Stephen A. Smith Can't Believe Kendrick Perkins Picked the Hawks Over the Knicks

Kendrick Perkins went bold on Wednesday's edition of First Take, and Stephen A. Smith was not having it. Perkins claimed the Atlanta Hawks were going to take down the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Stephen A.'s response? "How dare you."

Stephen A. is a long-suffering Knicks fan who finally has something to be happy about this season, so he went off on Perkins. Check it out:

This was more lighthearted than I made it sound, or than Smith's usual rants, but it was still pretty good. The Hawks do have a nice collection of players with Trae Young, Clint Capela, John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic and more. They're a hell of a young team. That said, the Knicks have been on fire over the second half of the season and have one of the league's best defenses. They also have Julius Randle, who has become a legitimate star this season, and Derrick Rose, who has turned back the clock with an outstanding campaign.

I expect Hawks-Knicks to be a hell of a series. Stephen A. thinks his Knicks will win in seven games, while Perkins is all over the Hawks.