Can Joe Mazzulla Adjust When It Matters

We stop treating the Celtics like a fun regular season story and start asking the only question that matters: what survives a seven game series. We argue through Joe Mazzulla’s biggest pressure points, then map out how Boston can score in more than one way when the matchups get ugly. 
• regular season success versus playoff chaos as the real test 
• concerns about Mazzulla sticking to Plan A too long 
• expectation shift after outperforming win projections 
• Jaylen Brown as the first option in the attack 
• Jayson Tatum’s reintegration and more physical driving 
• need for multiple offensive profiles beyond iso threes 
• Nikola Vucevic as a post scorer and passer 
• value of paint touches, entry passes, and kickout threes 
• bench “competency” lineups that protect leads 
• playoff rotation questions for Shireman, Walsh, Gonzalez 
• East threats that create bad series Atlanta and Cleveland 
• Knicks, Pistons, and Heat as fight-based opponents 
• West watch OKC, Lakers scenarios, Clippers chaos, Spurs rise 
• player development as a quiet win this season 

Transcript

March Basketball And Celtics Stakes

SPEAKER_00 0:06

It's missing the point. It is basketball season officially. It is the month of March. The NFL is firmly in our rear view despite their best efforts to make it a 12-month uh game. If you're a baseball fan, if you're into that sort of thing, I mean things are starting up for you. That's great opening day. But really, this is the time for basketball heads. This is the time to wrap your head and my head around basketball. Really think about the game and think about more specifically our team, Ray. I'm here with Hollywood Ray Sean Buchanan, the Boston Celtics. I'm just going to start with it right off the bat. We haven't really talked about the Celtics yet this year. I'm still not sold on Joe Mazzula, considering a shock to nobody. I I he still does things that annoy me. Now, I'm going to just use that to frame the overall, and then we're going to get a little bit more myopic as things go on. I want to be clear, it's not about results. Okay. They're winning games. They look like one of the better teams in the league. Try to catch up to maybe a surprise, maybe not a surprise. Detroit Pistons team in the East. My issue is the same issue I had at the end of last year, because it's time to start thinking about the playoffs. What happens in the playoffs? Things get chaotic. What's Joe Missoula good at? Executing a really stable game plan. Spacing, threes, pace, trust the system, trust the math, right? I don't think I'm saying anything totally outlandish about his coaching style there. But things happen, and we're going to get into this a little bit later when we have to talk about the sort of gauntlet that the Celtics are going to run through the East. Things happen in the playoffs. Things get crazy in the playoffs. And what I feel like I do this every year. But the regular season and the playoffs in basketball, so specifically in basketball, are such different beasts, right? We know this. This is a cliche at this point. We've said this a lot. And I don't think overperforming expectations in the regular season is going to really do anything but set us up for some frustration going into the playoffs because I think he was already found out in the postseason last year. So I guess my opening question to you, my opening salvo to you, Ray, is in the context of what's what we have built here, what are your expectations for this team going into the postseason? Are you now, because they sort of overperformed our expectations in the regular season, going to be disappointed if we don't make a deep playoff run or dare I say it, even compete for a championship? Or do you think this was always going to be a rebuild year? This was always going to be Jason Tatum trying to work his way back in. And despite being way ahead of schedule and look really good come coming back, I you know, I you haven't set your expectations super high. And I shouldn't be so hard on the guy because because we've won almost 50 games now at this point, I'm starting to think, well, why not?

unknown 3:00

Right?

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Like so and then I start to think about Joe Mazzula in the playoffs, and I go, Oh, that's why not.

Why Mazzulla Still Raises Doubts

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Well, I mean, to that point first, right? And this is not about being an apologist, like you said, we're talking about results, right? So no, totally for first year, you know, he gets thrown into the fire, they go 57 to 25, they get to game seven in the conference finals. They ship out some pieces, ship out Malcolm Brogdon, ship out Marcus Smart. You bring in Drew Holiday, you bring in Christos Perzingis. They win. He then has the best roster in the NBA. No, right, but I'm like, but but it gets the best roster, but we've had other coaches have had the best roster and got smoked in the second round. Sure, sure, sure. When is the championship by a like a large margin? Like it wasn't close. Like they smoked at everybody. Then obviously they come back once again, took took a slight step back last year, right? Um, and I'm not I'm not talking about when you guys are playing, I'm talking about during the regular even during the regular season.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

But yeah, it didn't look right.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

But beat beat Orlando pretty easily, right? Even though that was a fairly yeah, beat Orlando, and then you know, you you got you got outplayed by New York, New York in those first two games, and then obviously between that it was a downward spiral. Tatum goes crazy in game four, then obviously, you know, gets gets hurt and you know starts starts the uh basically the the the fire sale of the other team, so to speak, in more ways than one. So I'm pretty sure most people thought they would win it win more than 35 to 40 games. But to that, I'm like, well I kept hearing about how you know JB it was again, he's proven it, so I'm not gonna say it's not today to act any different. But people have been high, you know, the guy I'm doing the show with right now. Not many have been higher in Jalen Brown than you. So we should have expected at least a playoff, even if there was a plan, but they should have we should at least expect a playoff for him to get in. And Jalen Brown's been an MVP candidate, should be the MVP, and then you get a Galley Tatum back in the fold. But to the to the point about coaching. I I say good coaching gets you maybe another six to eight more wins in the NBA.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

I feel like you're right, it doesn't really matter that much in the regular season, all things considered. It's more of a it's less system, more talent. I agree with you.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Right. So so he he's he's done, and once again, we had they haven't always had the talent every night. They haven't. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

But they all play you, and at the we will talk a little bit later about our fucking white boy everybody run really fast rotation, which I we haven't been able to discuss this year. I'm like, this is this is great. It's like the Celtics to the 1950s, it's unbelievable, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Right, right. But yeah, I I I do think given the circumstance, he's done a great job. Do I I'm not taking anything away from his performance in the regular season, just for the record. Well, no, I'm I'm saying, but just in in a moment, because like I said, people didn't a lot of people didn't have them winning more than 35 games. So totally that for them to be 48 and 24, and once again, it gave yourself a chance. Once again, everyone, you're not gonna win a championship every year, but to give yourself a chance, this is absolutely his best coaching job since he's been here. Absolutely, you know, thus far, right? Obviously, we have to see what happens, but this feels this feels very similar to what we just witnessed up here this past season at Foxboro. Probably hope not.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

I'd be able to do that.

Brown Drives The Offense First

SPEAKER_02 6:30

But you get you you get uh, you know, you start piling on wind, you're like, okay, like, well, you know, they're okay, they're catching people by surprise. It's like, oh, teams are getting belted at teams are getting smoked by 20. Oh, like now they have an MVP candidate, and you know, obviously with the quarterback, and they end up getting all the way to the to the Super Bowl. Now, granted, obviously it wasn't a result that fans wanted up here, but that wasn't a probable run. And would I be here for a 2022 type of run to the finals? Absolutely. Now, granted, I I would want them to win it, obviously, if they get there, but that that would be awesome to see, right? Because we haven't seen something like that where you get a guy of that caliber to come back at this time of the year to to do that. But yeah, I mean, once again, I I think he's done a decent job. Once again, there's still I would love to see what adjustments can be made in in the playoffs, but despite the changes, despite like literally over 80%, not 80%, but about 60% of your roster changing on the fly, they damn never haven't missed a beat, and it's been great to watch.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

I mean, the guy I give credit for that too is JB though, to be honest. Just like on the eye test, I him being, and like, I'm not gonna revisit this take because obviously, you know, we've since won a championship with Jason Tatum as as our best player, so it is what it is. But I I did always think this is kind of hard to put this in a nuanced way because I don't think it's bad to have both Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. I think that that conversation is is is is beating a dead horse. I I think you know that would it, it's such a it's such a the first four years of their careers conversation. Like we've had them both and they've both been great, and they've both been, you know, high usage, not getting in each other's way, they can compliment each other's games. Like we this has all been proven. But seeing Jalen be given the opportunity to do it himself, I think was something we all sort of suspected, you know, and maybe people that were more on the like, oh, you gotta pick one side of things for the first few years of their careers were more on the like probably just pick Tatum and then like see what you can turn Jalen Brown into. And I I, you know, it wasn't too long ago that people were very, very frustrated with JB and like his handles on the inside and like he can't go left and like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I mean, he kind of can now. He still does that thing where he runs into traffic, but he's blowing by guys so hard that it this season that it's like it doesn't really seem to matter. He's like such a downhill player this season. And it's a lot of it's because he's got all this room, you know. And I mean that metaphorically and physically. It's like the way that the team is set up, you don't have Christabs Porzingis's corpse like trying to get out of the way, trying to get out of the lane, you know. You don't have sort of, okay, we gotta get it's like it's like a less is more. We took away, but we added, right? Where it's like, okay, yeah, it was it was great to have all those players, you know. It was a it was great to walk a championship with Porzingis and and and Drew Holiday and Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. But when you took away, you sort of stripped it down, and sometimes that's necessary. Like, how often do you see rosters die of bloat? Right? Like that could that that was probably our biggest fear go coming into this offseason. And the way that they were able to maneuver some of those trades away really set us up to be like, all right, well, let's see what we have, let's see what we're building around, like let's see what we're we're gonna reset and and do. And then you always had that thing in the back of your mind of reinserting Tatum into the lineup, which I think has actually gone really seamlessly. I was gonna wait till later for this conversation, but I think the reason why it's looked good with the exception of losing to an Anthony Edwards list Grizzlies team is very strange. All right, Timberwolves team is very strange to me, but I think I think it's I think it works better when Jalen's 1A. Where Jalen's one and Jason is 1A. I think that slight tweak in just the idea of reintroducing him to the team, because it has to be like this as he's like starts to get his minutes back and starts to feel you know more confident in his body and like you know, whatever. I there's something about how the offense moves through Jalen Brown that they haven't really fully taken away from him that's allowed Tatum to reintegrate into the squad. Does that make sense? And I think it's I think in the playoffs it would be nice to stay with what's been working.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Yeah. I I always thought that once the injury happened, I said, and I think I said this on a Discord chat that we're on. I was like Tatum becoming more of a thinker of the game is gonna be dangerous.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Because I think you can see that already.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

No, right, right. But we we know we know that he can go get a basket anytime he needs it, whether it's a step back three, whether it's getting to the rack, uh, which he's actually driving more uh since he's been back, which lets me know that he has to under trust his body more, which which is a good sign.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

I think he's been driving better than ever. I think the way he goes to the cup now is like, I don't know. It's like I I that was the thing I least expected was like that he was gonna be get more physical when he came back. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

Early in his career, the reason why people got so excited about his projection was because he was a three-level guy, and you heard me speak about that all the time. I'm like, he scores at every level. I was like, that's in today's NBA, you need at least you know, one or two of those guys. If you have three, great. But it's like you need a guy that can score. I'm thinking they have two guys that can score.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

I was gonna say, so can JB though, too. Like, yeah, no, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 12:06

So it's like it's it's it's it's amazing. So the comparison I've always made though was you know, OKC went with Russ and KD. Like I I never I never thought that Russ was better than than KD, but what KD wasn't willing to do, Russ was. And that's how I feel here. The thing, and I won't say willing, but the the the things that KD wasn't as comfortable doing, Russ was, and I feel like the same thing is that Tatum may not be comfortable with as much as Jalen Brown is. So whether that be vocally, whether it be you know, how you know, getting to the getting to the basket more. Like I think that's that's that to me is a is always been a good comparison. Even even when we were growing up with Antoine and Paul, Antoine Walker, as good as he was, was never better than Paul Pierce, but Antoine would get in people's face. Paul, that wasn't Paul's, it just wasn't his mentality, wasn't his game. Not early on, anyways. Paul wanted to play and he gave you 50, and you know, then then he talked to you, but he wasn't someone that was gonna get in teammates' face and say, Oh, you know, come on, y'all, rally wasn't a rallyer.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Maybe later, maybe later in his career he got a little mouthier.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Later on, but I'm like, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

After he played with KG, he couldn't help himself.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Yeah, correct. Correct. You know, and you know, I feel like you know, Tatum is is is you know, to bring it back to the current day, Tatum is mom manner. JB takes no prisoners, none. You're not saying anything that he doesn't like, you're not pushing him around.

Vucevic And The Case For Post

SPEAKER_00 13:45

And he's also a veteran now. And I think that like I think that's one of the things that really, I mean, but it's benefited both guys, but I think it's really benefited Brown in the sense that he's sort of seen it all. And I think he's a smart guy. So I think he's like, if you're a little smarter, you're gonna be a little bit more affected by things, right? Like you're gonna take things in at sort of a higher dosage, and I think I'm not saying he's like smarter than Tatum or whatever, but he's always been a cerebral sort of player, despite his athleticism, right? And I think what I think we're saying the same thing in that it doesn't matter who's better, and it's a silly conversation to have. But what I like is I like when Jalen touches the ball first in in the in the attack. You know what I mean? Like when we're when we're trying to drive up a lead, especially if we're if we're trying to turn a seven-point lead into a 13 or 14-point lead, I I really like when Tatum sees the ball early, right? Like I think that's the kind of game that you can really have with him. But if we're kind of even and going back and forth, I really think I think that I like it better when JB's the decision maker. Not necessarily even like the playmaker, but like if he because I like you know I love a driving dish. You know, it's like my favorite thing, right? And I think most people, most kids from our era are like that we think about basketball in those terms still, right? Like that's you, you're you you sort of want to see it. Stop in him alone. Yeah, exactly. And like I always just am coming back to this. I'm I've like a broken record with you here, but I'm always coming back to this idea that this is the with them at their best, right? When they play like that and they play off each other and they play off the ball with intention for each other. And I think what I've seen since Tatum's come back, and I it's it is a compliment, is that he's playing with, to your point, a little bit more between the years, which that's always gonna make you better off the ball, which I've always had criticisms of of Tatum, like just not necessarily effort, but guile off the ball. I I always wanted to see a little bit more of. And then that gives JB the confidence to, like you were saying earlier, go to things that he might lose confidence in easily, like handles, you know, or like top of the post play, and then not falling back on things like shooting threes, which is like I understand that they're part of the game, but this system is still one that when they go inside more, we look like a better basketball team. And you know, defense travels, and I understand that he's set up a really good defensive team here at Joe Missoula, and I think that's a really good thing for the playoffs. But to me, it's like I don't want to, I don't want Jason Tatum's comeback to result in like degrading to ISO games that aren't working because they're just doubling like when needed or playing like playing in the zone. So like that, like that's the thing I'm nervous about still seeing in the playoffs now that now that we've kind of put all this together.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

Well, uh another piece that we haven't spoken about really says the trade because we've just been more on football and other things that we spoke about, but I think there's a certain part of the office that we're gonna lock when Vusevich comes back now that Tatum's back and with Brown, and because we are we kind of already seen it briefly with Derek White. Derek White messed right away with Nicola Vucevich because that's the type of player he would play with as San Antonio. And that's what pop pop, hey, pop is an inside out guy. Hey, get it to the post. Then, you know, if if someone's open in the corner, a lot of Bruce Bowen, Gary Neal, Steven Jackson, you know, he had many of those guys throughout the years that can go stand in the corner and just hit a hit a three if needed. Vusevich approximates what uh Perzingas did, what Horford did, and we saw when they won the championship, the two main game between Horford and and Tatum was amazing. So I think that's another level that's going to be reached or can be reached, you know, when he comes back. And once again, it was just it was just uh a finger injury. So I felt like you know, they wrap it, tape it appropriately. He seals the post really well.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Dude, I honestly can't believe we haven't talked about this because like you know, you know, this is exactly the kind of player I'm always calling for the Celtics to have because he can playmake from the post. We like don't have that. So why I'm always bargaining a tame to do it more.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Right. And right, exactly. But I I think that's where I'm trying to think of who used to run it. But I think we talked about it was Phoenix used to run it back in the day. They used they used to run basically what you they would call an inverted pick and roll, where Nash Nash would set the screen for Amari, and you know, either he'd pull up or he'd roll and just you know jam on anybody that was that was around him. It's like when he was younger. Obviously, Tatum is much bigger than Steve Nash, but I feel like having those, having that in the offense, having Tatum in the low post, having Jalen Brown in the low post, you know, having another floor spacer with Vusavich out there.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

Dude, I've been saying Tatum as the as a role man for a million years because of his size. And like I know that everybody he he wants to dribble and he's like he's really he's got great handles for guys his size, especially. And I know he's fast, so he does like to go around screens. And like you don't have to stop doing that. But every now and again, with I've like I've been saying this for years to you. Every now and again where you got a guy bigger than you, which there aren't that many guys bigger than you, you know, all things considered, like he's pretty, he's not he's not Steve Nash, right? But if you got a guy bigger than you and you set a screen for him, a guy that can space, you know, a guy that can shoot from like the mid-range, a guy that can like playmate from the post, and you get him in a dangerous position, they start sliding to him, and you're you're gonna find anywhere you want. It's such a good idea, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:32

Right. And and that's but if you've seen even, I don't know if it was last night per se, but it was even on Sunday as well.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

Like, you know why Luke Smart used to do it for Tatum, like a little bit, yeah, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Where like you know, but Luca Garza has looked so good since Tatum's return. You know why? That's like that's literally the type of guy, or type of big that he like he he has enjoyed playing with. So Horford was you know was was perfect in that role. Luke Cornet, when he got here initially, was a pick-a-pop guy, but then you know they kind of changed up his style with with how he played. But yeah, like I I just think that there's more dimensions to come. And you know, I was disappointed in what T Mac had to say. I also think that T Mac's a Jalen Brown guy, and they're close. So I think that whatever his feelings were about JB, he's gonna get that out there. I I don't I don't blame him, but there's no way inserting a Jason Tatum ruins what's going on in any in any situation.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

No, totally. I mean, we've had to your point, we've had varying levels of this exact type of playmaker, or not playmaker, this exact type of role player next to Tatum. I think the first example of it where you could see that, like I agree that Horford's the best example of it, maybe followed by Porzingis to a certain degree, although we didn't really get to see that for as long. And like, you know, there was basically one kind of playoff run where it worked. But the I think the prototype of this was Marcus Morris, like really, really early on. Was yeah, like he he would he sort of I think started that trend for Tatum when like you know, I mean it seems like a billion years ago now, but I always really liked him on the Celtics personally, and I you know, we I think we all like that iteration of of the Celtics team under Stevens, but he that's been a that's been a staple of of of JT's game for for years, I agree with you. And I think it started then and there's been varying levels of it, but I think he's probably good enough at it now, and he's enough of a veteran where he can just tell a guy like Vusevich what to do, and he'll do it, he'll accomplish it, you know. So I think it'll be really helpful. I agree.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

Yeah, uh my only thing, and this is not even a critique, I just want JB to think about this because I I've seen it a few times when they got Vusevich. Like, and it wasn't just on JB, like Derek White did this, Peter Pritchett did it a few times. Like, it's almost like they didn't they didn't know what to do. when they saw Vusifit sealed in the post because they they haven't been they haven't had a guy that could go down there seal the guy off and really just lay it up so they would take it too long to throw it into the entry entry or give the entry pass to him or you know catch him on a on a screen and roll so he he could shoot it obviously he's actually a really good passer that that's where he's similar to Horford because Porzingas was okay with like Horford was he he's close to the Horford now he he Horford was one of the best passers I've seen from that position but like Volsevich is another guy and we've seen it a few times in his game already like that little backdoor I called that that Princeton cut that backdoor cut like that's in there when he comes back like Tatum and Brown can score six to eight points off that play alone because you can't really stop it. Because what are you going to do? Most guys are our height trying to guard that what do you what are you going to do outside of follow them so I think you know just you know find ways to incorporate him into the offense. Once again he doesn't need to be Orlando Vosevich he doesn't even need to be early Chicago Vusevich just be someone that can just do what what Kate has been doing get you 10 and 10 because he can get you 10 rebounds still very easily so you know I I I I'm I'm excited to see what they live like at full strength completely. But you know I just I want to wrap that up by saying there's there's no there's no scenario in where you bring Jason Tatum back or a player of his caliber and then it's fall off. No way.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

I don't want to beat a dead horse but that does tie me back to Joe Mozilla because the one thing we haven't consistently seen from him is the ability to adapt in the playoffs to different playstyles.

SPEAKER_02 23:51

And that's something I would love like you know you pointed out ways that Vusevich wasn't working properly and it's like can we see him integrate like I've just spent a lot of time with Missoula now and I just feel like a lot of the time as I I have been sitting on my couch and I can see this in my future being like why don't they just run a screen right there with Vusevich please for the love of God like it's just there you know there it's plan A and if plan A doesn't work it's still plan A you know with with the Celtics in the playoffs and it's like that that's that's not a that's not an illegitimate fear right right I I do I do think the year like the year they won the championship right because you know we had a lot of the same of those a lot of those a lot of those same concerns I should say but if you remember there were times when they would put Persingis in mid post and either he was scoring from that position or someone was getting a three whether it be Drew Sam Hauser Paint and it was like oh you realize that when you pass it to a 7-3 guy and you let him you know make a play from the elbow you have a very good chance of scoring because his shot's not going to get blocked or someone's he's gonna draw two he just kicks it out and they shoot a three now you know the game is blown is blown wide open so I do think there was times when the adjustments were made I think and I'm sure I'm I feel like this is what you're alluding to so I I'll I'll I'll say it hopefully I'm corner you correctly I I think what it is we've seen the adjustments made just can you do that consistently can you be patient not even can you be patient enough that if the threes aren't falling the way you want it to fall can happen in some games can you say okay let's play in the post even even if you're getting a wide open three fine now I I'd rather that than shooting a contestant three but can you play from the paint or they call now call it paint touches can you get you get some paint touches kick it back out drive it kick like you said you know get a layup because after a while getting the layups and you get a stop a layup and a stop now you may get an A1 you may get a three in momentum three in transition because the defense is playing behind you like so there's so many things that can happen the goal is for the Boston Celtics to score not Dishonatum not Jalen Brown not Derek White the goal is for the Boston Celtics to score in every possession as much as possible like that's the key.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

That leads me to my next question which I alluded to us talking about earlier the the super white boy competency lineup that is our sort of 2A bench what I really like about these guys is it it's I mean it's a real Brad Stevens is our GM sort of group of guys that he's he seems to have been able to assemble. And they just they do all happen to be white which is funny but like the way that the that these guys play can at the very least maintain leads there they're it's a bunch of don't fuck it up guys right when you got Garza, Baylor I mean Vusevich can count in this when he comes back I think he's whatever like I you know he has some defensive some defensive issues so maybe he fits into this maybe not but Sam Houser Peyton Pritchard you know these guys that go out there and essentially don't fuck the game up despite their obvious limitations in some areas like you know you can get a lot of those guys and I know Peyton Pritchard has been great offensively but you can get him on in mismatches pretty badly on the defensive side of the ball. Sam Hauser is not going to beat you on pure athletics but he's you know get it gaining momentum as a as a serviceable rotation guy. You know Garza, he he can stretch the floor a little bit, you know like he's he's offensive at least sound so he can like get you a bucket every now and again when you're trying not to let let a lead slip limit a little bit of limited mobility from him probably you know there's some matchup dependence stuff with him. So it's guys that if they were implemented differently or you know not used to the best of their abilities, they wouldn't be great. And honestly the bench and I know we always do this but the bench that I see it resembling the most I'm not saying this means we're gonna win a championship but the bench I actually see it resembling the most is the 08 bench to be honest because that was a full-on competency bench it was all about bringing guys on that were not idiots right and that happened to be a bunch of black guys so it's like you you bring on guys that don't that that are that are veterans or they're just smart players or and or and they can get you a bucket you know there was kind of crazy exceptions on that team. It's like also Eddie House can somehow you know go for 30 like every now and again like that's a thing that can happen like we don't really have that guy. Maybe Pritchard I guess there's some comparisons there. But it's a but it's a bunch of guys where if you're up nine and you gotta rest your guys at the end of the third quarter going into the fourth you they'll get you to eight minutes left in the fourth before you have to start putting your stars back on which I really think is a huge asset in the playoffs and we might be seeing a deeper rotation than we're used to in the playoffs. Do you agree?

SPEAKER_02 29:12

Was it deeper rotation no because of the patience that Missoula has at times I feel that's right he does give up on guys if they're not doing things.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Yeah so so I feel like so I I answer that perfect you don't think we're gonna see Baylor out there for the playoffs so I that's what I was about to bring up I'm I'm like I'm actually surprised that I are you a Baylor guy because I feel like that's I feel like he's should be up your alley like I like him a lot a lot yeah he's yeah he's he's he does everything right I wouldn't be like beside myself if we did I'm I'm not like calling for him in the playoffs if we need to change the game but I wouldn't mind seeing I I disagree with him I really yeah him between between him him and Hugo uh Gonzalez like I think with them two because there's no there's no fear they play with no fear and that's I mean that's but that's what I like about him you know right you yeah you you need that in in the postseason and like you even seen it last night against OKC like Baylor comes in there you know lets SGA fly by ain't nothing over there big dog hits a little gets a little side dribble sidestep cast and I was like oh I was like oh yeah he's he's he's feeling it to tonight and he's guarding SGA he's causing turnovers so I was sneaky strong sneaky strong he crashes I like you need yeah you need that you need that mentality so I'm like I'm I'm here for that Ugo another guy balls to the wall like you know it's just the playoffs though man you know like when I like again I'm not I don't want to be a Baylor detractor here be like before you move on Ugo but like I to me it's like everybody's matchup hunting so hard in the playoffs and there's just things where it's like you know I I don't know where where Tatum's recovery is going to be by the time we're like does he have the the full uh workload of the playoffs in him or are we just still managing him where we just need to bring this guy in for for a few survival minutes but he's he he's played 32 a couple of times which I think that's that's fine I mean that's fine you know I feel like in the playoffs depending on what's going on maybe you push that to 35 maybe yeah that would be that would be best case scenario best case scenario but you know like I don't I don't see them getting close to 40 unless it's the finals which makes sense but it's just like you know he he has looked better movement wise many Tatum each game but but to your point about the rotation so I feel like so it's you know White Tatum Brown Hauser and and Cater that that's been that's been the five now and then it should be Pritchard Vicevich and then to me it's a it's a rotation of Walsh Simon and and Gonzalez because to me those three can play depending on the matchup I like how Jordan Walsh can defend so if there's certain games that I'd probably put him in there and say hey just follow them for 94 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

If it was something where I know I need a guy that can knock down a few shots but also play play some defense then I I I'd call on on Baylor Shireman and then if I just need someone who's gonna pick up 94 feet maybe occasional dunk on somebody then I'm then I'm calling on Hugo and I Yeah I mean I I think that's I think that's those are all legitimate points and I like I like Shireman a lot.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Yeah but in the regular season like I it's in the playoffs teams are just gonna drag him into every pick and roll until he proves he can survive you know and I'm not saying that that means he's gonna fail that test but I would really hate to lose a game like like an annoying game two against the Knicks you know where where we're like fuck that game was like in our hands and they just started exploding mismatches and Brunson just like kept getting switched out on the perimeter on Baylor and he was just fucking cooking him like because he's so quick. He's so you know Hart just takes it to him relentlessly downhill over and over again and you're just like oh my God like it can't and then it does bring me back to like how quick do we make the adjustment then you know and it's like that would be my worry just to play devil's advocate on the kind of I'm gonna that's that's that's that's that's fair but I'll bring it back you said you you compared this to the 08 bench right Eddie Hells's offensively talented he was wasn't a defensive stopper right James Posey was an ultimate 3nd guy right he'd already won a championship in Miami a few years prior once again they got PJ Brown off the street PJ Brown we made made one of the biggest shots of that playoff run in game seven against Cleveland.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

So it's like with that team just like here you never know who was going to be on a given night. And I think there's there's some there's some mystery in that there's some there's some good in that right and yeah there will be times you know we saw like I like the game I think about with the OAS helpers right because it's basically the game that won them the championship was the game for when LA is just giving it to them. I mean Lamar Odom rolling down the lane you know hitting every layup Kobe's handshots Fisher's handshots like uh Sasha Voyage is doing whatever and they're they're rolling they're up 24 and you know remember that lineup that year Rondo Ray Paul KG Perk if we remember that run was made when Eddie House was out there and when Posey was out there Ray Allen made some shots to get him back into the game but they made it with a team that with a with a with the part that wasn't as defensively sound so sometimes you just gotta go with the field and say hey guard guard your yard but you but you better make it you better make an impact on on the other end. And we saw that happen in real time we even seen it even a couple years after that with uh big baby and Nate Robinson in game once again in game four in the finals against LA that year as well when they came back. So we've seen those moments where guys that wasn't defensively sound if you will professionally had big moments and you know stamped their name in Celtic's lore forever. And I think we could see that with those guys having to increase confidence because I think that's the biggest thing of this year, right? We can speak about Taylor coming back we can speak about Brown being 1A 1B whatever like the fact that Jordan Walsh took a leap we've seen Ugun Gonzalez take a leap we've seen Baylor take a leap that's that's coaching that's player development. So that alone like even if they don't get to where we want them to go that's huge because now you have cheaper you have cheaper uh contract under and impact players like that's that's huge that's huge so that that's what I'm that's what I I'm looking at that too.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

All right so let's zoom out to the wider playoff picture now that we've gotten granular about the bench we've talked about the obvious wing pair which is still a thing that wins championships in the NBA so we've got the obvious kind of heavy hitters in the East that we're probably gonna have to see at some point at least one if not all of these teams depending on how the playoffs go the Knicks the Pistons the Cavs who are you scared of of any of them and I don't mean in the sense of like if we come up against them we're not gonna win I do think we still have a chance against anybody in the Eastern Conference but I mean more like I'd hate to get them early I you know I'd hate to see them like I'd hate to have to go there for game seven like what what are the things you're you're thinking about instinctually as we start to wrap our head around the playoff picture oh it's the team they faced on Friday night and that's Atlanta won no parts of them in the first round interesting not to say that I don't think I think that we we would still beat them in a seven game series but it takes seven is what you're saying or at least six right that would get an Irby that would be I it would but I really like Jalen Johnson I mean the dude's averaging damn near a triple double in year but he he's he's really good yeah um Nikar Walker Alexander I don't know where that where this is coming from he was not this guy in Utah he was not this guy in Minnesota but now he's a 20 point game scorer over there under uh quent snider like and wow wow i think it's a great call honestly because like I think Austin's a better a better team but Atlanta can drag us into a series we really don't want to be in right and and but but when they won in no eight same thing right same exact thing we can we thought hey we I mean even but even even a couple years ago Atlanta or our I was there I think we was up I want to say we was up three one in that series I think smart whenever we hit a big shot down there and then they came back here and then the one play that you hated to see and I I it it was funny at the I was mad they lost but it was funny just to hear you rant about it afterwards when when they would have you know Horford switch out on on a guard and which I think sometimes he would take the challenge too I don't think it was always they until there came a point where he was getting cut yeah he would take the challenge and Trae Young said okay well I'm just gonna pull up from Cambridge and he did and he buried it and and brought it back to to Atlanta. Now they got they got beat in game six down there but I I just remember that happening so you know I'm I'm good on seeing him in the first round you know but yeah dude do you think I want to sit and watch Clint Capella run 40 fucking pick and rolls on subjects and just have them be exhausted going into round two? Like no that's that's absolutely not what I want to see.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

But another team I would say probably probably Cleveland only because like this the size you know I feel like it's not a great matchup with Mobley and Allen but as really as good as Donovan Mitchell is and will continue to be in my opinion same thing James Harden. James Harden even more so than than Donovan Mitchell like regular season merchants and it's like we we know that you could go get 55 you know 11 and 8 in a regular season game but for some reason you go three or 16 and we're not talking about stone cold C Boston. So it it it looks bad. It looks bad.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

I mean honestly I Atlanta can make us uncomfortable I think Cleveland could potentially beat us you know there's a lot of I agree yeah there's a lot of rim protection there's a lot of lob threats the rebounding battle will be hard to beat with them I think I I I hate to keep belaboring the same point but like we need multiple shot profiles and offensive profiles to be able to beat Cleveland in my opinion and like because they have they also have like it's not just one guy over there. You know they've got two elite ball handlers on it to to start the game every every single game and they're gonna take the challenge as you as you put it right those guys are going to take the challenge they're not that they're not lilting violets or whatever it is. You know they're they're they're they're ballers and you're gonna have to fucking play them and I you know I have a respect for Cleveland and the and the team that they've built up over there more so than the kind of oh shit the game script has gotten really weird Atlanta hawks right i i I I think I think both I think you've called out the two that make me the most uncomfortable to be honest but I think it's for different reasons. And I think Cleveland I know the Pistons are ahead of us and we can we can go on to talk about that matchup too if you like but that might be a little later in the down the road I I just think you're right to call out Cleveland too because when you look at Evan Mobley and Jared Allen like I hate playing teams where I like all their players does that make sense sir I'm like oh I would have been happy if we got like any of these guys on this roster and like that makes me uncomfortable too.

SPEAKER_02 41:20

Like playing playing Philly you know I can I can always get up for that game because it's like it's Philadelphia same thing and also like I we have the muscle memory of just beating their asses for the past decade so plus so I also just from a poetic standpoint like it's it's it's not it's not a coincidence that New York and Boston are still two and three in the east we we should get that again in the second round and this time they'll get them they'll get them they'll get him yeah I I would have to agree. I you know like I'm expecting a a big time performance from them if that that happens in the second round like I I like as a basketball fan I I need that to happen I I need I need that badly to happen. As far as Detroit goes I don't know how severe Kate Cunningham's injury is and right now they're on that you know next man up mentality and you know we still got Jalen Duran and we got you know the Duncan Robinson of the world and Isaiah Stewart's so they still have a very good team right it's not like they was a bunch of scrubs without Kay Cunningham.

SPEAKER_00 42:30

But they don't have to out talent us though right to be a problem and we we saw that last year they don't have to out talent us to be a problem they have to drag us into a fight and we sometimes we don't love fights.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

Right drag us to the fight but a lot of those I mean that granted a lot of them got in they got into the playoffs last year so they was able to kind of they lost to New York in the in the first round last year at top of Detroit obviously Cade being hurt you know limits their limits their ceiling obviously that that's not that's not prophetic that that's just that's that's just the truth because to me if that's the case it kind of feels like they would look like how we looked in 2009 because we were see we were we were running through teams that year. They started 27 and 2 and I was like oh my God I said we're about to go back to back and then that game that lowly February night in in Utah and K KG gets hurt on a non contact contact and changes changes the season. Now granted Celtics end still going like 18 and 18 and 2 to finish that year. So kind of like what what Detroit is doing right now. But eventually you know and you run into a D Rose. Cause that that Atlanta team reminds me of that young Chicago team. That Derek simple I mean granted no one on there is as good as what D Rose was but like Jalen Johnson is that good in my opinion but he's just he's not obviously on Derek Rose's level especially at at that time. But yeah I I I can I can see I can see that them having that type of run. So like they'll beat whoever they play in the first round. I mean in Detroit. I think right now they would face Miami. Talented or not, Miami's gonna give you a run for their money.

SPEAKER_00 44:14

We know better than they're always the most annoying seven seeds. So it's really good.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

Yeah, so you so you bet you better not go in there thinking, oh well, you know, I'll you know, you you you you got you have to beat them. You got to beat Miami. Can't be like, well, you know, well, you know, we just went by two and we, you know, we won. That's not how it is down there. They they they keep they keep coming and they keep going at you and they say, You you you got you have to kill us basketball watch. You have to kill us, if not.

SPEAKER_00 44:42

Did you see Pat Riley get his statue? Yeah, like he was like, Don't who did he say? He was like, only one guy showed me any respect. He's the only guy who wore a tie.

SPEAKER_02 44:51

Yeah, love it, love it.

Finals Dreams And West Wild Cards

SPEAKER_00 44:53

But yeah, I love it. He's like, it was just kind of weird because I was like, I was watching it, and like Leah came in and she was like, Oh, who's that? What's going on here? And I was like, It's the current GM of the Miami Heat. I don't I don't know why he's like here getting a fucking statue for from the from the Los Angeles Lakers. It's like strange. It's just kids, it's like it's not like he's retired, you know, it's not like he's off into the fucking into the sunset at this point, you know. But yeah, I don't know, it's weird. He plays for another two years. Here's your statue. Can we talk about the West to end this segment a little bit just to just to kind of gauge your feelings on those guys? Made me feel pretty good how we played OKC. I I really saw a lot in that game that that made me feel really, really good about how we can kind of give them problems if, you know, I know this is a long way off, disclaimer, but we can probably give them problems, right? Sentimentally, I would love it if the Lakers made a run. I would really love it if this iteration for so many reasons. For the fact that LeBron James, our old Eastern Conference nemesis, is or maybe we were his, I don't know how he thinks about it, but he is not a fan of Boston or the Boston Celtics. He's on record for that, and we're not a fan of him. You know, Paul Pierce hitting that three in his face, like it's and having him storm off all the way to Miami, like that's you know, we we have these memories too. Sentimentally, the franchise, Boston, Los Angeles, in the finals. It's the best finals matchup anyone can think of, no matter what the year is. It's the finals matchup everybody wants to see from a franchise perspective every year. So, how possible do you think that is? And say the smart money wins, the house money wins, and we and we make it all the way there, maybe maybe, and we see okay. See in the finals, how confident would you be? And how confident would you be if it was the Lakers? Actually, I'm curious about that too.

SPEAKER_02 46:44

I mean, I'd be more confident if we face the Lakers.

SPEAKER_00 46:46

Um I would agree, but it's there's still problems they can give it. Like, you know, of course.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

I mean still LeBron James. Still LeBron, obviously, you know, Marcus Mark coming back to Boston. My God.

SPEAKER_00 46:57

There's that's a storyline. Yeah, yeah, that would be crazy. Can I just say, because I haven't had a chance to say it on the show? He should you shouldn't be playing there, Marcus. Just for the record. That's not you shouldn't have done that. It's not a good look. Anyway, go on.

SPEAKER_02 47:09

I mean, they gave him the money. I mean, get it. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. You still want to play, so I mean, hey, you know, you know, though, he was always a little weird like that, don't you think? Well, I mean, is it no?

SPEAKER_00 47:21

What was your thing about him? You gotta let other people say it, Marcus. You remember that whole speech? It's like you can't say it to this guy.

SPEAKER_02 47:27

I felt I felt the same way about Rondo being over there.

SPEAKER_00 47:30

Yeah, I didn't like that either.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

But I actually it this it's been a little history of that because Rondo's done it, Isaiah Thomas did it. Avery Bradley was over there, so it's only the guards.

SPEAKER_00 47:44

Yeah, no, they got the guards, yeah. Crazy. Thankfully, Rondo was definitely like a shell of himself. Marcus wasn't the same guy, Isaiah wasn't the same guy, you know. I mean, it's at least that. At least they weren't going over there and playing it their best basketball for the Lakers instead. That would suck.

SPEAKER_02 48:02

Yeah, they they absolutely probably would win.

SPEAKER_00 48:05

Yeah, with any of those scenarios, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 48:08

I mean, as as a as it goes right now, they LA would face the Rockets in the first round. I that's a tough matchup because I feel like Do you think they're gonna go out in the first? That would be the case. I mean, you're facing like Phoenix, they they'd beat. You know, I can't believe that the Clippers have found a way to be back as an AC. Like that, that's unbelievable to me.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

They're not gonna make any kind of kind of run, though. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

SPEAKER_02 48:37

No, right, but I'm saying, but like could Kawhi, like whatever people thought like coming, like clearly he's healthy. Clearly, clearly he's healthy. Clearly, whatever fun he's found, like he's he's clearly having fun again. And he was like, hey, I'm reminding y'all when I'm when I'm on, there's not so many people that's better than me in this in this game. Like, period. And I he I I love the fact that he's been hooping. If granted, they're they're the A seed. I would love, I would love for him to serve up OKC. Love it. Give give him get take him to seven Kawaii. Because he can. He's that good. There's no more on him. You're not wrong. Lou Dorit, and whatever they can, yeah. I like Lou Dorrit as a player. Uh there's nothing that Lou Dorit can do on him, nothing that Jalen Williams can do on him. Keny Wallace, all of them, like Keyson Wallace, like nothing y'all could do if he if he decided to show up and play.

SPEAKER_00 49:29

That being said, this actually leads me to a point I wanted to make before we got out of here. The most fun I've had watching a non-Celtics team this year has been watching the San Antonio Spurs for obvious reasons. They have a literal alien playing on their team. If they were to win a few more games, and they were the one seed, and the Clippers emerge is the eighth seed. I need that. That would be such a fun series. Like, I mean I'm really liking the Spurs team this year. They're a lot of fun to watch, and I think nobody in the Western Conference wants to see them. Nobody wants to see them. Especially Thunder. Agreed. Agreed. They seem to have their number.

SPEAKER_02 50:07

Okay, we could talk about you know how good Homegunner has been at times, and sure. Great.

SPEAKER_00 50:12

He he's no answer. That's the Western Conference finals you're talking about, though, right now. I mean, pretty much, right?

SPEAKER_02 50:17

I mean, we got with them with them being a one-two, yeah. Cause I mean, Antonio could right now play either Phoenix or the Clippers. I I like I I mean, granted, they're not, they wouldn't win a game in the playoffs, but I like what Portland has done. I mean, especially it they they got hit with a haymaker early on with the whole Chauncey Bellow stuff, which feels like forever ago.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

But it does feel like forever ago. That was crazy.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

What Tiago Splitter's been able to do down there?

SPEAKER_00 50:41

How about the NBA sort of like just walking through that whole thing? Like with kind of unscathed. That's pretty impressive from the PR team. Yeah, anyway.

SPEAKER_02 50:50

I mean, I mean, I mean basically, people didn't bring it up after it happened surely thereafter.

SPEAKER_00 50:54

And then you know there's also the Warriors to consider. I just I don't want to throw them out.

SPEAKER_02 50:59

Honestly, like, no, and that's the reason why because Steph has been sitting so much, like he knows make any noise. Like, no Jimmy Butler, you don't know what you're gonna get from uh KP.

SPEAKER_00 51:10

Oh, no Jimmy Butler. Oh, we don't we don't we don't get to watch Jimmy Butler shoot the ball seven times.

SPEAKER_02 51:16

Like that I I mean I don't know if he would do this financially, but I'd bring back Porzingis on a vet minimum next year. I absolutely would. If he if he would take it, I'd I'd say, hey, come come on, come on, come on back, come on back. We want that 41 collective minutes you're gonna provide for for the like once again, game game one alone, he's forever good in my book.

SPEAKER_00 51:41

No, I mean I'm I'm I'm with you 100% on that. I'm just saying, like from a practical standpoint, like his body is made mostly of sellotape and gum.

SPEAKER_02 51:49

Say don't say no ice into the playoffs. I'm fine with that. I'm cool with that. I'm cool with that.

SPEAKER_00 51:54

On a veteran minimum, I'm cool with that for sure.

SPEAKER_02 51:55

Yeah, I'm I'm political with that.

SPEAKER_00 51:57

So we had that. I mean, that'd be genius GMing by Brad Stevens if you really think about it. Because really all he did was take a year off to get out of that contract and then rest him Al Horford style for a year somewhere else.

SPEAKER_02 52:06

But that's that's how that's essentially how we got Horford back, though.

SPEAKER_00 52:09

That's what I'm saying, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:10

Yeah, you know, but you know what's wild? They traded they traded Kemba in a 16th overall pick to get Horford back here. You know who that pick became, and he's killing it right now, which I was like, but he wouldn't have here as Alpin Sagoon in Houston. Oh, that pick. I was like, yikes. I was like, oh, it would it would have been problematic.

SPEAKER_00 52:31

I think that reports for him great.

SPEAKER_02 52:33

But I said, man, I said, wow, that I said baby Jokic on it, woof, with Tatum and Brown. I said that time, man, look out.

SPEAKER_00 52:42

I'll also say, like, I do think it's a sign of a good team that it's too bad you can't fit certain players in and they go and thrive somewhere else. I mean, that was the San Antonio Spurs for for 20 years under Popovich, where it was like, yeah, well, that dude just wasn't, I mean, Derek White is an example of that. Like, that dude just wasn't cracking certain like you know, portions of a roster the way that he had that team set up, and then he goes somewhere else and he flourishes. That's just a sign of a good team, you know.

SPEAKER_02 53:07

Well, it is, but like, but like I told you when that trade happened, you know, because I San Antonio has always been my other favorite team to watch growing up outside of the city. So I was like, I seen, man, I'm like, no, I'm like, he, you know, I had to use the Dark Rivers quote because when when Nate Robinson came here, he was like, at some point in the season, Nate Robinson's gonna win us a game in the playoffs. And that's the same thing. I use that same quote about Doug White. I said, he's gonna win you a game in the playoffs, and you're gonna say, Oh, this guy can really play. And man, he's been all that and more. He surpassed even what I thought he, I figured he'd be good, but uh just his style of play, how he I just I figured, yeah, just how you how he moves, his temperament. I knew I knew he'd fit well here, but you know, he's been awesome. And you know, I hope that we can get more talent like that in in the future, whether it be via trade or through through the draft or free agency.

SPEAKER_00 54:04

So I mean it's kind of fascinating to think about, right? Because if you go full circle on Derek White's career, he would be on this current Spurs team would be almost perfect. Like he wouldn't need to be the star, but is he would make everything work. Like that Spurs team would immediately become favorites if just Derek White went over there, right? So you're so sort of just like I I mean, just the way that he could, I think he could play with De'Aaron Fox. Another guy, by the way, who had a had what I would call a career resurgence because of the right fit, you know, a lot of pressure on the high, high draft pick, like a lot of talk about his athleticism and his speed and everything. And then like, I now playing with Wemby, like you know what I mean? Like, there's there's just a lot, a lot, a lot to be said there, but they're young. They're what's that? Oh, I thought you were talking about Darren Fox. That's what I said, Darren Fox. Oh, oh, oh, so I don't hear that, yeah. Yeah, like dear with Darren Fox being there, like another guy who who just had a big resurgence, like sort of uh from the pressure of of his early career. You put a guy like Derek White next to them, he solves their biggest problem, which is decision making. Like he'll make quick reads, ball movement, won't force shots, a little bit of a veteran presence. It's kind of weird to think about like the alternate universe where Derek White's still there and he becomes the player that he is now, and then that Spurs team's crazy. Like, and you know, I don't know. I like watching them a lot too. I would hate to see them in the finals. That would be real, real scary. We have absolutely no answer for Wemby, but nobody does.

SPEAKER_02 55:26

So yes, but I I they also give me 2012 Thunder vibes.

SPEAKER_00 55:31

Really? Not quite there yet, not fully based.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

They'll get there, they'll get they can get there, but it's just like you know, that pressure at the moment, but again, they you know, they lost in five to the MIME team.

SPEAKER_00 55:44

I know I think Wemby looks a little bit more grown up though.

SPEAKER_02 55:48

I mean, sure, but I mean we thought KD the way the way that the way that OKC steamrolled to the finals that year, when James Harden hit that three over Mondo Genobli.

SPEAKER_00 55:56

But you've said, but what I mean is you've seen you've seen what the mentality of those, the core pieces of that team actually are, right? Like there's there was suspicions at the time, but I mean the fact that they did as good as they did together is actually kind of surprising, don't you think? When you look back on that, right?

Expectations Shift And Closing Thoughts

SPEAKER_02 56:14

I think about Russ, James, KD, right, sir. Like that that's an so Castle, Fox, Wemby, and Miss L. Oh, so yeah, you know what? Yeah, so you know what I'm saying? It's like like it's it's it's very similar, very similar. Chelten, Sheldon, Kelden Johnson's really good too. That's something I wanted here. So Chan's good, right? Yeah, so well no, he ain't never getting released, but it's just like did they release him? Yeah, he got released. Yeah, I think as a matter of fact, the the Knicks picked him up, which is which is a really good pickup for them. That's a good pickup for them. Oh, interesting. I didn't know that. That's I was I was I was sick about that, but you know, it's all good. It's all good. All right. Well, I'm I'm ready to play.

SPEAKER_00 56:54

We saw, we talked about the playoffs. I'm getting it got me excited for it, to be totally honest with you. I'm really looking forward to it now. Feels like we were really weirdly on the same page about the Celtics. I kind of thought I was gonna come in and like attack Joe Mazzula off the bat and we were gonna argue, but no, I think we're seeing a lot of the same things in that team. And I I would say I would I don't have tepid expectations. I have I have bigger expectations than I did this start of the year. I count myself as one of those guys. I have an ongoing bet with Mike. I'm like a game away from losing. Uh I said 49 and a half. We thought we and I took the under, and Mike took the over, and Mike's gonna win. So I don't know if I was thinking 35, but like 43 would have been my guess, you know, like 44. And you know, we're we're way exceeding expectations, in my opinion. And I am actually looking forward to watching this team in the playoffs, and everyone else too. I just hope everybody has a good time. Maybe it's not winning championships, maybe it's the friends we made along the way. No, it's definitely winning championships. We hang banners around here. I would love to see that happen in an unexpected way this Celtics season, but thank you to my colleague, uh, Dr. Hollywood, Ray Sean Buchanan, uh, myself, DK Sizzle, Dave Clark, and the entire missing the point squad. This has been Celtics Hour. See you next week.