ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has dished out some bad takes over the years and one resurfaced recently after the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Donte DiVincenzo were part of the Villanova Wildcats’ roster in the 2015-16 season and before the 2016 NCAA title game, Smith stated none were real NBA prospects.
“Villanova doesn’t have a real NBA prospect on this squad,” Smith said on First Take.
“Villanova doesn’t have a real NBA prospect on this squad”
Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are all players from that 2016 Nova squad that are now on the Knicks
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— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 26, 2024
It’s safe to say, that Smith got that completely wrong. He also had North Carolina beating Villanova in the title game and the players proved him wrong then too by winning 77-74. It is somewhat ironic, that so many members of that team ended up on the Knicks, the team he supports.
Brunson, Hart, Bridges, and DiVincenzo weren’t the only ones to make it to the NBA either. Ryan Arcidiacono, who won Final Four MOP in 2016, has played for multiple teams in the league and even had two separate stints with the Knicks. Daniel Ochefu was another to make it in but played for just one season with the Washington Wizards.
In all, six players from that Villanova roster successfully made it to the NBA, and four of them look set to have long and successful careers. Hart and DiVincenzo have established themselves as great role players while Bridges is a borderline star who finished runner-up for DPOY in 2022.
Brunson, meanwhile, has turned into one of the best guards in the NBA. He averaged 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 0.9 steals per game for the Knicks in the 2023-24 campaign and made the All-NBA Second Team. The 27-year-old also became an All-Star for the first time in 2024 and is now the face of the franchise.
Stephen A. Smith Is Thrilled About The Knicks Trading For Mikal Bridges
While Smith didn’t think much of those players when they were on Villanova’s roster, he is delighted to have them on his team now. The 56-year-old took to X to share his excitement at the Knicks acquiring Bridges.
“Yes! Now, I know that y’all sitting out there and y’all saying ‘It’s Mikal Bridges, he’s a good player but it ain’t like you got (Kevin Durant) or somebody.’ Bump all that, OK! Chemistry matters,” Smith said. “Reliability matters. Consistency matters. Defense matters. The brother can shoot. The brother can play. I’m sorry, I like this move by the New York Knicks.
“He’s young. He’s energetic. He’s seasoned. He defends and he fits right into the culture of the New York Knicks, and that’s all I ask. That’s all I ask, baby,” Smith continued. “You crawl before you walk. We crawled last year, we gonna walk and we close to sprinting. I still think we need another piece! But we have moved in the right direction. I like this! I like this! I like this! Go New York Go New York Go! Whoa! We crawl before we rise. Here we come.”
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— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 26, 2024
Smith sure has changed his tune. I think the Knicks certainly took a step in the right direction by acquiring Bridges. You might argue that giving up four unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031) might have been a bit much, but the Knicks are going to be a very good team for quite a while. Maybe the last of those picks might prove to be very valuable, but that’s it.
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