The Boston Celtics are rising as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference as of late.
Kendrick Perkins is aboard the hype train, as he showered both the team as a whole and many players individually with compliments.
Perkins, during ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday, was asked whether he thought the Celtics or Brooklyn Nets were more likely to win the East. That question set Perkins on a rant, starting with Celtics budding superstar and Eastern Conference Player of the Week Jayson Tatum.
“We already know that Jayson Tatum has been one of the most prolific scorers in the game today but guess what? He’s turned it up another notch, and I’m not just talking about that 50 piece wing he dropped, all flats. I’m talking about the tenacity that he’s playing with,” Perkins said on ESPN.
After heaping praise on the Celtics star, he gave an overview of the entire team.
“When you look at this Celtics roster, top to bottom, first they’ve been the best defensive team over the last two months, let’s get that out of the way,” Perkins continued. “Now Jayson Tatum is leading the charge, then he has his counter-partner Jaylen Brown. Marcus Smart has found his role as being the facilitator.”
While laying on praise, Perkins highlighted Derrick White’s addition to the team, Grant Williams’ perimeter shooting and called Robert Williams a top-10 center in the league. Perkins ended his rant by saying that he would rather have the team that “has been playing the best basketball in the last two months,” in reference to the Celtics over the Nets.
The Celtics will be back in action Tuesday in Charlotte at 7 p.m. ET, where they will look to continue their win streak against the Hornets.
