Lakers & Celtics Hot Start | Are Both Teams Real Title Contenders? - The Baseline NBA Podcast

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the baseline, discussing the hot button top except
the nb A welcome everybody, your tune to the baseline.
Cali Warnshaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA
Full Fledge, Ready to go rocking and rolling. The man,
mister Shaw wrapping out of Fort Lauderville, Florida.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
What is good? My brother? You know what it is, man,
pressure out of NYC. Back home in Top Florida. It's
great to see you up there for those who don't know,
got to see my brother and celebrate his upcoming birthday.
You know, I'm really excited about that. I appreciate those
vibes with you and the misses. But we back here. Man.
An NBA talk is you know, is always percolating and

(00:38):
popping off and be a cup a whole nine. But
we got a special show is always in store for
our friends and listeners.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Bro Well, I certainly appreciate you making your way up
there in order to catch it. Was definitely a great
time to be had, good vibes, good conversations, yeah, man,
and it put everything in proper perspective, not only in
about about our friendship, but more importantly just you know,
all the things that we have in common and things

(01:03):
that we share and stuff like that. So of course
one of the things that we'd love to share is
our you know, perspective about what's been going on with
the NBA, which has been very topsy turvy, a lot
of teams, you know, coming out of the woodworks and
surprisingness and things of that nature. And you know, I
think it's all good, man, It's it's exactly what the
NBA needs. Someone was actually, you know, talking about I said,

(01:24):
what do you think, you know, the NBA's ratings are
going to go up and things of that nature, And
in my head, I'm like, I don't know if the
ratings ever really went down.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
I think it's expected that when you move to like this.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
New streaming apparatus and you deviate from what you had
over the last what two three decades of coverage, that
there's expected, you know, you know, a slip in in
what that you know, viewership is supposed to feel and
look like. But I do think that the role out
in the product and the competitive nature by which these

(01:53):
teams are playing so far this season I think has
lent itself to being very exciting and I think very watchable.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Absolutely very watchable. I will say it's a little difficult
for me to you know, find games. I think at times,
oh what is this? Oh I got a log out
of this app or whatever. So if you don't have
your app stuff connected, then you know, it could be
a little little a little uh troublesome. But I've gotten
the hang of it here now, you know, fifteen twenty
games in the season to kind of know where everything
is going to be. And I think that the way

(02:20):
that the game is being described, and you've touched on
this maybe a couple of times before, but the way
the game is being described, it's really being celebrated, you
know what I mean, as opposed to just always being
so controversial. And I'm seeing so many different shifts and
things like that. Even how NBA TV is covering and
showcasing the product, it's actually very reminiscent of what we do.
It's very like kind of like podcast style, right, and

(02:42):
a lot of people virtual not even everyone always in studios,
but if they are in studios, there are sitting at
couches with MIC's around them and just trying to like
you know, just kind of like kicking it and talking it.
So that's the vibe I think the NBA is going for.
It's absolutely coming across and I think it's resonating, you know,
in the ratings and also with you know, kind of
view of all ages really because like we're of a

(03:02):
certain age and we understand a certain aspect of how
the game used to be covered, for how it was covered,
and we're getting back to I think just the essence
of enjoying the basketball, which is something that I can always.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Appreciate unders open it we get to ourselves a point
where we could have like that baseline watch party and
be able to chill and talk and conversate about, you know,
some of these matchups that are taking place because they're
worthwhile and it doesn't have to be manufactured and produced.
It really just be organic conversational talk for what you're
actually seeing and being able to kind of like you know,

(03:36):
be in the moment of you know, where the game
is viewed, you know, from the person not just who
is podcasting, but also from those that are in the
center of where the cameras are eyeing, you know, where
the players are competing, and things of that nature. I
think it brings it all together and brings it.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
All in perspective, yeah, one thousand percent. And so you know,
as a season continues to push on, will look forward
to the way the game will be covered and also
everyone's takes on it as well too. But podcasting and
streaming all these are an art form that the NBA
has adopted, with so many players dipping their toe into
the podcasting waters as well. You know, it gives a
different way and a different flavor for how the game

(04:16):
is being covered and touched on it. So I'm excited
by it, you know. And the baseline has been a
part of this this ethos for you know, over a decade,
and we continue to be here, continue to rock, and
that's why we have another great show in store for
our fess listeners here today.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
I think people who are aren't probably wondering. It's like,
you know, what do we what do we do? What
do you discuss? I mean, listen, there's obviously a lot
going on NBA Emmerts Cup is happening, you know, but
I think our focus is going to be specifically on
two teams that I really didn't think a lot of
people had pegged to be in the position that they're
currently in now. Whether or not it's sustainable. I mean,

(04:50):
that's up for the conversation that we are about to have.
But two teams particularly that I think a lot of
people felt like they could be going in completely different directions,
different dynamics, but they have quality core players that help
tilt the scales. But why these teams are successful, I
think is what is allowing us to be able to

(05:12):
sit down and have a conversation. So in a few moments,
we'll put our attention to the Boston Celtics in the
in the Los Angeles Lakers, and why these two teams
are in the positions that they're in, respectively, in the
upperachals of their conferences. And so I think it's a
good conversation to be had, and especially for those who
are Celtics fans and Lakers fans. You know, our boy Jabbari,

(05:32):
he would be like through the moon ready to hop
on and and and you know, make sure that he
says what I'm our team is doing is sustainable, you guys,
you know, eh, right, But that that's that's what you know,
that's what allows for the banter to be to be
had between the two, between the two franchises. I do
will I will say though, show I do find a

(05:53):
cute how you know, when recently the Lakers and the
Celtics played, they had to they felt so compelled to
have the like really pushed that, you know.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
The rivalry, the old rivalry, the old great Lakers Celtic rivalry,
Like it really had to be discussed because these two
teams played each other in you know, November December.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Of the year. It's a little too much. What I
will say though with the Lakers and Celtics is that
with the new broadcast team stepping into the role into
the space, that's probably what really trying to get back
into it, right because if that game I think was
on Prime you know and not like on ESPN or

(06:36):
whatever like, you know, and not work that had been
kind of covering this for X amount of years. So
if Primer NBC is going to get that game, they're
going to try to rehype it, you know what I mean,
just as as it's kind of like back on their radar.
But a lot of error was taken out of that
game because Lebron didn't play, I think Luca didn't play
or something like that, so you know, like it just
didn't have the same as the Lakers were in a
stretch of like multiple games on the road and five

(06:58):
and five games and seven nights types of situation. But
ultimately we're here now to discuss these two teams that
are maybe maybe not ahead of schedule, maybe in too
early to kind of get to get into that level
of conversation, but to my at least to my eye,
maybe a little bit of surprise. But you know, we'll
fire figure out if it's kind of fools Gold or
if these things are too sustainable teams that are to

(07:20):
be heard from in the respective conferences.

Speaker 1 (07:22):
So coming up, Sean and I will get into the
digs discussing the Boss of Celtics and the Los Angeles Slakers.
But as always, be sure to get at my manshaw
at the Warren Shaw you get NBA game Face Leader
Shows twor to handle the NBA basedline available on all
major platforms. You can go to www dot the baseline
NBA dot com in order to catch not just this episode,
but also the plethora of episodes that we enjoy rolling

(07:45):
out for your listening pleasures. And if you're catching us
on the YouTube channel, we'd like to say hello to
you and yours And if you see the blue and
white logo. That's the nineteen Media Group family. Nineteen Media
Group be running these content streets, so be sure to
check out not just us, but also our peoples from
the nineteen Media Group. You can go to www dot
nineteen media group dot com. Coming up, Shan, I'll get

(08:05):
right into the digs regarding two teams that are successfully
elevating themselves in the in their conference, the Conversation of
the Lakers and Celtics. But first, this episode of the
Baseline is brought to you by Prize Picks. It's the
holiday season, the best time of the year for sports,
Bowl games, best basketball matchups, playoff pushes. It's all happening
at once. And while you and I are out here

(08:26):
making decisions every day what gifts to buy, what to eat,
what games to watch, there is one place where it
feels good to be right, and that's Prize Picks. This
basketball season, I've been having a blast. Making lineups is
super simple and quick. Here's how it works. Just pick
more or less on at least two player projections, and
if you get them right, you can cash in. You
can even use the new stacks feature to pick up

(08:48):
the same player three times in one lieup. Like more
on steps, points, three pointers and assists. I've been checking
out projections for Kevin Durant, Lukadankic and Tyrese Maxi lately
and trust me, seeing your takes hit is the chef's kiss.
Olt And let's also talk about the new feature. Prize
Picks now has early payouts. If your lineup gets off
to a hot start, you may have the option to

(09:09):
cash out those winnings before the game even finishes. So
what are you waiting for? Download the Prize Picks app
today and use the code cln S to get fifty
dollars in lineups after you play your first five dollars lineup.
That's code cl S with Prize Picks. It's good to
be right coming up Sew and I discuss Lakers and Celtics.
Don't go anywhere. We are back Caldi Warrenshaw discussing the

(09:44):
hot button topics of the NBA And first thing we
want to go ahead and focus our attention on, it's
going to be the Los Angeles Lakers. And by all accounts,
I know a lot of people were very high I
guess maybe more so on whether or not this would
be the year that Luca is going to kind of
be in supplant himself in the MVP conversation throughout the year,

(10:06):
regardless of whether they do or they don't have Lebron James.
But I do think that the reason why we're going
to probably have this conversation about the Los Angeles Lakers
and the MVP conversation is the Lakers right now currently
sit as the second best teams in the Western second
best team in the Western Conference, which is quite remarkable
when you consider the level of competition that is already

(10:27):
in that Western Conference. Right So, you know, much can
be said about, you know, whether or not Luca is
going to wind up being that MVP guy. But I
can definitely tell you this, the emergence of Reeves, the
contributions from Ayton Hayes and the rest of that Lakers squad,
even while Lebron James was out, I just think makes

(10:47):
them a very formidable team. And then I think the
only outlying question is is is this real or is
this fugsey that what we're seeing from this team? Can
they continue to keep doing this, especially against the top
tier competition in the Western Conference.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, As Lakers have come into the forefront, one of
the things that stood out in the early part of
the season. As we record, they're eight and zer one
clutch games, and so for a team to be able
to pull out uh, these close knit, close games in
the way that they have so far this early season,
you'd think that bodes well. And that's because they have
a Luka, they have an Austin Reeves who's burst onto

(11:25):
the scene, who's you know, knocking on the door being
an All Star this year, and obviously the greatness of
Lebron James kind of coming back to it. But where
people are skeptical is the fact that their net rating
is not all that amazing. That's only like two point two,
and so that rating makes them seel like you are.
They're always in close games, doesn't mean you're always going
to win these close games, like they're not going to
be eight to zero. But they do have two of

(11:45):
the greatest basketball mind computers in the modern day on
one team that can also manufacture wins when if they
are able to keep things close. The one thing, though,
is that they're not good defensively twentieth and defensive rating,
and they are one of the worst teams in terms
of being able to defend people. So twenty fourth and
field goal percentage against. Right now, that's something that where

(12:07):
if you were trying to say that, hey, this is
not sustainable, They're just going to outscore you or try
to keep you close enough so that they can out
execute you. With one of the two of the greatest
players to ever play the game in the final five minutes.
Common logic would say that that's not a viable forward.
Common logic would say that, but Luca and Lebron are
not common by any stretch of the imagination. So I

(12:28):
think that's where you kind of get into the juxtaposition
of whether or not you feel like this Lakers team
is really this good? And part of this too, is
Austin Reeves really this good? Is he that? Dude? Because
I made my prediction early in the year saying that, hey,
I thought Lebron Lebron James would be the best Robin
in the NBA. Austin Reeves is Robin on the Lakers now,

(12:49):
and so you know, Lebron gets to play an overqualified
outfit it if you will, if you want to utilize
the Batman reference, you know, an analogy. But this Lakers
team is really really surprising. A lot of teams with
their the way they're able to execute, and obviously felt
Luca is playing the best basketball of his young career.

Speaker 1 (13:07):
So there's two things that I think really stand out
to me about you know what we're seeing. One, obviously,
Austin reeves, right, I think that stands out. I don't
think you would question, you know, this kind of effort
and performance from Luca, given what he had to do
to get to this point, right, like the transformation of
his body, there's a better emphasis for him to be

(13:31):
a better defender, right, Like I see it. It doesn't
necessarily just because the team is not where they need
to be defensively does not negate the fact that if
he has actually made an effort to play better defensively,
that it shows. I think sometimes we harp too much
on like what are we comparing to saying that this
guy actually took time out to play better defense. Sometimes

(13:51):
it's just a matter of effort. Sometimes it's a matter
of you know, learning the x's and o's and being
where you need to be. And if it's a question
of well, I'm just still not physically fast enough, I'm
not you know, savvy enough in order to execute that
defensive skill set, the way it needs to be done
doesn't mean that you're not in a position to continue

(14:12):
to improve on those things. It's when you don't want
to do it or you don't show the effort to
do it that becomes the problem. So we can make
you know, we can have kind of the argument about
you know, yes, the Lakers are not where they typically
are under a Lebron James lead team defensively, but I'll
make this kind of an analogy or this comparison. In

(14:34):
an NFL you have the Dallas Cowboys, which people will
say with their offense they should basically outplay everybody, but
their defense is atrocious. Their defense can't stop anybody. They say, hey,
if you could just give me a decent defense, if
you just give me a defense that looks like they

(14:55):
can at least hold back the other team from scoring
or maybe stop a drive once or twice, this team
might actually be good enough offensively to get you to
the Promised Land. And I think that's where we can
kind of have that conversation with the Lakers.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
Right now.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Are they in comparison to what they used to be
defensively over the last few years, even with JJ Reddick
as their head coach now. But if they're comparable and
they continue to score the way that they're scoring and
be as effective as they are, this carry what could
be sustainable. You know, it's not all worldly, But we're
not talking about whether or not they're going to usurp

(15:33):
what we're seeing from the Oklahoma City Thunder. What we're
talking about is can their style of play counter what
the Oklahoma City Thunder does defensively and can they do
something defensively that other teams have managed to do sometimes
against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is show how ineffective
they are. And I think that there's a possible conversation
to be had if this is what we're seeing from

(15:55):
the Lakers consistently and for the remainder of the season.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, I'm with the I'm not as down as I
think some of the naysayers are who are pointing out
the things that I'm talking about in terms of their
defensive rating and their field goal percentage against, and then
they're not rating like only being two point two, which
is ranks fourteenth in the league. So I understand those things,
but I think sometimes basketball is more than the numbers,

(16:20):
and I think, as you alluded to. You know, Luca
is playing with effort that we haven't seen before. Yes,
he's also having averaging the most amount of points per
game as we record, you know, in his career at
thirty five a game, which is literally upsurd but he
looks he literally looks unstoppable out there. And I talk
about this all the time in the years that we've
had our show Situational Defense, And so if they're playing

(16:41):
good situational defense and keeping games close, well, then yeah,
I trust Lebron and Luca in the in the clutch
moments of games against I'd say at least twenty eight
other teams, you know, maybe save okay, see and maybe
you know a Kevin Durant, you know, and in Houston
or whatever the case may be, like, oh well, I
trust what's going to happen. Sorry, and maybe a Yoki

(17:01):
to whatever, right, but everybody everybody else, I'd be like,
all right, I would lend towards the Lebron and Luca
figuring out to kind of eke out that that w
if the game is close in the final minutes. And
I think J. J. Reddick understands what he has in
this roster. Yes, he wants them to play better and
more consistent defense. But he's by he's getting guys to
buy in in a way to all play their roles.

(17:23):
Marcus Smart still hasn't really found his stride, and not
that he's going to be like this, you know, with
the bullet defender that's going to change everything for them.
But I do feel like they are trending in the
right direction, and they have the parts and pieces, and
you know, they could always make a move if need be.
They still have a draft pick or two which they
could shape shape out of, trade out of. But again,

(17:44):
to me, this is this is not so much about
Luca taking the leap in terms of, you know, committing
to his body and what everyone kind of saw the
season coming. To me, there is still so much still
in the back of Austin Reeves becoming a juggernaut, like
a true juggernaut and also a killer in the final
and clutch minutes as well too. While I talk about

(18:05):
Lebron and Luca in the clutch, Austin Reeves has I
think it's won two game winners. It two game winners
already this year for them as well. Like this is
something that is found money in a lot of ways,
or maybe the Lakers always knew they had it, But
either way, this trio is really really amazing right now,
and I think they're going to be heard from from
the majority part of the regular season. They're not in
the same tier as Okay see because literally nobody is,

(18:26):
but they are a contender on the Western Conference more
than I get the credit for coming into this at
the beginning of the season.

Speaker 1 (18:31):
Yeah, I want to ask you a quick question. Do
you think Lebron is passing the torch? And when I
say that, I mean not passing the torch to Luca.
I think lucas taken it. I think one of the
things that I questioned more was about when Lebron comes back,

(18:54):
does the savagery of Luca, the aggressiveness of ruga of Luca,
is that temper down? My question is is Lebron ready
to pass the torch to Austin? And when I say that,
I say that in relation to JJ Reddick and the
dependency that he has on Lebron getting shots, getting opportunities

(19:18):
like can Austin reeves legitimately become the second option, second
primary option, Lebron taking a back seat at times but
still exhibiting the same, you know, IQ saying, you know,
like he's always been that kind of guy where he
can placate himself for first, second to third, But I
think he's always done it with hesitancy because he can

(19:40):
see that the guys that play below him or or
at his level, they don't rise to the occasion, so
that an air force force isn't to step in. I
just wonder do you think that he believes that he
could pass the torch to a guy like Austin Reeves
who can be this offensively fluent and taking that verden
for Lebron, or do you think he still needs to

(20:01):
step in and be the two. I think time has
come for Lebron, and perspective has come for Lebron as well.
And I would have said coming into the season, he
saw the riding on the wall that that Luca had
taken number one role and the Lakers are playcating work
to Luca than they are to him. Lebron probably felt
felt very much like he was at number two going

(20:23):
into the season. Sattica, you know, side rails. This season,
Austin Reeves steps up and has proven to be more
ready than a lot of us were expecting. And I
can't speak for Lebron.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
I'm not in his head, but I would guess maybe
even Lebron was like, oh, no, okay, this is what
we're this is what we're doing. Like Austin Reeves is
ready for that level of responsibility, raising his PPG eight points,
you know, since from last year, from twenty to twenty
eight right now, Oh okay, well, this reframes what my
role needs to be. And while Lebron does have you know,

(20:57):
the ego of the greatest player of all time, you know,
that's what's in his head, he also understands that the
game does change, and he also understands that, hey, I've
been looking for somebody to pass the Mantle tour, whether
or not Luca Luca came and took it from him.
But Austin Reeves is now also more ready to assume
those roles, which allows Lebron to throttle down and do

(21:19):
different things per se and not have to bear the
offensive scoring load. It doesn't have to bear the playmaking
scoring load. He can pick his spots, you know, more poignantly.
Where he's where I'd like to see him have more
effort now is obviously on the defensive side, but he's
what forty one, going to be forty two years old,
so maybe those things are to be to be expected.
It's a long winded way of saying that, I think

(21:40):
Lebron had a plan coming in that Attica benched him
and also made him re reevaluate what his role could
potentially be now again in the game, but versushily. You know,
as we're recording, he played like vintage Lebron. Also, Reeves
had a terrible night, so I think he will always
have that in his back pocket. But I think he
is more willing to let it be Austin Reef's time

(22:03):
now than he was twenty five games ago. You know,
coming into the NBA season.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
Speaks volumes to his recognition of that because to your point,
when he's had to be this way, we think we've
thought of it as being selfish, or we've thought of
it as this. You know, this is kind of like
a Lebron dig You know, there's a there's a game
to what he's trying to do, and it may not

(22:29):
necessarily be quote unquote in the best interests of everyone. Now,
that's not what I'm saying, That's what we're saying. I'm
saying that's what's perceived, right, and we can call that out,
you know, and even he will probably tell you if
if you ever had to do a documentary after the fact,
it probably admit to it ten times over if he
had it to right, because it's all code. But I
think in a great scheme of things about when it's
winning and you're trying to tap into getting the most

(22:53):
out of your players, who are going to be your
X factors. I mean, let's just call it a buck.
You know, they're gonna have to be some X factor
players here Austin Reeves, maybe a couple of years ago
with someone that you could call as an X factor player,
but now he's gonna be a difference maker. He's gonna
have to be a difference maker because when you do

(23:14):
look at the other teams that the Lakers are going
to have to go against, they need that third they
they need that third person, whether it's the pure score,
the raw score, or the elevated IQ. You know, he
may not score or dominate like Lebron and Luca does,
but in Austin Reeves, you know, twenty eight point night

(23:36):
makes a difference, you know what I'm saying. But I
think this year. Shaw, I think this year it's not
a question of the confidence if Austin Reeves can be
that guy, a measure up to that guy, it's the
how many times over can he do it? And then
the only other time to prove that would and eventually
be in the playoffs right or against the upper echelon competition,

(23:56):
putting those numbers up against the better defenses or the
or the teams that in which the matchups don't favor
Luca or don't favor Lebron because they figure them out,
and then putting the onus on Austin Reeves to go
out there and to and to basically you know, Lucabron
them or Bron Luca them, you know what I mean?
Like that, that to me, I think is becoming one

(24:19):
of those those key, those key elements. And listen, that's
a good problem to have. If you're JJ Reddick, you
know that you start to go down to your list
and you can actually tap into and rely on some
of those other guys DeAndre Ayten's. You know, you still
have reliable guys like Maria your Moor. And when I
say reliable, I mean they still come in and they
still give you meaningful minutes right, and they seem to

(24:43):
fit in find a way to give relevance to the
roles that they play for what the Lakers are doing.
I think that speaks volumes now, It absolutely does.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
And you know, knowing that their worst loss of the
season technically was to you know, the okay see thunder
that was without Lebron, you know, in that game, as
I said earlier, nobody's on their level. So they're standing
here in the Western Conference is that of an echelon team.
I don't know that most people at this point would

(25:14):
say that they're better than Denver or maybe even Houston,
and I would challenge that notion. I think the Lakers
are right there. I really do there. I just again, okay,
see so far above everybody else, but say that Lakers
could not contend with Denver or Houston in a seven
game matchup, especially with the trio that we continued to
mention DeAndre Ayten learning to play his role and just

(25:35):
be hey, I can be a guy who's just fourteen
and ten whatever and you know, get your block and
just just do kind of some of the dirty work
in addition to auxiliary play from you know, the Marcus
fars Roiat, Morris Hayeses and everybody else at you've already mentioned.
So to me, they are right there to if somebody
were to fall and slip or whatever the case to be.

(25:56):
You know, okay, see just has guys in abundance, you know,
their second third string guys can be starters on most
people's teams, so to speak. But to me, the Lakers
are are are going to be heard from and those
who are kind of doubting that. And I'm not a
Laker fan, but he shouldn't the imagination that to me
just seems it seems a little foolhardy, I think with
what they've shown us, what even quite frankly what JJ

(26:19):
Reddick has shown us as his ability to coach and
get guys to buy in as well too, Like he's
as big a part of this turnaround in success if
you will, maybe not turn around, but you know, the
overall success as anything else. Obviously getting Luca is a
huge boom, but JJ's figured things out and put people
in places in essence to be successful. So if they

(26:40):
make a move on the periphery that gets theone out
of the defender or even another you know, kind of
backup big that upgrades, you know, the Jackson Hayes situation
behind eight, and I can't see why they wouldn't be
a very potent team and a team that nobody would
really want to play it As.

Speaker 1 (26:54):
One thing you'll probably not be discussed is whether or
not we think JJ Reddick had an in influence, especially
in Luka Dankic's off season transformation, and I believe that
he does. I mean, by all accounts, if you look
at JJ Reddick, JJ Redick is probably still one of
the more you know, fit, athletic, conditioned, you know type guys.

(27:17):
And he was a savage man. I mean, he was
a savage. He believed that, you know, like much he
you know, obviously not to the level and to the
scrutiny that Lebron does, but I'm sure he believed that,
you know, you don't do it on your own. You
lean into you know, those people, and you access and
your network. And I think there's a high likelihood that

(27:37):
that's part of why there's a lot of trust there
that that JJ was able to spend the requisite amount
of time with the guys that he needed to spend
time was to really lean in and make sure that
they believe in what he's doing as a coach as
well as what he believes that his team can do
as well too. And I think you're kind of seeing
that in the early outset, with this early level of

(27:57):
success that you're seeing from the Los Angele the Slakers.
You're tuned to the baseline Cali Warrenshaw discussing the hot
button topics of the NBA. Coming up, we'll focus our
attention to the Eastern Conference. Now, who are you know
what I'm saying, green with envy a little bit there,
uh in in Boss mass Right, the Celtics, man, what

(28:18):
are they doing? What is the what is the recipe
for their success? We'll try to dig into that. Don't
go anywhere here on the baseline. We're back Cali Warrenshaw

(28:38):
basedline NBA podcast, and now we will focus our attention
quite proudly, I will say, but we'll focus our attention
on a team that listen to the beginning of our previews.
You know, for the season, we did not have high
expectations for the Boston Celtics, right, and listen, it's not
even so much the fact that when we say this

(28:59):
people think, oh, well, you know, it's clearly because the
Jason Tatum, is that yes, because Jason Tatum is down, Like,
you know, he's one of your's You're literally your your
best offensive player, right, You're you're all around guy. That
pretty much in most cases over the last couple of years,
people are just like, if you had to choose between
him and Jalen Brown, a lot of people would choose

(29:19):
you know, Jason Tatum. Me, I'd have personally a check
you know taken, you know Jalen Brown. But collectively together,
this is why we have had the level of success
that we've had for so long. You lose one of
those pieces, I don't care who you are as a team, you.

Speaker 2 (29:34):
Are going to struggle.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
Is flat out you're the best player that's remaining. He
is going to struggle because defenses are going to hone
in on him and try to stop him. Well, that's
not stopped him, and that's not stopped Joe Missoula from
still putting together a competitive basketball team. This Boston Celtics team,
as we are recording, ride's third in the Eastern Conference.
And while the way the Eastern Conferences not wear anywhere

(29:57):
near the level of that of the Western Conference, the
fact that the Celtics are among one of those top
teams in the conference. Speaks boldly about how they have
been able to weather the storm for as long as
they're weathering the storm in the first quarter of the season,
and has shown this level of competitiveness that we didn't

(30:18):
think that was going to necessarily help them, but certainly
wasn't going to put them in a position for us
to buy into what the other players are currently doing.
And because of that, now we can focus our attention
on those other players, you know, especially with the kind
of performances that we're getting from Jalen Brown.

Speaker 2 (30:34):
I think that's a great place to start, right Jaylen
Brown has you know, quitted himself as an All NBA
time once again. So far in the earlier part of
the season, and it was rough, like they started off
four to three and we're like, oh, well, you know,
this is maybe not that good of a basketball team.
They lost a crushing first game to the to the
seventy sixth or edgecomb going absolutely bonkers on them in

(30:55):
a rookie debut. They lose to the Knicks and then
lost to the Pistons and a relic of the competitive game.
But you know, those were losses. Nonetheless, and you just
say it like, all right, well what's happening. Derek Wyatt
and Peyton Pritchard started the season, you know, just not
able to shoot the basketball for whatever reason. But Joe
Mozzula has been steadfast and he's tinkered with the lineup.
You know. Yes, Pittard White, Jaylen Brown have consistently started.

(31:18):
Cada when available has also started, but that fifth starter
has been a rotating, you know, kind of puzzle piece.
As Joel tries to figure out what makes the most
amount of sense in there, He's like, hey, are you
gonna rebound? Are you going to defend? Because we don't
need you to score. We've we've gotten that figured out.
And this Celtics team has really started to turn things
around in a way that you know, I think we

(31:39):
had them as playing right six, seven, eight somewhere around
there at no point that I figure this team could
be vying for any sense of home court advantage. And yes,
the rest of the conference has kind of come back
to them. So to speak. Cleveland is just not as
good as at least right now, and I guess our
bioling injuries, but Cleveland is not as good as many

(32:00):
of hoped. Atlanta hasn't taken the bull by the proverbial horns.
Orlando started off just as low as Boston did, so
it's allowed for a lot of kind of not necessary,
not even mediocrity, but it's allowed for a lot of
parody within the Eastern Conference. And Boston is right now
is currently riding a really great streak where they are
offenses really really clicking, you know, and as we are
bringing the graphic up on stage, they're fourthing offensive rating

(32:22):
and seventh in net rating. And when they win, they
win big because those threes fall, right, And that's the
one thing that we said, all right, is Joe going
to change the formulas some because he doesn't have the
same guys out there. The threes are still flying. They're
not first in three point shooting, our first and three
point attempts or third, but they are person makes and
so especially with White and Prichard now really starting to

(32:44):
find their range and hit those shots, the offense is
really really clicking in that way in terms of the
overall efficiency, but they are thirtieth pace and they still
have a strug. They do still struggle to reabound the basketball.
Hence the revolving door between Josh Man and now Jordan
Walsh and Sam Hauser, all these other guys who tried
to play that fifth starter position for the Boston Celtics.

(33:06):
But Joe Mazula doesn't deserve to hell of a job
for getting this team to uh to where they are
right now. And Jylen Brown, like I said, I think
to me, has got to be in consideration for an
All NBA team this season. I agree with you one
hundred percent about the Jalen Brown piece. I think the
reason why you know the like the makes are happening

(33:30):
is because you know Jalen Brown is making shots and
they don't even necessarily have to be the threes. I
think the key has been his ability to penetrate the
opposing defense and open up the floor more and give
as many opportunities and looks for a picture for.

Speaker 1 (33:50):
White or Houser as possible. That doesn't mitigate or change
the fact that this team is going to continue to
struggle to rebound the basketball and probably makes them feel like, damn,
we still wish we have prezingis at the very least,
you know what I'm saying. So this is an interesting
conundrum to have, right because you know me, shaw I

(34:12):
the three is is good to a point, right, you
start playing against teams that are gonna force you away
from the three, you eventually have to make your way
down to the basket. And what scares me is outside
of Jalen Brown, While there is a little heady and

(34:34):
savvy play that you can get from Pritchard and from
from White and maybe even some of the other role players,
there still doesn't seem to be a plan in place
of being aggressive below the three point line. And if
you're gonna play, if your pace is gonna be thirty,
if that means you're you're you're almost you know, kind

(34:56):
of putting yourself in a half court set and half
court game. Right, So my whole concern is going to
be when those threes again, and part of those struggles
in those three games is the fact that they were
jacking up threes and not making them. At some point,
you got to get to the free throw line, you
got to make perimeter shots. Do you have the personnel

(35:20):
to do those things when the threes are not falling
during certain portions of the game. And Mozilla has done
a very good job of putting the roster together to
help mitigate suffering for not doing that, But I still
tend to wonder if when that completely goes away, if

(35:41):
you got guys that are.

Speaker 3 (35:42):
Going to do it.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
Yeah, I mean it's a valid point, So I mean
things that will back up your statement. They're thirtieth in
free throw attempts and free throws in general, which means
they're not getting fouled because they're not in the paint.
Because they're also twenty eighth in points in the paint
this year, so you know, third from last if you will,
in terms of getting to the rim and scoring out
regular basis. However, they are fifth in offensive rebounding, which

(36:03):
is giving them some opportunities to get some second chance points.
But Jaylen Brown is killing people from when the mid range. Yes,
he's shooting five to three is a game and making
like two point three of those, but for the most
part he's taking fifteen or sixteen twos per day. He's
the mid range assassen that that Boston has. But again,
it's mid range. It's not stuck in the paint. It's
not all these paint pitches. They're not a lot of

(36:23):
drive into the paint and kickout type offenses that is
being running here right now in Boston. So I think
it was always kind of the thought process here right
is like, hey, when the threes fall and they will
have a chance to win, And we're seeing the three
start the fall, especially the stretch out there in right now,
But yeah, is there going to be a counter? And
the one thing that mean I want to jump to

(36:45):
this point right now too, because there's obviously the Jason
Tatum question that's going to come up here a little bit,
but it's do they have somebody else who's going to
do the dirty work and kind of get in there.
It is a is an offensive rebounding guy. He's going
to get stuff off of like lob threats and kind
of like garbage points per se. But you're not running

(37:05):
offense for him to post up. But they're not having
guys drive into the lane and finish, you know, on
a regular basis. Peyton Pritchard is actually steekly good at that.
You know, it can kind of like get his body
into people and then hit it like a little leaner.
Derek White, I think at ties, but they're so very
much settled into three and where I was hoping maybe
they get maybe a little bit more off the bench.
It was Anthony Simons. But Simons has fallen into the

(37:28):
three point love situation and Mazoula has fallen out of
love with Simons because he doesn't play any defense. So
Simon's minutes is are have been very inconsistent for the
Celtics this year. It was just making Simons a very
prime candidate for a potential trade. And I'm gonna throw
this out there too, and you know, I don't want
to get too far ahead, but I was listening to
something today and I was like, Wow, if the Clippers
were decided to pivot from what they were trying to do,

(37:51):
Simons for Zubac and some filler would make some sense.
And I'm like, holy hell, because I don't know if
Boston really expected for this to be the gap year
that maybe all of us expected to. But if it's not,
and if you can bring in Zubak for whatever filler
you needed to for for Simons's contract, you get the

(38:11):
rum protection, you get the rebounding, you get the post
threat offensively that you can throw the ball down into
and get into as well too, and then that makes
the Celtics, would make the Celtics very very interesting. I
think the Eastern Conference whether Tatum came back or not.
But that's not get too far ahead of ourselves. But yeah,
I wanted to address that because I thought those were
great points by you. They really don't do anything when

(38:32):
it comes to getting to the rim, and I do
think that by you don't not wanting to get into
the weed of those things, I thought maybe you were
just trying to give me my Christmas present ahead of time, right,
Like that's just what I was thinking.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
I think it makes the most sense. I think that
if between the teams that you're telling me, if we
had to make a deal or a move right necessity,
if you're the Celtics and someone like a Zuboc is
available for you, you do that regardless of whether or
not you're in contention or not in contention, because if

(39:05):
the idea is is that you're going to keep him
around for the following season. Now you've got Zubac, you've
got Brown, and you've got Tatum, and you've got opportunity
and time for these guys to work in the off
season for them to really click. And that to me
is kind of like porzingis on steroids, you know what
I mean? Like what you got from Porzingis was because

(39:27):
of his ability to shoot the three, but you never
per se had like the complete physicality that and he
didn't have to be because that physicality came from Jalen Brown.
That physicality came from Drew Holliday and Jason Tatum, like
there were other guys that shared the load of unloading
against the opposition. That's what made them a championship winning team.
A few seasons ago they lost a lot of that.

(39:49):
They just did. Even the following year, they lost a
lot of it. They weren't as physical and they did
not defend and protect the three as as much as
they wanted to take their threes. I think with someone
like Zubos you get that back a little bit.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
With his length.

Speaker 1 (40:06):
He doesn't have to score that. He doesn't score the
basketball with that perimeter efficiency that you got from Porzingis.
But if you're getting that now from Jason, from Jalen Brown,
if you're getting that when Jason Tatum comes back, then
you don't need all of that for Zubac. But what
you can get from Zubac in that kind of lineup,
who that would be and to your points, yaw, it
cures a lot of the ills that we're saying is

(40:28):
still outstanding about the Boss and Celtics even as they're winning.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Right now.

Speaker 1 (40:33):
Okay, so Missoula's pushing the right buttons, putting the Luca
Garzas in there, you know, of putting Cada in there.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
Auser in there.

Speaker 1 (40:42):
And I mean they've got a bunch of six seven,
six eight guys they still have will share. You know,
they got shiremen, they unloaded Walsh. There's like an article
I'm reading, I was just reading a moment ago saying
this kid, Jordan Washed, this kid's career has been saved,
you know, because he looked like he's just gonna forever
be in the G League, you know. But he's playing

(41:03):
with he's playing with his length, Like most of these
guys are either playing with their their girth, their physicality,
or they're playing with their length. And I think that
is what's extending those minutes for you know, to stay
on the floor for Missoula. He is figuring out ways
to utilize those assets that those players have because they

(41:24):
don't completely fall in just one you know, star player
that the Celtics had when they had their previous rosters.
It doesn't mean that there was deep as team as
you're going to talk about with others out there like
the Oklahoma City Thunder, any thunder or anything. But their
contributions are meaningful and Missoula is helping to make them meaningful.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
Yeah, so I'm going to unpack everything we just said,
you know, and dows water on it all despite how
well they played, despite how well things look even in
a weekend Eastern Conference. And I think we definitely agree
on this. I do not want to see Jayson Taina
back this year. And there are thoughts that, well, if
they are playing this wall and let's say they were

(42:03):
to make a move, it doesn't need to be Zubac
or whatever, but let's say then make a move to
sure off the front court and some other capacity. That okay,
well then yeah, and you can get Tatum back and
he's seventy five or eighty percent of himself, then hey,
you know what, Ben, you should really do that Eastern
Conference is yours for the taken. I just don't think
it's worth the risk. Fine, this is not a gap year.

(42:24):
They're not going to get a top three or five
draft pick. Okay, that's that's fine, But you do not
risk you know, the career of Jason Tatum on this
year because right now, to me, not because you're afraid
of what any other team is doing out there, but
it's just like you're not that level of contender, you know,
and I think you want to be able to build continuity,

(42:44):
make sure everybody's up to up to health and up
to snuff, you know, in terms of their overall you know,
camaraderie and chemistry before you make any type of like
kind of drastic decisions like in that vein that could
really put your team at jeopardy. Yes, anything can happen
at any given time. But Tatum coming back to year,
the fact that it's still a conversation a piece that
you know, they list him on the injury report like

(43:05):
I think almost every game, oh, you know, not going
to play with KCB, and then all of a sudden,
you know, sometime if February March, maybe he's gonna gonna
he's gonna move up to doubtful or probable. Like those
things concerned me and I would wish, you know, the
Celtics and Tantum would just say, you know what, it's cool,
like do whatever, just rehab, bro just rehab. I don't
even care what level of is super surgeon he had

(43:29):
that was able to accelerate the timeline and whatever cryo
therapy and things that are going on allowing his body
to heal at this miraculous pace. It just doesn't make sense.
And I wish they would just kill that, kill it
and leave it alone and let the season play out
for the good season that it has been.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
So but you know that's not what's going to happen,
because you know they're going to favor. They're gonna curry
favor to what the player actually you know, wants to do,
because I would have made the argument, and why are
we even playing Jalen Brown? Right last season, in the
middle of a disappointing season, to say the least, with
them getting knocked out of the second the second round

(44:10):
by the by the Knicks, it was revealed that jay
leb Brown was injured, right, I believe it was a
slight miss meniscus tear, and yet he's playing this season
and I'm just like, what are we doing? Like you
gutted the team essentially, why are we playing these two
guys who clearly need the rest taking I'm not saying
that you know, players should not, you know, can't play

(44:32):
through injuries or anything like that. But what we're talking
about is an extended career for players, and the wear
and tear is not necessarily when the organization makes those
kind of moves, taking players that they spent a couple
of seasons playing with, and then you know, for whatever reason,
you gut the team. They're no longer the team that
you won a championship with, and they're no longer the

(44:54):
team that you just finished playing in the playoffs with,
and you're expecting them to still go out there and
compete and do a whole bunch of things. The only
silver lining to this whole situation that I'm seeing from
this from Jalen Brown is this version of Jalen Brown
coupled with the return of Jason Tatum, I think can
be a good thing for the Boston Celtics moving forward

(45:14):
in any decisions that Brad Stevens does make on how
he is going to continue to build that roster up,
because we had that same conversation a few years ago
on whether or not you should break this tandem up
if they were not going to get the job done.
And sometimes part of that is allowing a player to
flourish outside of the element that he's been comfortable in,

(45:36):
and that's what you're seeing with Jalen Brown. He is
flourishing to be the All NBA player because he doesn't
have he doesn't have to lean on he doesn't have
the ability to lean on Jason Tatum. Jason Tatum, on
the other hand, I think realizing Jaylen Brown could be
that guy. If Jason Tatum ever aspires to be an
MVP kind of guy, he's got to elevate himself even more.

(45:56):
The only way to do that is you got to
have that guy next to you taking his game up
to that next level and that level of competitives and
maybe taking that time off will allow him to do it.
But I wish, you know, I wish that they we
were not in this haste, you know, mentality to bring
a player back after the injury that Jason Tatum suffered,
just because there's this glimmer of their ability to probably

(46:20):
be a top five seeded team, you know, or wherever
they may land by the time the trade deadline goes.
That you do that because you're expecting him to come back,
because he's doing this miraculous recovery. Just to me, for
the purposes of the season itself, I don't see where
that's a good thing for the.

Speaker 2 (46:39):
Celtics, right and it had it gone differently, you know,
if they were as we record, like nine to fifteen
is out of fifteen and nine, it's just a different conversation,
Like it just is like and your framing things completely different.
But right now, like they're on the plus side. They
have some signatal wins. You know, they're beating the Cleveland,
they've beaten the Detroit as well, they've beaten the Knicks,

(47:00):
and these are all things like, all right, whatever they
squandered that game against Rely, which I talked about, they
had a terrible loss to Utah, they should have beat Minnesota.
So like they've got a lot of things kind of
go against them when you know they could even have
a better record than what we've seen right now. I
have to give Missoula again just another tip of the
cap because he understands what his team needs and he's
pushing all the right buttons there. But I think them

(47:23):
tanking and or taking a gap year was maybe a
fool's errand that none of us really should have been on.
Like this is not who Missoula was going to be.
It's not who Jenlen Brown was going to be. And
the Celtics are, excuse me, a team that is going
to fight and being the thick of things here in
the Eastern Conference.

Speaker 1 (47:41):
My last point to what you're just talking about, Delshaw
is I'm giving Missoula credit because he is wholeheartedly playing
the players. He's not dancing with these guys, he's not
bringing them in taking them out because the circumstances of
injuries and things that he's playing the players, okay, And

(48:01):
it's the player's responsibility to earn those minutes and earn
their keep. And we can see that, you know what
I'm saying. And sometimes that would be hard pressed for
other coaches because there's pressure to win. There's also pressure
for them to find minutes for guys that are being
paid lump sums of money. Missoula is afforded the opportunity

(48:22):
to some of these guys. You know, they're they're playing
for an opportunity to find a seat at the table
in the NBA. And maybe that kind of game that heart,
you know, that that kind of effort and you know,
enthusiasm to come out and give your all. At times
get masked. Gets masked because head coaches have a different agenda.
Organizations have a different agenda. I truly believe that Missoula

(48:44):
wants to see these guys actually come out and compete
and play well. And he has been doing a masterful job,
you know, manipulating the roster to get the kind of
results that he believes is best suited for what the
Celtics are bringing to the table on a night in,
night out basis. And it can't not that man, you know,
as crazy as he comes off at times, and you know,
even you and I we've shared our opinions about, you know,

(49:07):
how off kilter he can tend to be. It's not
conventional basketball coaching, how he operates and stuff like that.
And maybe he he he benefited off of the level
of success the de Dooka had with the roster that
he came in with, like he inherited this opportunity to
get to the championship. But these last couple of seasons,
his high risk, you know, high reward style of coaching

(49:28):
has put him in a place where if now this
is what we're seeing and how it's impacting the lower
end of that aspect of it, you know, you can
buy into it.

Speaker 2 (49:36):
You can buy into it. No, you absolutely look at
and you know it's just it's a no nonsense approach.
So like guys who I was like, oh, well, but
the price not bad, Like I think the Simon's moves
was good. Joe's not really rocking with Simons like that.
As I alluded to, I mean, he's so averaging thirteen
the game because when he plays, he plays in you know,
decent minutes. But there's Simns he doesn't play at all.
But even like Chris Bouchet, he was like, okay, well
that's a decent signing for like Yo to the veterans minimum,

(49:59):
get him off toront whatever. He's a guy could space
the floor if you still want to play that you
know five out style. Busche is like non existing. He
played eight games this year, so like Missoula is like
naw bro, you're noted either. And the fact that again
the my Nots and the Walshes of the world, Garzley
even are getting more opportunities, you know, it speaks a lot.
Even Hugo Gonzalez has a rookie you know, Mozoula likes

(50:20):
to fight. So like those guys who thinks are going
to fight and dig in claw, especially because they are
undersized and they need to rebound. Those are the guys
he's going with, not necessarily because you have a name
or you have X amount of years experience, Like hey,
you still got to go out there and kind of
get it done. So I'm gonna pivot our conversation slightly.
You know, it's kind of a mind want to get
into two part questions I'll ask my first question first

(50:42):
is do you think the Celtics now should be buyers
going into December fifteenth, January fifteenth and ultimately the trade deadline?
Should they be buyers and trying to show up that
front court to be more competitive? Zubak aside, just do
you think they should try to do something you know,
in that space.

Speaker 1 (50:59):
Yeah, absolutely, I think because eventually you're gonna have to
address it, unless you're intended to try to address it
through the draft, but it has to be addressed, and
this could be a great opportunity to do that. Because
most of the teams right now that are ahead of
you or are still in conversations, they have what they
have for their front court. Right, you have Mobiley, Right,

(51:20):
you've got Duran, You've got Wagner and Bonco you've got towns, right,
and then you've got bridges. You know, all of the
good teams pretty much have their front court locked up,
So there's gonna be somebody who's you know, got front

(51:41):
core players, like in a.

Speaker 2 (51:43):
D maybe or whatever.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
I know that we've had that conversation offline or whatever
that are probably shopping. You know, they may think that
they're gonna get a king's ransom, but they may not
get much and the pressure of them still holding on
to a player, they're gonna have to unload my position
to Celtics quite nicely for them to go in and
you know, offload some of the cap that they already

(52:06):
have on some players that they're probably not even playing
as much. It could be dead weight to another team
for them. But then by getting that player, that player
sees what's going on the culture of the field, knowing
that he's gonna eventually have two all NBA players on
their roster on the roster if he chooses to re
up with them for an additional year, this could be
the right time to do it, rather than doing it

(52:29):
knowing that if you were trying to do it next
year or in the off season, that there may be
slim pickings, because there's already destinations that these guys are
going to be sent to or are going to be
thinking about other than Boston.

Speaker 2 (52:41):
Yeah, and i'd agree, I think in terms of if
they can, especially if they're not going to keep Simons,
you know, is it a matter of just like do
they get further under the tacks by trying to offload
him or whatever, or can they get real assets for
him it To get assets, are gonna have to play them,
and he's gonna have to be showcased, I think in
some degree. But if you can find a team that's like, hey,
you know what he's on inspiring, we'll take them, just

(53:02):
so that we're not committed and you know, figure out
what what they what else they can extrapolate from Boston,
I think that's a move that that that's worth making,
especially if you can show up like that. Specifically their
front court. Maybe they can utilize now the wing behind
Jalen and you know, if you consider direct Way, who
sometimes plays up to some degree. But I really think
they need to address the front court situation to get

(53:24):
some help for Cata and maybe move Cata into a
more natural kind of coming off the bench. Big role.
But either way, I think Boston should should be making
moves to improve their standing because I think they're kind
of almost too good to fail in the way that
maybe some of us to they might have going into
the season, and with the proof that we have so far,
then yeah, then if you're going to do it, then

(53:44):
you can't. You don't. You don't want to be just
like like truly average, Like you have a chance to
really try to fight, So fight, you know, fight in
the Eastern Conference and then see, we'll see where to
see where that takes you.

Speaker 1 (53:55):
Yeah, Celtics are in a rare circum situation where they
are so deep, right with good core players, and that's
probably a good problem to have. They're they're just you know,
they're they're they're the the the output of what those
guys can give. You're not at the level of what
the top tier teams, you know, like the Denver Nuggets,

(54:15):
you know, or the New York Knicks, or the Oklahoma
City Thunder or maybe even say like the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Right Like, They've got players, they've got a bench, they've
got depth. But this is a good problem of depth
to have because all of them are quality players. That
can be packaged. If the intent is you're trying to
elevate an upgrade, you know, and you can do it

(54:38):
sooner rather than later. We'll see if that's what the
mentality is by Brad Stevens. I at least, you know,
will say, if there's an executive who I have confidence
in making a play that is to better serve the
team as best as possible, I lean into Brad Stevens.
You know, given what he's had to work with in

(54:58):
this this three year win. Know of his at that role,
that he's done a really really good job, you know,
and people can question it as much as they want to.
He tried to squeeze two championships out of the rosters
that he had and still managed to figure out a
way to get this team relatively close to being you know,
out of that getting him out of the Tier two

(55:20):
right the apron to a second apron. You know, it's
just again, you want that same kind of guy, with
that same kind of headiness thinking forward about how this
team can be improved while nobody's paying attention or watching.

Speaker 2 (55:33):
Yeah, I only push it back is like I don't
think they're that deep. I think they have a bunch
of scrappers and guys who are trying to you know,
prove it for the first time or prove it because
they've been cast off, you know, and somewhere else, you know,
from Filman to Bouchet to even a guy like mine
not it was from Minnesota. I think hausers. Maybe not
as good as they want him to be or has

(55:56):
been in a year's past, but they all seem to
fit at all, but a good amount of them fit
what you know, Missoula is asking them to do. I
don't know that these guys go out there and do
this and have the same level of success and or
would even guard any interest you know, from other teams
out there. I think for me it's it's Simon's and
and Houser to a lesser degree that might be able

(56:18):
to help you bolster the rest of his roster. The
rest of them. To me, I don't want to say system,
but they are, you know, Missoula Ish type guys because
they're kind of grinding and trying hard per se. And
that's not always that's not always a tradable asset. It's
like people like, yeah, you want guys who are going
to play play, play hard for you, but it's like,
what are you willing to give up for that? You know,

(56:39):
And I don't know, there's a lot of equity in
some of those other guys there, like who's traded for
Jordan wallsher and Walsh made has made a nice name
for himself for the season, But who's yeah to go
trade for them? You know, I think it's just because
of what Simons and Houser presents, at least even in theory,
that presents more value to the Celtics trying to improve
the roster with one of those guys as suppose, so

(57:00):
still get the names on the team.

Speaker 1 (57:02):
I get you, I'm not And you know, I think
maybe in a way, maybe I should, I should reframe
the wording. I'm not saying that all of them, like
all of these guys are tradable, and I'm saying is
is that the effort and you know, some teams might
might might take a chance and roll the dice in
doing that because of how they're exhibiting that that that

(57:25):
that style. It's not guaranteed. And if you are, if
you are the boss of Celtics and your competitive like
top five or whatever the case may be, you know,
obviously no other team is going to basically lend the
idea of giving up a good player to elevate you
in your Boston Celtics. However, if you're a team that

(57:48):
is kind of like in the middle and you're thinking forward,
and there's a way that you can make a play
to package guys like in you know, they they they
think that they can help somewhere else, try somewhere else,
offload contracts somewhere else like that, Yeah, you do it now,
rather than assuming that giving them all those minutes and
having him played through the season and stuff like that,

(58:09):
they're going to be able to go find themselves on
their own and you're going to figure out a way
to move them on their own. I'm just saying that,
like there's a lot of players on this roster that
there's some chances and opportunities in other places they could
probably help fill up some depth, right, some injury riginal team.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
You could throw a.

Speaker 1 (58:26):
Guy out there and you can get usable minutes from them.
If the intent is that, hey, the Celtics are in
the market to get they got a player you want,
and then they got a few players that you could
probably use and throw out there, and stuff like that
if you absolutely absolutely need to, which is hard press
considering the fact that when you look at the depth
chart on a lot of other teams, it's pretty slim plickins.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
So I'll close by this. You know, just as we've
talked about the Lakers on the Celtics, which team I
think is more surprising to you that they are where
they are? I think currently I think both teams have
slightly overachieved. Maybe some people wouldn't say that for the Lakers,
given you know, the Luca lebroad factor. Maybe see some
people sawsin reeves coming. But from your lens, you know,
wish one of these two teams. Are you surprised to see,

(59:10):
you know, in the in the seating that they are
currently today?

Speaker 1 (59:14):
Yeah, no, no question in Celtics. And it's not because
the other teams in the Eastern Conference is taking a
step down. It's because I've actually seen improvement and quite
a number of players that I just didn't even think
we're going to have any minutes on the basketball court.

Speaker 2 (59:26):
You know.

Speaker 1 (59:26):
That's and that's and that that's just me, you know,
And I don't know how to standing in I don't
know how how long and how sustainable this is I
can I can only hope that Jalen Brown stays healthy
to produce the way that he's producing. But I also
am very impressed with the way Missoula has utilized that
roster and to get the kind of effort and minutes
and product productivity from those role players again has lent

(59:49):
itself to the Celtics being as good as they've been
at this point. So, yeah, they're the ones who surprised
me the most.

Speaker 2 (59:54):
I would have to agree, you know, Lakers with the
star power. Yeah, I didn't up seeing that they'd be
above a Denver or even in Houston, but the fact
that they are is is. Again it's it's surprising, but
again not like oh like impossible. I think Boston's run,
especially the way it started to season started and I

(01:00:15):
was like, oh boy, this is worse than I thought
it was gonna be. And then all of a sudden,
they've turned things around. And so I think Masula's done
an amazing job here. And you know, not really getting
much consideration at this point because we're only what twenty
five games are into the season, but you know, if
this keeps up, he would have to be a Coach
of the Year. Candidate as and I think Gennen Brown
would be able to sneak into the top five of

(01:00:36):
MVV voting. And I think, again, hear me when I
say this top five. Not that he's going to be
the MVP. He's not going to get votes that you
know SGA and Joker will get. But if the Celtics
continue to be a top four or five seed in
the Eastern Conference, I think he can sneak into that conversation.
You know, because he is truly the head of the
snake in Boston right now, aftering almost thirty a game,

(01:00:56):
five dimes, six boards, you know, DIY sufficiency from three
thinks thirty six sent from the three point line. You know,
John Browns hoping the hell of the season.

Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
Here he is, he is, and and to me, through
the creding moment will probably be him getting that All NBA,
the elusive All NBT.

Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
He's at it before. Damn.

Speaker 1 (01:01:14):
I was trying to big him up for that, trying
to give him, trying to give him some you know,
some some real classy kudos man that you know, don't
get to do that too often. Man, He's been, he's been,
you know, if it's the sidekick too much. Yeah that
that is true. Oh yeah, he enagled that quite nicely.
N A.

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
Sausage is made.

Speaker 1 (01:01:39):
This is true anyway, great show man, and good conversations,
you know, regarding the Lakers and the Celtics and YO,
get at us. Let us know, man, are you at
least surprised between these two teams and what they're accomplishing
thus far and the early part of the NBA season.
I know we are, so we want to hear from
you as well too. Once again, man, we'd like to
thank you and yours for hobbit on forard with us

(01:01:59):
this week with the baseline Calie Warrenshaw. We appreciate you, guys,
you know we do, and we'll catch up with you
next time.

All Episodes

Lakers & Celtics Hot Start | Are Both Teams Real Title Contenders?

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Crime Junkie

The Brothers Ortiz

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Lakers & Celtics Hot Start | Are Both Teams Real Title Contenders?