team to victory.

Perkins then slapped Butler with a bit of truth serum with regard to the Heat star’s tenure in the NBA:

“I believe his legacy will be hurt more by this loss than Jayson Tatum because I believe Jimmy Butler is getting older and I don’t know how much time he has left to get to this point,” Perkins continued. “Also, this is his golden opportunity to win a championship, and I believe that window is closing as well. … If he can win this Game 7 and get to the Finals, I think he will cement his legacy as far as a Hall of Fame player.”

It’s now or never for Jimmy Butler, and I’m pretty sure he’s well aware of this fact, too. As such, you can expect the Heat star to leave it all on the court in what should be a Game 7 for the ages.

The post Heat star Jimmy Butler on brink of ‘cementing’ Hall of Fame legacy in Game 7 vs Celtics, per Kendrick Perkins appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kendrick Perkins doubles down on bold Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown take ahead of Celtics’ Game 7 vs. Heat

May 29, 2023

The Boston Celtics are on the brink of history. Facing a 3-0 hole, they’ve won three straight to force a decisive Game 7 on Monday night against the Miami Heat, with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line.

But despite Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown propelling the C’s to an improbable comeback, Kendrick Perkins once again said the star duo wouldn’t be together next season if the team doesn’t win it all.

Hot take. Tatum isn’t going anywhere. As for Brown, there have been rumblings that he could be on the move this summer. He is due for an extension but the guard would get paid more if he stayed put.

If Brown re-signs with the Celtics, he can get five years and $295 million. Anywhere else? Just four years and $185 million. You do the math. He’d be giving up a whole lot of money to leave Boston. While Perk certainly has a point about Brown and Tatum failing to finally bring a title back to Beantown, you can’t look past their success, either.

By a long shot, these two are the most accomplished duo in the Association and they’re still incredibly young. There should be many years ahead together, despite what happens on Monday night or in the Finals.

The reality is Tatum and Brown gel together and have built a strong relationship both on and off the court. Plus, the only way Brown actually hits the road is if he asked Boston for a trade since he’s not a UFA until 2024. That feels highly unlikely at this moment in time.

The post Kendrick Perkins doubles down on bold Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown take ahead of Celtics’ Game 7 vs. Heat appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kendrick Perkins slams Heat star Bam Adebayo’s ‘ridiculous’ performance in Game 5 vs. Celtics

May 27, 2023

The Miami Heat squandered another opportunity to close out the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. After establishing a commanding 3-0 lead, the Heat are now in danger of making the wrong kind of history by allowing Jayson Tatum and Co. to come back from a virtually insurmountable lead.

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins is more than happy to play the blame game, and in his mind, Bam Adebayo is Player 1. Big Perk went all in on the Heat big man, even going as far as dragging Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis into his scathing rant:

“We have to keep the same energy for Bam, that we do for Anthony Davis. Because what I saw last night was ridiculous,” Perkins said. “… Dammit, you should never leave out of these games without having 15 rebounds. … You’re going against Al Horford. Al Horford is 36 years old. 36. He’s 36. You’re more athletic, you should be able to dominate that matchup. It’s no excuse.”

Perkins went full savage on Adebayo, but in his defense, he does make a few valid points here. In Game 5, Adebayo logged 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 32 minutes of action. It wasn’t exactly an atrocious effort, but he did turn the ball over six times. Moreover, he allowed Al Horford to snag 11 rebounds in the ballgame — an inexcusable anomaly if you ask Kendrick Perkins.

The good news for Bam and the Heat is that they still have a couple of chances to close out the Celtics. They will be looking to do just that on Saturday in Miami in Game 6 because allowing this series to head back to Boston for a Game 7 would be a major, major problem for the Heat.

The post Kendrick Perkins slams Heat star Bam Adebayo’s ‘ridiculous’ performance in Game 5 vs. Celtics appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Heat star Jimmy Butler draws GOAT-level praise from Kendrick Perkins amid iconic NBA Playoffs run

May 26, 2023

Due to the fact that the Miami Heat have lost back-to-back games to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s easy to overlook the great things Jimmy Butler has done to lead his team to where they are right now. This does not come as a complete shock considering how in the NBA, you’re mostly only as good as you’re last win.

For former NBA champion turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, however, he has no intention of setting aside Butler’s amazing accomplishments this season. As a matter of fact, Big Perk believes that the Heat star is well on his way to establishing one of the most iconic NBA Playoffs runs of all time:

“I’m going with Jimmy Butler, far as the individual story,” Perkins said. “… If he can complete the mission and win the NBA championship along with the Finals MVP, this might be one of the greatest individual runs by a player in NBA history.”

I see no lies here. Then again, Perkins did pose a couple of major caveats here. In order for Big Perk to fully embellish Jimmy Butler with his GOAT-level praise, Perkins wants the 33-year-old to win his first-ever NBA title first. It goes without saying that Butler will only be able to put himself in a position to compete for a championship if the Heat are able to take down the Celtics in the East Finals.

Butler and Co. are still in the driver’s seat in this series, but there’s also no denying that they’re facing a lot more pressure now than they were when they were up 3-0. Simply put, the Miami Heat cannot afford to lose Game 6 at home on Saturday.

The post Heat star Jimmy Butler draws GOAT-level praise from Kendrick Perkins amid iconic NBA Playoffs run appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Malika Andrews’ savage roasting of Richard Jefferson had Kendrick Perkins in stitches

May 25, 2023

All it took was one line for Malika Andrews to completely obliterate Richard Jefferson and have Kendrick Perkins lose it on live TV.

The three hosts of NBA Today on ESPN were reflecting on LeBron James’s postgame comments that hint at a potential retirement after the Los Angeles Lakers got eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Richard Jefferson, being a retired NBA player himself and a former teammate of LeBron, could empathize with his situation.

To lighten up the mood, the former NBA star raised a question to Malika: “Do you think it’s a better chance of LeBron retiring or Perk going on a diet?”

Malika replied: “It’s right up there with you growing a full head of hair.”

Oh, come on, Malika. You didn’t have to do Rich like that.

To be fair, he does have quite the chrome dome. Kind of reminds us of that Spongebob meme.

But in all seriousness, Malika Andrews’ NBA Today has taken leaps and bounds since its debut in October 2021, combining the informative, insightful, and up-to-date breakdown of the latest buzz surrounding the NBA, with the relatable, attention-grabbing opinions and expressions of different but relevant personalities alike, whether it’s from retired alumni like Rich, Perk and Vince Carter, or notable analysts such as Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski.

This instance is just one of those moments where those two seamlessly blend together, and make for a hilarious moment that has fans talking about it, even when there’s little to no basketball going on.

Kudos to Malika, Rich, Perk, and the rest of NBA Today!

The post Malika Andrews’ savage roasting of Richard Jefferson had Kendrick Perkins in stitches appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Lakers star Anthony Davis slapped with savagely harsh Nikola Jokic truth bomb by Kendrick Perkins

May 25, 2023

The Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets was billed as a colossal matchup between two of the top big men in the history of the game. There’s no denying that we saw flashes of this epic battle throughout the series, but for the most part, it was Nikola Jokic who utterly dominated Anthony Davis in four games. The fact that the Lakers got themselves embarrassingly swept in the series is a clear testament to this fact.

Kendrick Perkins is having none of it. The former NBA champ turned ESPN analyst has sounded off on Davis’ lackluster performance in the West Finals. In his mind, Big Perk believes that Jokic is actually in better physical conditioning as compared to the Lakers superstar:

“It’s about Anthony Davis … looking himself in the mirror and asking himself who he wants to be,” Perkins said. “… Or should we just accept this is who he’s gonna be? … Jokic — and this is no disrespect, this is a lot of credit to Jokic — is in better shape than Anthony Davis. He looked tired last night.”

Jokic has always been criticized for his weight and his “non-NBA” physique. However, as Perkins pointed out in his statement above, the Nuggets superstar proved in the Lakers series that regardless of how his body may look on the outside, the fact of the matter is that he still dominated Anthony Davis on both ends of the court.

Big Perk also has an imposing challenge on AD ahead of the offseason. Perkins is also adamant that next season will be Davis’ last chance for the Lakers:

“Where’s his focus at in the offseason? Why haven’t he gotten better?” Perkins asked. “… Next year, in my opinion, is his last shot at showing [the Lakers] that [they] can actually hand him the keys to this vehicle.”

The post Lakers star Anthony Davis slapped with savagely harsh Nikola Jokic truth bomb by Kendrick Perkins appeared first on ClutchPoints.