The Boston Celtics are Just Plain Good

The Celtics spent years flirting with greatness and letting teams hang around. Now they’re doing the one thing that changes everything in the NBA playoffs: they stop the bleeding fast, they answer runs with force, and they look calm while doing it. We’re back on Missing The Point to unpack how Boston turned a season that started wobbly into a legitimate Eastern Conference contender, and why that “champions don’t panic” vibe is starting to show up again at exactly the right time. 

We dig into Jayson Tatum’s return and ask the real question Celtics fans care about: when playoff basketball gets gross and physical, do we get the killer takeover version or the ramping-up version? What stands out is how cerebral he looks, how smooth that sidestep jumper is already, and how much cleaner the decision-making feels. Then we get into Jaylen Brown’s leap, the 1A vs 1B debate, and why Brown’s mid-range shot making can become a postseason pressure valve when the threes stop falling. 

From there, we give the role players their due. Derrick White gets the spotlight as the guy who makes every possession look more correct, plus we talk bench chaos: Payton Pritchard changing the rhythm, Sam Hauser adding counters, and a deep X factor pick if teams overcommit to the stars. We also name the biggest non-injury concern that could derail the run, and what has to stay true for Boston to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond. 

If you’re locked in for the NBA playoffs, subscribe for weekly Celtics talk, share this with a friend who lives and dies on every run, and leave us a review with your pick: who swings a series for Boston?

Transcript

Welcome Back And Season Context

SPEAKER_03 0:06

Welcome to Missing the Point. It's been a little while, but we are back. It's the end of the Boston Celtic season. So I got my guys, DK Sizzle, Dave Clark, Hollywood Ray Sean Buchanan, and we're going to talk about this amazing Celtics season and preview of the playoffs. But before we get into it, any any opening thoughts you'd like to hit me with, DK? But I'll start with you, and I thank you for your contribution to my kids' college fund. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Sorry, I forgot to Vemo you. Um I mean it's it's a happy, it's a happy time to lose a bet, right? Like I like betting sometimes against my own teams because it's kind of a win-win when they or lose-win, but a win something. You gotta win in there somewhere, right? So my opening thought, honestly, I was watching the Charlotte game last night. We're recording this on Wednesday. Tomorrow we play the Knicks. Yeah, we play the Knicks tomorrow. And we played Charlotte last night. I was watching the Charlotte game, and there was a period, I think it was probably maybe 11 minutes left in the fourth. And Lamello got a steal, went up the other end, scored from like kind of far back. We messed up again. He went down the other end, he scored a layup, and I was like, like typical. Here we fucking go. Like I was doing that thing, right? Where I'm like, we had this game in hand, like we were, you know, all we had to do was just like see him off. Like, this is so annoying. And we did this thing where they were just like, no, we're better. Like, I I it's the only thing I can really describe it as. And I feel like it's been a consistent theme, at least, at least since the all-star break, if not kind of even before that. Maybe before that, it was a little bit more like we're plucky, like we can do this, even though no one expected us to. But now we do this thing where, and it might be carryover. Ray, you can maybe tell me if if you think this is true. It might be carryover from the fact that we're champions now, or this group is champions now. But there's just this thing that they do where they go, Okay, that's fine. And Jalen Brown drives in and scores, and then he takes us what I'm blanking on that rookie of the year candidate's name on Charlotte. What's his name? The white guy. Conquer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Knipple. And he's like, I'm just gonna take this Knipple kid on the high screen like two, three, four times, just torture him. Just like, welcome to the NBA, this kid a few times. And then it's like, oh, and by the way, like that whole period while that was happening, Jason Tatum was on the bench. And it's like, and then you forget because you spent so much of the season watching this team without Tatum, and you didn't really expect him to come back. Or if anyone tells you they're expecting him to come back at this level, I think they're buying. And he comes back on and drives the hole and scores and then hits a three, and then there's a wide open Garza and he hits a three, and you're just like, okay, well, they have that thing. I I I'm not making any guarantees of long, you know, playoff runs. I'll wait until 20 or 30 minutes from now in the show to do that. But honestly, like they have that thing, they have that like, nah, we're better than you. We're gonna put our foot on your neck thing. And I I think it's the thing that we were waiting for for a long time that they definitely had when we won the championship, but our roster was so fucking stacked at that point, like they should have that. Now it sort of seems like it's coming from the duo and and coming from the core players, and I really like it. It's it's nice. I I have higher expectations of this team in the postseason than I ever thought I would have. So yeah, I owe you 50 bucks, but that's good. I like the Celtics, right?

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Yeah, no, I'm I mean, they they've um they've exceeded everyone's expectations, except those that are in the locker room, and that's how it should be, right? Those 15 guys should believe the most. And to think of where they were in October, where they lost, you know, I think the first three games, and it was it was looking real shaky, and they didn't know rotations and they couldn't rebound, and uh you know, defense was you know, touch and go. They have morphed into a powerhouse in a matter of months. And uh, you know, once again, they were already gonna at least to me be a team that got to the second round if everything broke right, uh, but now they look like a legit contender. And you know, uh most teams in any in any point in history, you don't really get a chance to add a player of Jason Tatum's caliber this late in the season, coming up injury, you know, hoping that he has fresh legs, which you know it looks like he does. But what was what was key in my mind last night watching Taylor move around, um, I think Dave kind of alluded to the play, uh I think in the fourth quarter, he has uh one of the Charlotte guys on on the island, I think it was Diabate, and he does his his patent sidestep. Uh-huh. And it looked like it was so fluid. And it was just, I said, Oh my god. I said, if he's hitting that like this early, right only trend 10-11 games in that he's he's shooting it like that, and he's hitting that shot with confidence, look look out. So yeah, I mean, just the ceiling is the roof, you know, as Michael Jordan would say. The ceiling is the roof. Yep. I'm excited to see what they do, you know, the rest of the season going to the playoffs.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

I would just say, like, taking a step back the entire season, right? Like going into it, yeah, DK and I had a side wager. I bet that that they would win more than 50 and a half games. 49 and a half, I thought it was worth it. 49. They're over. Into a four a 54 and 25 team that proved it could function and now gets Tatum back. So I know, yeah, we're three yeah, we're three games back on Detroit, but how do you not look at the Celtics as the the team to beat in the East going to the playoffs?

SPEAKER_02 5:59

They are kind of like to me, it's like if I was trying to look at it from a completely neutral point of view, I mean, this is the story of our fucking lives, right? It's like the favorites in the West. That's just the way it is, right? Like the whoever comes out of the West is still gonna, in my opinion, be the favorite to win the championship. Who are the teams, though, that whoever that team's gonna be are likely to beat them? So let's say it is OKC, right? Just for argument's sake. They've been the favorite. It's a little bit boring, but they've been the favorite all year. There's storylines in the Western Conference with teams that have played them. There's storylines with some Eastern Conference teams, maybe, but if you're looking at OKC, and I really try, I'm trying to be neutral here. I think there's two teams that can give them any sort of trouble, really. And that's us and the San Antonio Spurs. And if you if you really want to argue that point against me, I'd I'd be hard pressed to find a way to either think of another team, a third team that can really give them a run. Maybe there's some theory we can do on that. Maybe this team matches up against them well, you know. Maybe if they saw these guys early, they might give them a run for their money, whatever. But true like Western Conference Finals finals, these are we're the only chance you guys have out there in the neutral basketball world of not watching 80 fucking SGA free throws win another NBA championship. Like, I don't, you know, I I they they are the odds-on favorites, but I think we can give them the business, to be honest with you, if we're if we're on. And I also think the Spurs can, which this season it has been my other favorite team to watch. They have been fucking awesome. They're so much fun.

The Celtics Learn To Close

SPEAKER_03 7:40

I mean, the OKC thing is interesting because we split with them this year, and our loss was I liked also how we looked when we split with them, though. Right. I mean, we lost by two and then we and then we beat them by 10. And and the 10-point win wasn't even that close.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

No, I think it's not better than them that day.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

Yeah, right. Just look at the looking at the Eastern Conference, right? I mean, yes, Detroit. We understand they're young and they don't know what they don't know. I understand that. But I don't I really I can't pick against the Celtics. And if if everything stays the same right now, everyone the health is not an issue. Are are we not the the best team in the East?

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Yeah, I mean, well, as we speak, I know Cade came back tonight. I forget who they played, but he came back tonight. So and once again, I I I want to see what that team does. I mean, Detroit, like, I want to see um because they've been good all year, so I felt like they deserve to have a decent run and a decent crack guide at being healthy. So I'm I'm excited to see what he does coming back.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

I like Detroit for the record. I mean, yeah, I think they're a hard team to hate, like, yet, right? Give it a few years when they're really coming into their own, then I'll figure out a way to fucking despise them, obviously. But like, they're plucky.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

It could, it could, like I said, it could be as early. Once again, they they've had they've taken their lumps. Remember, like, you know, obviously they had one of the worst records of all time, and then you know, they really came on last year, took New York to six games, and having that season last year really propelled them into what they're doing now. And then JB Bickerstaff. Remember, I was yelling for JB Bickerstaff to be the coach of the year last year because I felt like he was someone that you know deserved it. And it's funny, people talk about what Coach Missoula's doing, and you know, we can get into that as well. I think in any other year, what Charles Lee is doing or what he's done to Charlotte, to me, that that to me is what the coach of the year is. Once again, Charlotte was projected to win 25-26 games, and they won 43 when they can win 44 or 45 on the year. Like, that to me, bar none to me, should be coach of the year, but like that's I know it doesn't go that way. It would go to Missoula, it may go to the coach of OKC.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

I hope it doesn't go to Missoula because he doesn't think it's a real award.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Apparently, it's gonna be no. I mean, no, I mean, and I and I I I get, but his stance is that it's about the players, and it's true. And I feel like guys like him wholeheartedly.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

I don't think he has really anything to do with our success this year.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Um but I but I like say I don't I don't know, and I I mean we we had that back and forth about that, but I'm like, I don't know, I don't know too many guys that would have went had this record with this roster. Yeah, I just so it it's it's it's cool. You know, we we the running jokers that we pile on Missoula at times, but he he's at a he's done a massive job. So I I gotta give credit where it's due. But yeah, I I like you said uh definitely the favorite. I don't I don't see I don't I like I said I can see certain teams giving them six games, maybe seven or seven games, but if this team is locked in, like they're starting to play right now. Paying purchase said the best last night on the broadcast at the in the postgame champions don't panic. And they're not panicking right now, and they're starting to peak. And that should be a scary sight for the rest of the league.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Yeah, 100%. I also think just taking a look at at the East, like the East isn't scary in the old way, it's annoying in a new way. You know, like there are there there are team there are teams on like on that list that I don't really want to play in the first round. Charlotte is one of them because they can shoot. And and we have seen that if and TK is a you and I go back and forth on this, it's always like that first round series. The Missula says, let's just break the record for how many threes we can jack up. It doesn't even matter if they go in, right? And but Charlotte can shoot. But you got Detroit, the Knicks, they beat us last year, but they lost their they lost their backbone, and that's Thibodeau. Like I like Mike Brown, I think he's fine, but the Thibodeau like taught that team how to play good defense. And then you get you don't know what you're gonna get out of the 76ers. The Cavs, like with James Harden, we've talked that in like they can beat you, but like I don't know. I I just look at this, I look at this list and I'm and I'm like, yeah, Detroit, sure. But it's it's just Boston. And if we don't get to the Eastern Conference Finals again, if all stays everyone stays healthy, this is now a very big disappointment. Am I am I wrong in that?

SPEAKER_00 12:06

I I I would I would say no. I think Dave and I talked about that last time we were together. Our expectations went from being temperate to you know going through the roof. And yeah, I think in February, if you asked us, you're like, hey, they get to a second round, cool. You know, you get healthy tannin back next year, you know, kind of see where the chips fall and just go from there. But obviously, for him to come back and look this good, and for the team overall to look this good, it just lets you know that hey, as long as you got seven, as long as you got zero, you have a shot. And you know, they're they're reminding folks that as long as they got Tana Brown, they have a shot. And if you're not ready, because once again, Charlotte was up for the task for most of that game, and it like two and a half quarters. Even a little bit into the fourth light day, but they eloquently said it, hey, they said, Okay, enough's enough, and you know, we're they never used to do that, dude.

SPEAKER_02 13:04

Like they there was we spent so many years of just like, can we fucking put these guys away? Like, that was always like our running attitude, with the exception of the year we walked the championship.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Yeah, and and that's what that looked like, right? Like, obviously, we're just doing yeah, and I'm like that. That's what that felt like.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

And I would just say, I would almost say though, is it fair to think, including injuries, including context, that there's a stiffer competition, stiffer road to the to the banner than there was that year?

SPEAKER_03 13:36

If if we win if we win the championship this year, I think it's a it's a bigger championship than the 2024 season. I agree. And it's and it's not it's not close to that.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

That was expected. It was expected. Like this, you were the best team nowhere from starting to be.

Measuring Boston Against OKC

SPEAKER_00 14:04

We respect it more. So uh once again, all championships feel the same, great, it feels everything feels great. But the reason why we look at the 2011 Mavericks the way we do, you know, you beat Brandon Roy in Portland in the first round. You you sweep the defending champion, the Lakers, uh, in the second round, and then you beat a young hungry RKC team at five, and then you beat you beat the Heat at six. So, like that championship gets revered over over most championships because of the gauntlet they went through to get it. So, yeah, that's just how our minds are wired. But at the end of the day, you know, hoisting a trophy is hoisting a trophy. It's hard to do. And, you know, it's hard to get one. You know, you get in rarefied air if you get two or more. So hopefully, you know, that could be this year, obviously. But yeah, it's definitely something that they should be uh locked in on and just saying, hey, this is ours to take. It's not a precedent what we're seeing. Yeah. And you know, hopefully they they they pray on it and just keep seeing the keep going.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Yeah, obviously, you know, Tatum comes back March 6th. He's played what 15 games so far. He's averaging about 21 points a game, right? So I guess my question would be is going into the playoffs, what version of Tatum do you think we're gonna get? Because I I don't I don't care if he's averaging 21 right now. I like my real question to you is when the playoffs get gross and dirty, right? Does Boston have the killer version of Tatum or the working his way back version? Based on what you've seen, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 15:47

I mean, I can I kind of think I I think this is the best version of Tatum I've ever seen, to be honest with you, or at least my personal favorite. Like, I'm sure he doesn't feel at like the heights he's hit before. I'm sure that he probably thought like differently about different things that he's doing on the court. But for me, like, and Ray said it best last time him and I were on, like, it's the cerebral version. Like, it's the I gotta think about some shit version. It's the it's the I can't necessarily do this, although I agree with you, Ray. Like, the I watched that sidestep last night and I was like, oh shit. I was like, watch out. He looks fucking buttery smooth as far as I'm concerned. But he also was just talking about you know going to New York tomorrow and and saying, yeah, it's a trauma for me to go back there because like that was pr pretty much the worst night of my life. Which I mean, listen, if you're if he went to sleep a fucking millionaire that night, so like uh everything's in context, but at the same time, like, yeah, that's awful, you know, like that happening when you're like you have aspirations to go on and win a win a championship and you think you have the teammates around you to do it, and you think you have the skill to do it, and you're the best player on the team, and you know, you're you do it on an effort play, which sucks, you know, like it's uh you're you're going to get the ball and your fucking leg explodes. And this is the thing you saw, like your idol go through and and other great players go through. And like, yeah, you've got a lot of what would you call it, precedent, right? In in this injury, especially with players like Tatum, which which is nice. But honestly, like watching him now, like he I think this injury for me means he does like 30% less annoying shit as far as like decision making goes. And I think always obviously you're gonna be hypercritical, right? Like, A, we get on a podcast and like talk about these guys all the time and have been for five years, and that's the basically the bulk, you know. We've we've seen like the majority of these guys as fully formed NBA players happen while we had this podcast. So, like we have these arguments all the time because we're watching it so closely, and you become so you you become so close. It's like when you get mad at your brother or sister, you know. So it's like at this point, like the guy's won me a championship, so I'll always love him. And like there's been different iterations of my relationship with him, but as far as I'm concerned, like I really like the shit that he's doing right now. I really like this version of him. So if we can take what we have or better into the playoffs, I'm really happy. And I this is me, my most positive, honestly, because I'm just surprised. Like, it's so nice to be surprised and have a team this good, as opposed to like thinking you should have a team this good and them having to meet like a certain level of expectation. Like, I much prefer this as a fan, to be honest, because like, yes, I loved that championship year, and I'll still like that year better if we don't win this year, obviously. But it's just kind of nice to be like, oh, oh, didn't know you were here. How's it going? The Boston Celtics, like irrelevant in the postseason. Okay, thank you. Thank you so much. It's like getting a little free dessert, you know, a little free dessert at the end of your meal. Like, oh, what's this for? Oh, just compliments to the chef, you know, compliments to the chef for this Celtic season, and then like another year in next year, too, or everything's you know, what we do have is we have a GM I really like, and uh, I think makes really good decisions as far as roster building goes. We have the best duo in the NBA, in my opinion, and uh long may continue. And a big part of the why they're the best duo in the NBA is because they played together for a really, really long time. And yeah, like and since they were babies, and so now you're just like, I mean, if you can get these guys on the court healthy together, like there's always a puncher's chance. Right.

SPEAKER_03 19:19

Getting into that, right? What we've seen this year, right? Jalen's averaging like just shy of 29 points a game. He is he was Eastern Conference player of the week recently. So nowadays now now the framing is is Jalen still just the co-star or has this season actually changed the power dynamic for the team?

SPEAKER_00 19:43

Like for me, like for me, the the power dynamic never changed. I I al I always viewed Tatum as the the one A. And once again, it didn't matter to me as long as they both dominated, which was we've seen that happen. What I think what I've liked so far though throughout this year, is that well sorry, since Tatan's since Tatum's return, he hasn't tried to do too much at times. Yes, he's had moments where he wants to get back into the game, but it's clear that he's deferred to Jalen Brown. It's clear, like it's not like, oh, like, well, you know, he's still trying to get his shots off. He is he has completely said, okay, JB, this is your time. You have been the man, you brought us to this moment. I'm here to help you get us back to the promise land. I love that though. I really love that. I know I I do too, but you know, and once again, and I'm I'm someone that was handed on the show, but if if we remember, it might have been during the championship running 24, but might have even even been sent in 22. Mike Mike said it, I think before I started saying it regularly. Mike said, We've seen gays, or we didn't watch it, we were we weren't older, but we've seen Howard and Suburb uh begin the game, you know, and dominate the game in 1712 and uh 17, 12, and 9, right? Dominate the whole game. Once again, wasn't a massive performance, but dominated the game.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

We're also erasing the best player on the other side of the on the other side of the court. Like she's completely like just completely negating the the other guy, like that right and right, and once again, he's he's defending better than I thought he would defend coming back, rebounding.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

But but like but like but like you said, the the the thinking of the game, you can tell his like because Jay obviously JB's playmaking has taken another level, obviously, but Tatum's playmaking since they came back has been unreal. And that's we have all we have all said, even Bobby when he's on here, we said when the playmaking with those two take off is game over, and we're watching it in fruition. Like it is it's beautiful to see. So that that that's awesome.

The East Feels Annoying Now

SPEAKER_02 21:53

To answer your question, Mike, like I to me, yes. Uh and also That's a good thing. You know, everything Ray just described is the only way this really would have worked to transition him back in, in my opinion. And I'm not 100% sure I would have expected it. But yes, he is 1A to Brown's one. And I think we all could all agree that like during the championship season, that was flipped. But I think one-on-one, by definition, is that it's like it's next man up. It's who can really do this. And we already saw them get to that point as a scoring duo. You know, we already saw them get to the point where it was like, you're the hot hand tonight, like that's on you. I think the difference now is that yes, Tatum was injured. And yes, I agree with Ray that he's coming back to do whatever he can to help the team, which I really like and respect. But also, we watched the last evolution of Jalen Brown. We watched him evolve this season into his prime. And his prime is, to be honest, the best scoring wing in the entire NBA nine to 12 feet from the basket. And I always have been extraordinarily complimentary of Jalen Brown's mid-range game. And I always really wanted more of it, right? Jalen from the mid-range, I think, is an absolute fucking killer. And I think what that means for his game now, in the in this iteration of the modern NBA, and where what it means for him hitting his prime is that at any point he can just take whoever's defending him to one of honestly, I was kind of trying to count yesterday when I was watching the game, one of 10 spots on the floor. Like honest, like I like to be honest, like it's whether whatever direction he's going and whatever starting point he is taking you from, and the way that screens come around for him automatically, because he's become the sort of de facto guy on the team, he's just like he does this really fun thing where he's like, Okay, we're gonna go over here now, and you're gonna be really surprised at how fast I pull up on you. And then he absolutely absolutely fucking buries it. And you're like, I thought we didn't shoot from the fucking elbow anymore. Cool. You know, like this is great. And it's like the opposite of the kind of basketball we were playing when we went out against New York last year, to be honest. And I I I think that's been the biggest thing for me is we're just a completely different team. You're muted, right? But I don't know. Can you hear him? Is he talking about it on purpose? Uh okay. So, you know, at the end of the day, like that's been my favorite thing about the one-on-one thing. And you know, long may continue, but also we can switch if we get in trouble. Like, if something happens, it's like it's time for Tatum to take over. Like I've seen him play really physical defense, I've seen him board really well since he's come back, and I just you know he can help.

SPEAKER_03 24:42

To that point, though, I would just say, now that we've seen both iterations of these players asserting their their will as the best player on the team, when things do go wrong now, Jalen Brown. Well, well, but will they defer the right or will will Tatum Rise continue? No, I it has to be. I know I think we all know that.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

So it I think it one it depends on the game, right? It's not this is not like a set thing. It depends on the game. Game flow.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

If he's one for 24, then probably not no, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:13

But that'd be either one of them, right? Like what either one of them for that, but that's what you you know, you you know, let D White get some shots, you let Pritchard get some shots, you know, you that you go from there.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

But honestly, maybe Pritchard first, because like it seems like in game context scenarios he might be the best shooter ever. Like if there's something that you really need a shot, it's like, or it's like the fucking game winner or the buzzer beater from like really deep before halftime. It's like Pritchard's there.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

I mean, I I I I mean, you know how I feel about Derek White. Like, I I fully trust him in any moment. Um, he's like he's he's proven that. So I fully trust him to show up in any moment. You know, I mean I remember that first round of sales against Miami a few years ago, like went down there in their house had 39. I was like, oh, your fourth best player is getting 39. You're not winning a game this year. Like it's it's like happening. So I'm fully confident in him showing up in that in that in that regard. But with Tatum and Brown, I just feel like once again, we're we're seeing if anything, I feel like there's moments when JT has been too uh unselfish, but I get it because once again, he's still trying to make sure he doesn't mess up the rhythm. But you're gonna need game seven, Tatum against Philly at some point. Once again, I'm not saying we're gonna get 50, but I always remember that game because it from the jump, it was like we're not going home like this. Or really my favorite game for him, even before the championship, the game six in Milwaukee. And actually, I told that story on here of like, you know, I remember them losing game five there in Milwaukee, and you know, that the building was devastated. Couldn't believe they had lost game five. But you know, everybody in the building was like, hey, see see you Sunday, see your Sunday, see your Sunday. And he came out there and had the game of his life 46, I think like 11 and 9 out there. And that's why I was like, Yeah, when he needs to rise to the moment, he he is showing us that he can. So yeah, I fully I fully trust him to do that. But like I said, I I agree with you, Dave. This this has been I knew he would I I knew he would have to come back learning the game and seeing the game differently. That's why I love the fact that he's been there because it's different when you're rehabbing, not watching, not looking at practices, not looking at any tape, but he's been there every step of the way and said, Okay, I can I can get the ball to this guy here, or I can get the ball here in this offense here, or I can against this defense. We can set a flare screen. Like, you know, like there's so many things that he saw probably that has helped him get to this point now. And that's dangerous because when you're that good, and now you're saying, okay, I'm gonna be a half step better IQ wise, like look look, look out. Sky's the limit.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

Especially when you've been able to rely on your athleticism and physicality. It's almost like it's almost like he studied, he overstudied for the test. Like he might have also had the same thought. Like, I don't know what kind of player I'm gonna be when I come back, I don't know where my athleticism is gonna be. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

I think he thought that way for sure.

Which Version Of Tatum Appears

SPEAKER_02 28:08

Because I mean, when you said you know, best case scenario, it's exactly where he wants it to be. And also, he he overstudied for the exam. Like he's just completely got that other thing now, too, where he's like, Well, I was, you know, I was thinking about thinking about it. So that helps. Also, like you said, fresh legs. Also, that's a muscle memory thing. Like, think about the amount of fucking basketball Jason Tatum has put in his legs since he came into the league, like the amount of postseason runs that he has had sit, like people used to say this about LeBron. I mean, it's it's what's so impressive about LeBron James being 41 and still being able to be a contributor on the floor. Like he played the whole time, most of the time. You know what I mean? Like, there was only a few series that he missed, and and the same is true of Tatum to a to a large extent. We always seem to have made the playoffs for the most part while he's he's been on the team. So that final like little bit of rest, I'm not saying it's a good thing he got injured, obviously it isn't, but when you actually get to step away from the game for a while, yeah, you you mentally can sort of like study and think and really view the game from a completely different angle, but also your body's muscle memory is gonna lock in a little bit more. Like those breaks can really help, you know, from a from a physical standpoint. And I just think, I mean, honestly, best case scenario on on this return. I I don't know if I could have thought of one more positive thing that could possibly happen. It's it's it's been really great. And I think it shows also, I mean, it sounds like a cliche, but I do think it shows the dedication he had to his rehab because I'm not saying that like uh you know, other players have had as bad injuries or worse or whatever, but I think part of being elite is rehabbing that injury to the absolute best of your ability. Like part of being elite is getting every single edge you can possibly get on everybody else. So yeah, you can be sick and you know, you can be like better than everybody else your whole life, but then you get to the NBA and it's like it's time to fucking work. There's a million stories from ex-players about this kind of a thing. Like the reason Kobe Bryant was so good, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. At the end of the, I mean, I'm pretty sure Michael Jordan was playing like, you know, nine holes and then going to playing in a in a Eastern Conference Files game, but it's that teach their own. But I do think it's a testament to how how much dedication he's had to rehabbing this injury and how dedicated he is to the team that when he comes back in, he's like, I just want to help.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_03 30:23

So we've talked about the stars, we've talked about the record, and now I think it's time to talk about the role players of the bench. And you can't start anywhere else besides Derek White. I I think I unapologetically trust him to make whatever shot he takes when he's on the floor, from wherever he takes it from. He's he's averaging almost 17 points a game, five rebounds, five assists. And I just think I was thinking about like as I'm putting the rundown together. To me, like Derek White is the kind of player that we love because every possession looks slightly more correct when he's on the floor.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

Is that like the most accurate thing about Derek White?

SPEAKER_02 31:04

I mean competency porn, I think I would call it when you're watching Derek White. It's like it's just like it's pure unadulterated competency porn. It's like why people watch the pit. It's like, oh man, these doctors are so fucking good at their jobs. I just love seeing that. I love when people are just good at their fucking jobs. And that's kind of the same boner I get when I'm watching like that brand of basketball. I think that, yeah, I just I think it's a trust thing, Mike. And I, but on top of that, I also think it's a thing where it's like, thank God you're here. You know, like I get that feeling with Derek quite a lot where I'm like, yeah, oh shit, it's not not a lot, but it happens. It's like, oh shit, it's not falling for it's not a falling for JB. Oh shit, okay, Tatum, he doesn't know he shouldn't be out there. He needs to be on the bench right now. He needs a little bit more rest. That's fine. Well, who can I turn to in my time of need? The man, the man himself, he's just always there when you need him. You know, it's it's reliability, you know. He's like a tire that's never had a recall. He's like, he's like one of my favorite guys I forgot about until he got the ball again, you know, or I'm like, it's like, can we get it, can we get him, can we get him the ball? Um, I have those moments a lot of the time too, because I'm like, I mean, I do think I still have that criticism, Ray. I know you and I have agreed on this in the past. It's like whenever he him or Tatum both seem to share the quality, when they become a hot hand, they seem to leave the court, which really fucking annoys me. But it doesn't happen as much or as often as as it has in the past. So I'm not I'm not putting my like sticker in it yet, but I know you've noticed that in the past too. And I I'm just like that annoys me. But yeah, it's like looking at the two superstars, I'm looking at the flashy play, and then I'm like, oh Derek, yeah, my guy. Yeah, I love that guy.

SPEAKER_00 32:41

Yeah, I mean, I I there's not much I can add to that. Once again, Derek White has been everything I thought he was gonna be coming into Boston. You know, you don't know what's gonna result in a championship, but I know that's the type of trade you make in order to get a championship, and they they did. I said from the jump, I said he's gonna win you a playoff series. That's happened. He's gonna win you a playoff series, that's happened. You need that type of player on a championship team or even a team that wants to contend year in and year out. Model professional, like you said, super reliable. And you know, one of my favorite analogies I always use, you know, in the words of Big Daddy Kane, you know, I I he he gets the job done. He gets the job done.

SPEAKER_02 33:26

And also, the guy who used to occupy that role was Marcus Smart, you know, like the third member of the trio that, you know, it's it's not quite at the level that like your your your duo is gonna be, but like, yeah, he's the third guy. He's played it then this whole time. Like, and Marcus was the opposite of what we were just describing. I'm not being disrespectful with Marcus Smart. I'm really happy with the contributions he made here, even though he now plays into it. But honestly, like the competency levels were what were always an issue with with Marcus, where it's like, you don't I I appreciate that you have irrational confidence, and I appreciate that you can instill that into the team. And I appreciate that you're all in tangibles and you're all you know getting after it on hustle plays and like all that stuff's really, really watchable. Like Tommy Heinzon would have fucking, you know, it just never the the plaudits never would have ended. But Derek White to me makes grown-up professional decisions when I would think back as the third member of that team, the third best player on the team. Let's let's just call it call it what it is, right? Like, I think he's our third best player, yeah. And it's just it's a level above what Marcus used to bring with those guys, and also those guys are better than they used to be. So to me, it's just like that was the teenage version of this of that trio, and now this is the grown-up version.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

Yeah, I mean, I so I do think Marcus did a lot of the same things, but like you said, it was absolutely it, but like I said, it would unfortunately it was just it was sporadic with that's the best word. I think it was sporadic with Marcus. Like, you know, we remember the game in the bubble against Toronto when he hit five threes in like a minute and a half. It was like, whoa, like where'd this come from? But he he had that he had that big game field too. That there was times when you're like, oh, okay, like you would see him. I remember the seven threes he had in Cleveland in the 2017 conference finals. Like, so there's moments you remember him having, you know, oh okay, like uh, you know, steals against Philly. Like he he he had those moments, like you said, but it was too few and far between at times because as much as he would make you love him when he had those type of moments and get a big steal or hit a big three, it's you know, you're playing job coverage on Steph Curry in the 22 finals, and you're you know, you're yelling on a signal, but it's like, dude, you're a primary defender on him.

SPEAKER_03 35:48

I would just say, Ray, Ray, I would I would just say, like, to your point about that bubble, because I I knew that you were gonna bring that game up as you should. It was a highlight game for him. Derek White in a game and take five straight threes, and I would think every single one of those threes was gonna go in. Yeah, single shot Marcus Smart took in that game. I yelled at the TV, no, don't shoot it, even though we'd already made it.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

Like he so right, and that describes the difference in Washington basically to me. Right, I don't think you can sum it up better than that.

Brown’s Prime And The 1A Debate

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Well, so I I'll I'll say this though, because I that's that's the that that's very funny because that that's true. But if you remember, Derek White's shot was not was not lovely when he got here. I'm not thinking what the shooting coach was when he got here, but you know, they really worked on revamping the shot, and it really wasn't until I felt like people have seen the glimpses, but that Miami series when they won in the compass finals, when he finally came alive in that game four, game five. It was like, like, oh, like okay, like this is what this. I think me and you was on the show that we was like, Yeah, like this is what we've been waiting for. And I that's what I was like, oh, I think they didn't watch that meeting like huh. I felt vindicated because I said, damn, I said I've been I've been I said I've been clamoring for you all all year, D White, since you got you got down here, like just prove me right, D White, prove me right, please. And he finally did in that series. So yeah, I mean, like I said, he just kept working at it. But once again, when you come from San Antonio, you know, it's funny, it's ironic that I'm using the line I'm about to use, but it's it fits for them too. The standard is the standard. So when they go anywhere, they can they can do well because they got trained by one of the best of all time.

SPEAKER_03 37:31

Derek White, in my opinion, only takes shots that he thinks he can make. Marcus Smart thought he can make every shot. So here's what I'm gonna say. Uh, you pick you did this before with with D. White, so I'm gonna ask you uh DK to do it again. Keda, Pritchard, Hauser, Walsh, which non-star swings the series?

SPEAKER_02 37:50

I mean, we talked about this last time we were on two, Ray, the the idea of chaos in a playoff series. And I think that there's a lot of professionals on this team, you know, a lot of competency porn, a lot of Derek Whites, and a lot of people in that in that sort of thing. I think there's guys that can come off the bench really cold. We've seen it. You'll think back to that Brooklyn Nets game when when Garza hit that three because he was wide open in the corner and it was like a last second substitution that that Missoula made. Like they were joking, like he called an audible and everyone gave Missoula the credit, but it's like he also hadn't touched the ball all game and he hit hit it to tie the game and bring us into OT. All these guys are great. It has to be Pritchard, to be honest, because as much as I've talked about him being a liability on defense due to his size, he is such a tempo weapon. Like he's such he he can spike pace, he can cause chaos, he can eat leads with you know a couple of like really, really big shots. He like rises to big occasions, which is really cool. And I think that's obviously a it goes without saying that's, but I'm gonna say it anyway, that it's a positive playoff uh trait. But he doesn't, it's not like oh, let's bring this shooter on to space the floor. He doesn't just space the floor, he changes the rhythm of the game. And I think that the way that he can and with the Celtics, specifically the the the way that our wings are, we've needed that for a long time because you can't you can't really do that as a wing guy because then you're sort of like you're not really doing your job of having the scoring come through you. You're you're sort of causing chaos from that position, I feel like is weird because it's like, well, you probably have like the best scorer on the court on your hands. So it's like you actually need to be tamping it down over there. Like you need to be, you need to be making sure you're like winning your battles and getting to your spots and stuff. But a guy like Pritchard can come on and just hit some like lights out shots. And I've just seen him hit guys, I've seen him punch teams in the face so many times this season, and they really, because it's him, they go, like, really that fucking guy. And like then that adds a layer, and then you're kind of like, Yeah, this is fucking sick, you know. Like, I I love this. And it like he can the other thing too is you mentioned other guys, Mike. You know, you talk about Hauser, like Hauser, they defenses treat him like a top-tier shooter because he might not be 100% of the time, but he is a lot of the time. And like, if you have the right lineup out there where you can get him completely open or Pritchard completely open, like you can start fucking guys up and really changing the rhythm. So, like, I would pick Pritchard to answer your question personally, just because of sometimes in the playoffs, if you're the caus of chaos, that's nothing but good things, especially if you're not home.

SPEAKER_00 40:25

House is not my pick, but I'm gonna speak about him for a second. So him being able to go off the dribble now and hit a mid-range jumper or take it all the way to the rim has added a whole nother layer to his game that makes him a lot more dangerous. He was a guy before that if the three wasn't falling, he essentially was rendered useless because he wasn't gonna take any other shot. But now, with evolving his shot prof uh profile, it changes everything about his game and it adds another layer. Once again, this dude was a problem at Virginia. It wasn't like he was a scrub. Virginia had a really good some good talent coming through there at the time he was there under Tony Bennett.

SPEAKER_02 41:07

Wait, can I guess who you're gonna say before you say it?

SPEAKER_00 41:10

Yeah, go ahead. Not Cada. But I but I do think he's once again. I I'm I'm with JB. If he's not most approved player, then throw away the award. Yeah. Nobody saw that coming. He averaged the same as me, you, and Mike. Now he was gonna get 10 a night. 10 a night almost double double. Are you are you kidding me? Like that's that's like I don't I I I I need people to understand how hard it is to average double digits in the NBA, whether it be rebounds or points. Like, it's hard. It's hard. But no, I'm going with a young fella, Ugo Gonzalez. I got it. I I I I really I really like I because once again, when the word chaos, to me, he fits that. He fits that to a T. He is a ball to the wall type of player. He he is not he's not intimidated by the moment. Once again, he played in real Madrid over in Spain. I think if he's called upon, the young fellas are gonna come through. I really do. And you know, I remember that game in Brooklyn earlier this season where they found him in a corner, and basically I was like, Oh, I don't know, because you know, corner three, I don't know if he's gonna make that. Ties the game, they win in overtime, and I was like, oh, okay. Like that, I was like, That's you may need that in a in a postseason run where they're sending two at Tatum, they're sending two at Brown, and he's out there, and a team just went on an 8-0 run, he hits it, now they're back up nine to ten ball game. Like, let's set send him home, you know, go home safely. So I'm yeah, I'm going with Hugo Gonzalez. I think he's gonna be an an added X Factor because yes, Pritchard's gonna be Pritchard. Once again, how's it taking another leap, in my opinion? But someone else that we don't expect Gravity guy, you know. Hugo Gonzalez, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_03 42:59

So there are too many scenarios about who we couldn't end up playing, and I'm sure we'll get into that next week. So I think what I'd love just to end and ask, because we've been really positive, you know, and that's just a little too positive for me. What's the one thing that could still kill this team in the playoffs? Not injury. Okay, and you I had a thinking especially when to say that, but not injury. So, like, what is the one thing? Is it rotations? Is it reliance on three? Is it late game offense? Are all those things, Joe Mazzo? Dave.

Derek White’s Reliability Factor

SPEAKER_02 43:29

I mean, look, I I know it's hard to talk shit about him because of how much he put into the, well, for you, how much he put into like the first part of this this season. But I mean, you and I agreed last time we talked, Ray, that like what are you, six to eight wins? You're like, that's what you're gonna be responsible for as a head coach in the NBA? Like you can get you can get him six to eight more or seven to ten more. At the end of the day, like if we start to lose and we start to revert and we start to just chuck up threes and play that brand of basketball again, I'm gonna I'm gonna blame him. And I'm not gonna be able to help. It so that's that's the only thing I can really see. I mean, the only thing that could happen, honestly, though if you talk about things that could really fuck us up, is like we could just run into a team that's better. That could still happen. That could still happen if we play the Oklahoma City Thunder, you know, or the or the San Antonio Spurs, and we just don't have a fucking answer for Victor Web and Yama. Like that, I would if they go out like that, I'm not gonna be angry with anybody, right?

SPEAKER_00 44:21

So, I mean, I I I took the question as who who we wouldn't want to see in the east, or like to me, but I think they start to move up in the in the standings. Like, to me, it would have been Atlanta. I don't feel the same way about why Atlanta because I really like Jalen Johnson. Like that that dude is a damn near walking triple-double himself, and they play hard, they play really good defense. Like, you can't play for Quinn Sniper if you don't play good defense, like he was the same way in Utah. Once again, you lose a star player and Trey Young, and it was almost like what happened with the they weren't as good as the team I'm about to say. But if you remember when when Melo got traded from Denver, that next year they went 57 to 25. Now they lost, I think, I think the second round, whatever, but like they were running through people in the regular season. Ty Lawson, Danilo Galinari, and the boys like them boys was was was ripping and running through everybody, and so that that they remind me of that team, so to speak, but they just don't have the off, they don't have the firepower up that team had in Denver. So I didn't want to see Atlanta personally, but Charlotte Descrappy, obviously, obviously Miami's gonna play us hard, but I think we sweep Miami this time around. Like I'm I it's not even like uh honestly.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

That would be one where I would be furious.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

But I I need I want I want right, I but I want to stay there for a second because think about how much has changed in six years, right? Brad had his issues with with Spo. You know, I mean E may beat him and then Joe's one and one. But the second time around, when we had the better team, well, I thought we had better teams the other times and we lost it, but we had when we had a better team for sure, they they got smoked. Spo Spo is becoming a playing king right now. They've been in seven A C the last what four or five years. Now I get that they got to the finals of 23 at the A seed, but for whatever reason, they can't get to fourth or fifth seed for seven. I don't know why. It's not like it's not like there's bad players down there. So it's it's kind of wild to me. I feel like they they need another person to get there to help out, bam, obviously. But yeah, but I just think about how crazy things have changed in the time we've done the show that we went from fear and spow to get the brims out if that was the case. They play hard, but it's no like there's there's no fear there.

SPEAKER_02 46:42

I mean, Tyler Hero, Tyler Hero's had a pretty sneakily good season. I I know that. Oh, yeah. I mean, he's no longer him here.

SPEAKER_00 46:50

He legit went to pick right before us, and we end him getting Romeo Langford. And he's not even in the league now, he's probably somewhere in you know in China somewhere. Uh so yeah, I mean Tyler Hero.

SPEAKER_02 47:00

Very really scary with Giannis next year. I'll tell you that.

SPEAKER_00 47:04

There's no way that Milwaukee trades him to Miami. No way. Such a that that that would that would be crazy, but I just because my my thing is Pat Rowley Pat Riley is like how Danny Age was here for a while, like they overvalue certain players.

SPEAKER_02 47:21

Apparently, they came pretty close to a trade before the deadline this year, according to reports.

SPEAKER_00 47:26

No, no team, you don't want to be the team that gets fleeced in that type of deal, which is why I didn't pull the trick on Giannis right away. You could get more teams involved in the offseason, probably make it.

SPEAKER_02 47:39

Like, would you really want to? I mean, like, honestly, you it's the kind of it's the kind of thing where it's like I don't really know what the price is for a guy like that. Like, I'm not really sure. It's gonna, it's a it's a market changing price that you're gonna get. So the only guys that really have that kind of leverage are the heat right now. Like, they have a potential number one overall pick this coming draft, so depending on how the lottery goes, which you know, but apparently you just gotta slip a guy at 20 to make that fucking go your way.

SPEAKER_00 48:02

So that's true, but he he's gonna be 32 going to like going to next year.

SPEAKER_02 48:07

It's not like he I know, but like then you get you put him with Spo, you put him with like the right role players, like it's still gonna be the best situation he's like been in in uh quite some time. So, like it's the best situation he's been in since he was like you know, uh praying for for the guys around him to to not get injured at a key times. So and then also he's in Miami, which like that's fun. It's just like they've always been able to land guys, you know. So to me, it's just like, yeah, I mean, it would be a terrible decision by the Milwaukee franchise, probably one way or the other. But if they get a haul back, they could save face.

SPEAKER_00 48:36

No, that that's that's true, but that's what that's what I was saying about getting more teams involved. But I know you didn't ask about out west, but I know Dave brought up OKC or San Antonio. Ironically, San Antonio, in my opinion, feels like the OKC teams with Hard and KD and Westbrook. Right now, anyways. I don't think that they're the finals contender yet, but they're coming, right?

SPEAKER_02 49:03

I just can't wait for these series, though. Like, I can't some of those Western conference series, I can't wait for them.

Bench Chaos And Playoff X Factors

SPEAKER_00 49:07

Right, but no, it's gonna be great, but but think about it. I can I was I remember the first year that OKC, I think it was 2010, they got to the playoffs, and then they but they lost to the Lakers in the first round. Lakers obviously end up winning. The next year they come back, right now. Granted, I don't see San Antonio losing in the first round this year, but I'm saying, like, I remember the next year OKT comes back, they they get to the Western Cups finals, lose to Dallas, then the next year they get to the finals by beating San Antonio out there in game six. Harden hits the biggest shot of his career thus far. Well, really, his whole career sent them to the finals, um, they lose to Miami. That San Antonio reminds me of that version right now because Castle's still really young, the sellers are young, like you know what I'm saying. So they got they got some pieces there that I think eventually can win. It just won't be this year, in my opinion. Yeah, probably they're coming though. That team is loaded.

SPEAKER_02 49:56

Victor I mean, Ambers is the most fun basketball player to watch right now. That's all yeah, he's awesome. It's wild.

SPEAKER_03 50:01

Ray, you asked you said something that I just can't let pass because I'm gonna I just love making sure that this guy catches strays on a basketball show. You asked, you know, how much has changed in six years. Doc Rivers coaching a collapsing team. Look up his resume. I feel like I've seen that before.

SPEAKER_02 50:15

Look up his resume.

One Thing That Could Derail It

SPEAKER_03 50:16

I just feel like I've seen that before. Yeah, well, I will I I want to talk a little bit more about obviously that in in a later later episode, but we made it. We're back in the playoffs, expectations are high. I I feel really good about it. So, my I guess my note to the league would be the scariest thing about the Celtics is not that Tatum came back, it's that we were already a problem before he did. So get ready. For DK Sizzle, Dave Clark, Hollywood Rachel Buchanan. This is Mike Marcanchel saying, thank you so much. Let's submit to the point. Talk to you later.