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“This is almost like buying the championship”: Stephen A Smith gives his honest reactions to LaMarcus Aldridge joining the Brooklyn Nets

Advait Jajodia
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"This is almost like buying the championship": Stephen A Smith gives his honest reactions to LaMarcus Aldridge joining the Brooklyn Nets

Earlier this month, Brooklyn Nets had added Blake Griffin to their lineup. In the same fashion as that, the Nets also got LaMarcus Aldridge.

Entering the 2020-2021 season, Brooklyn looked like one of the favourites with Kyrie and Durant leading the team. Over the course of the season, the Nets have solidified their lineup by adding three All-Star players in James Harden, Blake Griffin and recently LaMarcus Aldridge.

On Saturday night, Brooklyn strengthened their frontcourt by acquiring former All-Star Aldridge after his exit from the Spurs. Despite Miami Heat being the frontrunners to land the 6-foot-11 big man, he ended up in the star-studded team.

With all these superstars on the same team, it is almost certain that the Nets are the strongest title-contenders. Clearly, they have gone all in to win that title this season. ESPN’s analyst Stephen A Smith was in disbelief when he learned about the trade:

“So what’s next? I mean, what we gonna get the Ball boy (Lonzo), we gonna get Andre Drummond next. I mean, I know you can’t get Lonzo or Kyle Lowry whatever. But, damn. What’s it gonna be next, if you’re the Brooklyn Nets.”

“I mean it’s almost like buying the championship for crying out loud. Blake Griffin comes, LaMarcus Aldridge has now decided to go. We don’t even know if they gonna have Andre Drummond next. I mean, you want a championship, I got all of that. You should be the favourites KD, James Harden, Kyrie. But, damn.”

Also Read: “The Raptors were in La La Land for the Kyle Lowry trade”: Daryl Morey explains why the Sixers exited the sweepstakes for Lowry

Stephen A Smith believes there will be no team to give the Nets some competition

Having six All-Stars on the same squad will definitely make the team offensively deadly. But, many fans, including Stephen A Smith believe that Brooklyn will have no competition entering the playoffs. Smith added:

“What about competition? Are we just gonna get everybody now? Everybody? I mean, I’m looking forward to the playoffs, I want competition. But if we just gonna stock-piling and get everybody.”

“And everybody running to Brooklyn to try and steal a championship. I mean, come on. KD, Kyrie, James Harden that’s cool. I get all of that. Blake Griffin could’ve gone someplace else.”

“LaMarcus Aldridge of all people, after all the years you spent in Portland and San Antonio. That’s what we doing now? But, damn. That’s just my initial reaction. Damn.”

Also Read: “Nikola Jokic could be a top 20 center of all time at this pace”: Kendrick Perkins sings Nuggets superstar’s praise amidst MVP campaign

Adding a veteran like Aldridge will obviously get the team even more experience. The problems the team had on the defensive end, LaMarcus should be able to help with that.

Brooklyn is now second in the Eastern Conference, without KD even playing most of the games. At the rate at which they’re acquiring players, the team should be aiming to finish with the best record in the whole league, let alone their conference. Brooklyn has to be the favourites to win the championship at this point.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,350+ articles.

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