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What is krack alakin Hardwknox listeners,
I am Dan Valley coming at you once

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more without my fantabulous Times Infinity co
host Adam FROMO our team look Ahead train

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rolls on with the Boston Celtics today. I'm gonna be talking with Alex Kungu.

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At Kungu underscore NBA. At Ku
nng you Underscore NBA. Follow him

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on Twitter. He's a great follow. He does have a website whop Island,

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where he used to write. He
plans on firing that bad boy up

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again. You can find a link
in his Twitter bio. And I told

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him I think before we recorded that
I did miss his writing, So I'm

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happy that he's going to start.
He's always a great person to talk to

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about the Celtics. We get into
a ton It was a blast. Know

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what we did record before. The
Garrison Matthews signings, like those little miniature

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moves aren't talked about here. You'll
obviously forgive us for that. Don't think

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that's game changing, as much as
I love with Garrison Matthews around here.

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Our quick usual housekeeping on us before
we start, Please remember a rate review

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and so forth. Were also on
Instagram at Hardwood Underscore Knox. Let's move

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on to some deep, deep Boston
Celtics talk with Alex Kungu. Alex,

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thank you so much for coming back
on to the Hardware Knox podcast to talk

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with me about some Boston Celtics First
and foremost though, how the are you?

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Man? I'm doing well. I
just came from Seattle, Pacific Northwest.

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I fished for some salmon living.
I'm living their off season life.

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So but I'm definitely ready to get
get things back in gear. I'm starting

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to get that back, that NBA
itch back now, so ready to get

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it. Are you moving to Seattle
to get them to bring back the Sonics

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or what's the story on that?
Maybe maybe maybe you know, we'll see

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because you know when the super side
has come back and it's gonna be great

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that that city's been pastic But I
think that's a different podcast it indeed it

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is. So I'll start with this
and then I want to recap their off

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season. But I'm just wondering what
your general thoughts, feelings, impressions,

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whatever about the off season actually was
for them. Was there anything that stands

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out or caught off guard or that
you just you know, you come out

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of the off season one specific thing
or addition or move or non move that

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you find yourself thinking about. Man, I think for the Celtics, the

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question is what didn't catch you off
guard? You know, like I mean

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like for some of for I know
for some reporters. You know, though

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the talks about Danny Age potentially stepping
down where you know they were coming.

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But from my point of view,
I didn't know. It was like this

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season, I didn't know Brad I
didn't know Bradson was gonna be the president

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of Battel Operations. And the way
the way those moves happened so quick,

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it was like that that's been a
plan for at least a few months for

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them. So going out from there, the front office was surprised to me,

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the coaching staff just you know,
the changes that they made. I

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was really happy about it, not
just in terms of the diversity higher which

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has been a big butch for NBA
players this year, but just more so

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that this that the team is listening
to their players because from what from what

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I understand, you know, Tatum, Smart, Jalen, all of those

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guys are really pushing for more diverse
hires, and not not all, not

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all, not all organizations take their
players words and apply them so quickly.

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So I was I was happy to
see that the coach was the coach was

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kind of a surprise to me.
I thought Emay was the best guy for

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the job, but I didn't know
if being in Boston, would you know,

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mean that they would maybe look for
a bigger name. I thought,

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maybe like a guy like Chauncey what
it would it would maybe have gotten more

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played just because he was a former
Celtic. I believe he's family with Jason

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in some type of way. So
it looked like maybe that they would have

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gone that route. But I'm happy. I'm happy then they ended up with

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Emay. It's actually funny just to
do a quick side note watching how Portland's

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fans have just been so upset about
their coaching staff and the Celtics just got

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a Portland native coach who's now bringing
in a coaching staff of just all Portland

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natives, and I and I just
keep thinking like how different would the Trouble's

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offseason be to their fans if they
just hired Emay instead of Chance. But

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you know, maybe maybe when you're
Portland guests comes on, he can talk

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about that. But long story trying. I mean, everything surprised me,

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and mostly a good way, mostly
a good way. I'm sure we'll talk

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about some things I'm a little bit
more skeptible about, but the overall direction

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of the team, I was very
I was very happy to see. Yeah,

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and look, you mentioned Chauncey.
Imagine what the raction would have been

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had Chauncy been hired in Boston and
then all of a sudden, that's like

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Brad Stevens's first or second big decision, whatever it is, and so had

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that been flip flopped. I liked
the choice that they made with Emydoka,

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and I stand by, Look,
if you're not listening to Jaylen Brown as

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an organization, you're probably doing something
wrong just because he's just one of the

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overall smartest players in the league,
like Encourt off the court. So it

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was cool to see that they loose
took his leanings and like you said,

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Jason tatums and players into account.
Emydoka has been pretty open about how much

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he wants to see sort of his
two incumbent guys, starting with Jason Tatum,

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elevate their playmaking. And I do
think after moving on from Fournier,

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after moving Kemba Walker, even though
you get Dennis Shrewd, they're still sort

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of built in a way where they're
gonna need lean on Jayson Tatum even more

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to set up the offense to be
there their floor general for stretches and I'm

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just wondering based off what you know, he's all very made strides there.

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I think last season we saw him
make some more complicated passes and reads.

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But based on what you've seen there, do you think he has another gear

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there and would that be sort of
the final front tier that separates him between

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he's a superstar now, but there's
still that MVP click just in front of

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him. Yeah. So, I
mean, the playmaking stuff is always hard

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because a lot of like it's not
it's not something that's guaranteed, you know

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what I mean, Like you can
get better as a playmaker, but there's

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I could see him getting better as
a playmaker and its not necessarily coming out

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and assist and in that way as
well. And what I mean by that

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is you've watched Jason Tatum's passing development. I think it really really started and

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when he had his first hot street
I'm only two years ago in February,

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when he started becoming unguardable off the
catch, shoot three pointers and things like

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that, because that was the first
time defense and started really adjusting to him

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at the number one. And what
you saw was like he really really learned

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stuff very quick, Like he learned
how to make reads really quick. So

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when they learned so when they first
started double teaming him, and I almost

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remembered this thinking the game where that
happened against Utah specifically, he struggled a

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lot. He didn't necessarily know where
the play was going. He picked up

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his dribble way too fast and it
just ended up looking crazy. But within

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a couple of weeks he was able
to beat that. Then then what happened

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is in the bubble he started seeing
his zone a lot of his own defenses.

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Toronto killed him with it, and
so at a Miami with his own

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defense and made him think so much
that he really couldn't He really didn't know

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what to do with the ball,
and it kind of stif stifled his aggressiveness.

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But by the next season, last
season I'm speaking of now, he

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seemed to be able to handle his
own defenses and stuff like that. So

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that leaves the last step I think
to me is not just now the ability

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to like read and react, but
the ability to not anticipate and dictate defenders.

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So one thing that have the perfect
the perfect person to look at Luca

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done. For example, when you
watch Luka don gets go and even even

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simple cross court passes. The reason
why he's able to get them so quick

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and hit people and they're so open
all the time is because he's making the

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pass before the defender even is making
the defensive adjustment, you know what I

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mean, Like they're they're still in, they're still in help while he's passing

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it to the corner, for example. So that's that level of anticipation and

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knowing what's going to happen before the
play and doing it. That's a really

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hard stuff to me. I don't
know if I don't know if they'll makes

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that stuff, to be honest,
because that's really really hard, and I

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don't there's not a big level of
evidence of guys who aren't natural born passers

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making that leap. But just looking
at some of the stuff, the progressions

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he's made now, considering some of
his history of being a guy that was

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a point guard in high school and
stuff like that, it's impossible, yes,

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But could he make it to that
degree? Like is he ever gonna

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be a seven eight ass this guy
average game? I don't think so.

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But I also don't think he needs
to because I think he's the guy that

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can legitimate average thirty at the same
time. So to answer your question,

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I do think he can make a
leap, but I think his leap is

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not His leap is not elite playmaker. I think his his his his conference

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zone is going to be like five
five six as to the game right there,

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And I think if that's the leap
we're talking about, that that's possible.

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I saw. Joka also sort of
mentioned the importance of Jalen Brown stepping

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up as a playmaker and speaking of
people who aren't natural born passers, have

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you really seen anything to suggest that
he has that dimension to his kid?

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Jann Brown's a fantastic player. I
just never looked at him after all these

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years and thought, this is someone
who can do what, let's say,

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what Jason Tatum was doing before this
past season. Yeah, yeah, and

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I mean Jake and I'm I'm really
happy you brought those up as two separate

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things, because sometimes the people talk
about the Jay's like one thing, and

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they have very different developmental paths.
So so with Jalen last year, there

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was a really very interesting kind of
diversion in his passing. Early in the

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year, he played a lot out
of like the mid post, and that

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was where you know, and he's
making a lot of highlights. He had

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his little tea bag bag going on. But one thing he was also able

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to do is he was able to
make a lot of passes. He saw

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the floor better. He became like
one of Rob's like like top lob thrive

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guys. And then later in the
year, when he started becoming very apparent

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that we weren't that the Celtics weren't
getting three point shooting from other places,

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they asked him to up his three
point shooting. What we saw was him

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taking like a lot of three point
shooting, but it became a lot less

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of like him holding the ball and
making decisions, and it became more of

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him just kind of shooting, like
kind of just letting it fly. So

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his playmaking dick because he was playing
a very specific role. Now the question

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is going to become now like okay, can you get the ball to the

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top of the key, him off
a pig, make defenses collapse and kick

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out the opensuters. Jayalen is actually
more Jalen is actually more equipped to do

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that than Tatum is because he's more
athletic, he's bigger, he's stronger,

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he can get to rim much better. And finish better. So actually,

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like he can he can at least
do the collapsing, like get guys to

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collapse and kick it out. Will
he Will he ever do the anticipating?

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Will he ever do like the manipulation? I don't think so. I don't

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think that's in the cards for Jaalen. But he's he's he's he's put a

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lot of us wrong. So maybe, but I think what he may make

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might be looking for if he's thinking
about it more realistically, it's just Jaalen

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being more consistent with the driving kids, because you can't necessarily expect him to

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learn how to make like these complicated
reads. But if you're just telling him,

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hey, man, when he gets
to the rim and the defensive collapse,

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you're gonna have guys here and here, get used to seeing guys going

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here and here, and you kind
of drow that into him over the course

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of time. Now it's actually now
that he's gotten usage, which is the

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thing that people forget, like these
young guy needs to actually see a lot

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of looks and make a lot of
mistakes before they get used to it,

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because what's really developing is just experience, you know. So I think for

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Jalen he can become a guy that
can drive and kick more. He could,

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He could become a guy guy I
think, to do a little bit

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more as a as a low threat, not just odd the midpost, but

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from the three point line as well
because of his first step. But like

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but like, but like Katum,
I don't think the upper echelons of elite

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claiming and are in their cards.
But I think if they can just you

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know, be good playmakers, right, the type of playmakers that at least

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can help help get their teams involved, the guys that aren't necessarily being black

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holes like they were at times last
year, I think that'd be huge.

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So yeah, and to your point, if they try and like slow Jalon

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Brown down to like take away his
North South jet fuel in trying to have

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him, like you to manipulate the
defense, that would definitely be a mistake.

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And he didn't prove. I wrote
about this at some point in the

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season where it felt like his drives
were less addictable when you looked at the

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volume of his passing and even his
assist percentage on them. And so as

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long as they surround him with guys
who can hit those kickouts, it does

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seem like he is more willing to
make them. That being said, that

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is not a distinction that I really
made when I saw Ammadoca's comments. So

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the way you framed it really helped
me envision like the best possible Jaylon Brown

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scenario in that regard. Yeah,
yeah, it's it's gonna be really interesting.

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I'm really interesting to see also how
how Smart plays a part into that,

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because it looks like he's going to
be the starting point guard. Two.

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Yeah, I guess that's do ultimate. Well, let me start here.

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They're two biggest offsible I guess not
even their two biggest. But how

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do you like the fits of Shruder
and Josh Richardson. I know Shuder is

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build a zero risk, and he
really is, but they all of a

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sudden't have this guy who's now playing
for his next contract that they're definitely not

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going to resign unless something goes incredibly
wrong, And so I'm wondering how that

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sort of factors in what they're doing. And the I didn't have an issue

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with the Josh Richardson extension. It
was just such a whatever number to me.

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But there's also the I've held out
hope for Josh Redinson since he left

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Miami, and that's like two straight
seasons of being disappointed. So I was

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just curious about your thoughts and optimism
around their fits with this roster. Yeah,

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so weirdly, I'm kind of a
little bit more optimistic on Shruder just

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because I kind of see I see
a clear path where they kind of let

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him be like what Gore and Droughtic
goes for Miami, Like you just kind

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of let him be the second unit
maybe depending on how the starting units go,

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maybe maybe you just play him with
al off the bench and throughout the

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regular season, you can win a
lot of games with Shrewder and Horford being

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the leaders of your second unit.
So I can see I could see them

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too, kind of like playing off
each other doing well. I don't I

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don't know or think Shruder will close
games though, with injuries and stuff like

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that, that's a possibility. But
yeah, Like the Josh Innson thing is

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the thing that I'm kind of iffy
on because I see what I've seen what

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everyone else sees. The it seems
like three point shooting has been like a

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really swing skill for him in the
last couple of years that hasn't necessarily come

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true. I'm not necessarily a believer
that changing uniforms necessarily changes your talent level

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at all. So I don't know
like what the Celtics expect from that going

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forward, but I do know he
may. He may had a relationship with

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him, a pretty good one,
and he's you know, I think he

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was one of the guys pushing to
bring him into Boston as well. So

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I know, at least from from
a defensive standpoint of, you know,

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a ninety four feet guy, a
potential guy that you know can can help

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you when you start thinking about who's
gonna defend, like the Kyrie Irvings and

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kind of Lowrys and stuff like that, that's a guy you think about.

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But the big thing for them is
going to be offensive because if your if

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your team is built around Jason and
Jalen, the complimentary guys have to be

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guys that can space the floor.
And johh Orgerson has a fit defensively,

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but if he's not able to shoot, or if he's very streaky, it's

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gonna call live thing in the question. He might you know, it could

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think those outs really quick in a
way where I think because of Dennis's playmaking

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but handling ability to kind of,
like, you know, run an offense.

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I don't think his value inges on
one skill the way I think Josh

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Josh has does. So it's it's
it's it's. But with that being said,

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though, I am much more happier
with the with the with the role

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players overall, because the suffix played
some guys that I'm happier not one of

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the UniFormat Well, we'll just keep
it at that. So do you think

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they ultimately have enough playmaking or do
you think, you know, is this

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the I guess who's gonna be sort
of most impacted aside from Jason Tatum and

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Jalen Brown from this current pecking order. You mentioned Smart being a starting point

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guard, and so are they going
to ask him to do like more floor

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general type stuff than they normally do. Maybe we see, you know,

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a lot of a lot more of
Peyton Pritchard this season. I'm just curious

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how the pecking order is sort of
impacted by the moves that they've made.

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Yeah, I think, I think, I think, without question, I

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would say there's two guys, but
I'll start with one. Marcus. Marcus

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is a market is gonna surprise a
lot of people with how good a playmaker

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he is. I generally think he's
been the best playmaker on the team,

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but I think mentally mentally, mentally
wise, he's just been very like driven

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on proving that he's a score And
I think that got exacerbated more with Stevens

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as he was moved off ball because
Souths have had a lot of all star

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caliber point guards the position, and
that's less Marcus Martin kind of being like

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the guy that covers with him on
defense but then does secondary playmaking. But

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the secondary playmaking is not enough to
be necessarily known as a playmaker. So

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it kind of becomes where his role
has kind of been about, you know,

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floor's facing a little bit and he's
taking that a little bit too happily.

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And I think now, and I
think now as like just a guy

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was like, look, you're responsible
for running the offense, right, You're

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responsible for making sure all these dads
get their shots. You need to know

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how these guys like their shots,
where they're at. He's be responsible for

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calling out the place, knowing all
that stuff on both sense, right,

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And I think that that's going to
weirdly kind of concentrate him in a way

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where we can just kind of maximize
the best parts of him, which offensively,

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I think his playmaking is actually his
greatest tool by a pretty wide margin.

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He's able to do a lot of
the stuff that I'm talking about,

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things that Tatum and Jalen will need
to kind of show. He can do

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a lot of those things. He
doesn't have the scoring threat that creates some

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of the passing lanes that make it
a little bit easier for the Jason do,

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but he does have like the IQ
and the field where he can be

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able to manipulate defenses in a way
where I think will surprise people. The

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other guy, I think that's gonna
get a really high Another guy who I

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think is really going to benefit a
lot from this kind of new reshuffling is

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is Rob Williams, who I think
he showed himself to be a little bit

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of a passer, right. I
think some of that stuff is overblown a

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little bit. I hope some kids
don't tell me for that, But I

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mean, like he's he's still more
of a secondary pastor He's not on like

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a Yokis trail or something like that. He's basically made he made the jump

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before Jared Allen made the jump of
like he can pass on those like shorter

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roles or just as he's moving downhill
exactly exactly like exactly. So I think

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there he showed some stuff. And
I think I think with the way that

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the way the team is to kind
of like set up now, depending on

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how they go to the starters,
like he's gonna have a chance, you

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know, to show himself to be
like a very high level, key starting

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caliber center. And he compliments that
Jay's wall. They love throwing him laws

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as everyone on the team. Defensive
wise, he's gonna be their backline communicator

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there, you know, kind of
their insurance. He gets a little jumpy

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went with shot locking because he because
you know, he can jump a lot.

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He's kind of rilled in some of
that. But pick and roll when

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he's defending a guy like a legit
shooter, that's still kind of been an

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issue. And I'm gonna be really
interested to see if this coaching staff can

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kind of kind of help him get
over that last hurdle because I kind of

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think interior wise, he's become much
more patient as a shop blocker, but

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on the perimeter he still jumps a
lot for everyone except for James Harden for

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whatever reason, I think James Harden, he's he's just learned how to not

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jump for James Harden, but everybody
else he's still he still tries to leap

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over them. So I don't get
that. But I do think Rob is

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going to be someone that if he
can stay on the floor, stay healthy,

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he can he has a chance to
be like really impactive for them.

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He could be one of those guys
it ends up being like the net rating

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00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,119
Darling for the team, for example, where just his his his impact those

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far beyond the counting numbers. I
love it when guests answer a question before

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00:20:41,799 --> 00:20:45,759
I even get to It makes my
job so much easier. I was curious

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about his role. The one thing
that I still wondering is do we expect

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him to play a ton with Al
Horford, because then it seems like they

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00:20:52,799 --> 00:20:56,920
are going to be depending on Robert
Willings to be defending away from the basketball

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00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,359
in that scenario, because I don't
see Al horfor but he still has some

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00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:06,359
of that malleability to him, but
he's just getting up there. And I

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don't know if you know, I
thought Robert Williams got better away from the

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basket later on in the season or
at least maybe I was tuning in when

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there were flashes of it. But
like you said, I don't know if

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that's gonna be his optimal role.
And so do you think that we're gonna

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00:21:15,599 --> 00:21:19,880
see a lot of Horford Williams minutes
slash? Do you see those minutes going

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00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,759
particularly? Well, oh, this
is fun? Because I really don't know.

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I don't know how is gonna and
Brad Stevens is coaching. I would

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00:21:27,319 --> 00:21:33,640
tell you it would it would depend
on what he sees from the other ways,

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because when he went double biggs last
year, it was not because he

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liked double bigs. It was because
that's how bad. That's like Grant Williams,

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Romeo Langford, Nie Smith and stuff
like that. Chemy show them something.

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They showed him to not be reliable
enough to play that because his preference

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00:21:48,839 --> 00:21:52,559
was good was to play small.
I don't know what. I don't know

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00:21:52,559 --> 00:21:56,119
what Emilcau's preferences that are gonna be. He might prefer to play big because

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00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:00,720
unlike last year, he didn't have
he didn't have an other big that can

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space the floor in the type of
way that Al Horford ken. So maybe

338
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he goes big. But in my
opinion, I could see them maybe going

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with what's surprisingly either Josh Richardson.
There's been some buzz about Aaron Nismith,

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00:22:15,039 --> 00:22:18,680
but I don't think he dribbles good
enough to even even in a role where

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he's just catching and shooting. He
dribbles that bad that I don't know if

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I wanted him to start period,
I wanted to play, I just don't

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00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,880
wanted to start Josh. Josh Richardson
could be a guy that gets like that

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00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,640
early, not just because he's kind
of he's he's kind of a two if

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he's able to not comment. He
is a two. If he's able to

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hit some catch and shoots and maybe
be like you know, high high,

347
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,920
thirty percent, low forty percent there, and then he brings a defensive kind

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00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,240
of integrity back to them between him
and between him and Smart. That is

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kind of the backcourt that I think
Emay would kind of like to envision them.

350
00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:56,480
Just guys that can go nine before, are versatile, can really set

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00:22:56,519 --> 00:23:00,960
the tone at the point of attack. Maybe maybe he values that over room

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00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,039
protection, but that would be something
that will that that will bear out.

353
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But my but in my opinion,
if I had to pick, I would

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00:23:07,519 --> 00:23:12,400
say maybe just out off the bench, Whip whip Shrewder, start, start

355
00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,200
d Richardson and cross your fingers.
He can hit, he can hit Caton

356
00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:21,599
shrew threes in a more compimentary role
and kind of just you know, have

357
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,519
like really value that point of attack
defense and hope Rod can cover everything in

358
00:23:26,559 --> 00:23:32,079
the back. I don't know that
I would have asked this question before they

359
00:23:32,079 --> 00:23:33,720
signed Dennis Shrewder, because I would
have thought it was a no brainer.

360
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,759
But who do you even ends up
getting more of an opportunity or just playing

361
00:23:37,799 --> 00:23:41,920
the bigger role for this team.
Is it Peyton Pritchard or Aaronnie Smith who

362
00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,559
both had pretty good summer leagues,
although I think it was Nicias Duncan tweeted

363
00:23:45,599 --> 00:23:49,839
that he heard people calling Peyton Pritchard
Caucasian Kyrie or something and that was that

364
00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:55,039
was a little too much for me. Yeah, I mean, that wasn't

365
00:23:55,079 --> 00:23:57,000
gonna be good because again, Pritchard, Pritchard is another Portland guy. He

366
00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:00,839
may he may has known him before
he he came on the Celtics, so

367
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there's already kind of built him familiarity
there. But at the same time,

368
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you know, he played the position
that's kind of a strength of the Celtics.

369
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They have Marcus mart there. They
have been a shrewder there who's going

370
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,039
to command you know, a lot
of minutes as well. So if for

371
00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,920
Print, Princhard's path is he has
to show he can play off one of

372
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,400
them and still kind of bring it
defensively. Ni smif path Nismith's path is

373
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,759
a little bit easier because he's a
wing because behind the Jays there's not a

374
00:24:27,759 --> 00:24:33,119
lot of answers there Romeo, you
know, we don't know necessarily what's going

375
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,960
to happen with him. Grant had
a kind of down year and struggle with

376
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,079
confidence last year, so there's used
to be like a place for a reserve

377
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,640
wing to kind of like butt himself
in. So just you know, just

378
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,599
you know the positions of how they're
stacking up now. I would kind of

379
00:24:48,599 --> 00:24:52,079
pull money on nice Smith just because
he showed himself to be a guy that's

380
00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:55,599
willing, you know, to go
all out spensively, even though I thought

381
00:24:55,599 --> 00:24:57,920
some of that was noise. He
hustled a lot, which you know,

382
00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:03,960
endeared him to the but his defense, like in terms of like reacting staying

383
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,880
in front of guys wasn't really that
great. And I don't think it was

384
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,119
that great in summer League. He
just hit a lot of shots, so

385
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:14,200
people didn't necessarily realize that. So
you know it's still gonna be. It's

386
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:15,400
really up in the air, is
what I'm trying to say. Like training

387
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,880
cab will determine that in my opinion. But if I had to put like

388
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,480
who's ahead right now, I would
just go with Pritchard because I think he's

389
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:26,799
a better basketball player at this moment. Yeah, he looked really good in

390
00:25:26,799 --> 00:25:29,640
summer League, and he Smith looked
good on offense. I'd probably agree with

391
00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:33,519
you with him defensively, and he
is the Patrick Beverley of aaron Nie Smith's

392
00:25:33,519 --> 00:25:34,640
when you look at his activity.
I don't know if there's a rhyme or

393
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:40,799
reason to it all the time?
Is there like a So let me frame

394
00:25:40,839 --> 00:25:44,759
it this way. Between Juan her
and Gomez, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford

395
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,240
who ends up playing a bigger role
for this team, do any of them

396
00:25:48,279 --> 00:25:51,720
get a chance to even play a
real role for this team? Well,

397
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,559
I shouldn't be admitting this. You
just reminded me Want Show was on the

398
00:25:53,599 --> 00:25:59,880
team. He moved around a couple
of times, So I think that's on

399
00:26:00,039 --> 00:26:03,519
understandable. Yeah, I forgot all
about watching. Yeah, so Wancho,

400
00:26:03,039 --> 00:26:07,440
so yes for one for the previous
question, want to would obviously be involved

401
00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,559
in in a perimeter guy who's trying
to squeeze in for minutes. But I

402
00:26:11,599 --> 00:26:15,359
also, yeah, that's gonna be
interesting to see because I know Wancho,

403
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,039
there's there, There's Jabari, I
know some of the training camp guys they'll

404
00:26:19,079 --> 00:26:25,400
see like Gary Clark, Jowan Mortigan. I think there's another. I think

405
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:33,240
Luke Cornette, even which is crazy, is probably gonna get a look there.

406
00:26:33,759 --> 00:26:37,440
It's just it's very happy before or
after they give up a first round

407
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:44,440
pick to get off of Venice candor
oh my god, hopefully after oh god,

408
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,039
I miss doesn't then, but you
know, so yeah, I really

409
00:26:48,039 --> 00:26:52,000
don't know, like after after he
gets out of like the top like eight

410
00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,640
nine guys, Like I really feel
like it's like an open common tryout,

411
00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,039
like we don't know what role is
gonna be flidified. We don't know who's

412
00:26:59,039 --> 00:27:03,119
gonna rise and get it. And
my money would my money I think if

413
00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:06,400
I had to take from some of
those like thirty tier of guys, now,

414
00:27:06,759 --> 00:27:08,039
I would look at I would look
at I would look at Lancho,

415
00:27:08,519 --> 00:27:11,799
But Jabari showed me a couple of
things. I'm not reading to give up

416
00:27:11,799 --> 00:27:14,799
a Jabari yet. I know he
is what he is offensively, like,

417
00:27:14,839 --> 00:27:18,839
I don't see him like gaining any
crazy flexibility and being able to do a

418
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,240
bunch of things. But he showed
me a little something as like a guy

419
00:27:22,279 --> 00:27:25,640
that could potential to be a playmaker, as a guy that could tend to

420
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,799
be like just like a score,
a guy that can play off of like

421
00:27:27,839 --> 00:27:32,000
scores and stuff like that. I
wonder if, like if you haven't been

422
00:27:32,039 --> 00:27:34,960
a second unit with like Shrewder and
Al Horford, if Horford can just like

423
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,400
direct him enough that he can be, like, you know, just a

424
00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,640
neutral guy defensively and then maybe at
least be like a semi positive guy offensively,

425
00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,880
because I think that that would be
huge for a guy, like for

426
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,759
a guy on a non guaranteed deal. And I just think like with his

427
00:27:51,839 --> 00:27:56,839
age as well, he still plays
pretty powerful, So I would I'm rooting

428
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,799
for him. I'm very rooting for
him, but I would I just based

429
00:28:00,839 --> 00:28:04,839
off NBA body of work is probably
one Joe, I will say, if

430
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:08,039
they're looking and as you sort of
mentioned for another wing, type player who

431
00:28:08,079 --> 00:28:11,599
can potentially dribble. I wouldn't view
it as hern And Gomez. Er Nie

432
00:28:11,599 --> 00:28:15,359
Smith. Parker, even though he's
a big probably just comes closer to that,

433
00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:19,319
given what he could do on on
offense. Yeah. Uh so,

434
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,720
as you're talking about this, it
would just make me thinking. I think

435
00:28:22,799 --> 00:28:26,279
Zach Lowe said it on one of
his recent podcasts that he is confidence in

436
00:28:26,319 --> 00:28:27,839
the Celtics because he feels like they
just have a lot of good players,

437
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,200
And as as I was going through
this roster, I found myself agreeing with

438
00:28:32,279 --> 00:28:33,640
him. But it also, just
as you're talking, just feels like this

439
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:38,559
mishmash where there's still a ton of
mystery involved. The one thing I feel

440
00:28:38,759 --> 00:28:42,839
very confident is that they're going to
be a defensive nightmare for opposing teams.

441
00:28:42,839 --> 00:28:45,599
And so if I were to ask
you to fill in the blank of this

442
00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:49,759
sentence, the Celtics will rank in
the top blank in points allowed per possession.

443
00:28:51,119 --> 00:28:56,519
Where would you peg them in that
hierarchy, I'd say I'd say top

444
00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:03,720
five. I would want to go
higher, but we're in Protection is still

445
00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:08,640
a thing that exists, and I
think Al Horford can be there. Positionally,

446
00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:15,599
I worry about Rob just in general, I think you can build a

447
00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,000
very elite defense even with those questions. But I think when you get into

448
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,240
the levels where you're talking about like
the Utah and stuff like that, you

449
00:29:22,279 --> 00:29:26,279
need to have also that scaring thing. I'm like, Okay, there's a

450
00:29:26,359 --> 00:29:30,440
guy in the middle who I really
fear. And if Rob can maintain even

451
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,559
after coaches scout him and kind of
see his tendencies, if he can maintain

452
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,640
that presence, I'd probably take my
answer to top two. But I have

453
00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,039
to see it. I have to
see it from him first. I have

454
00:29:41,119 --> 00:29:45,359
to see that he's able to stay
disciplined in all types of situations first,

455
00:29:45,559 --> 00:29:48,920
before I can really say like,
yeah, they're gonna be like a really

456
00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,599
really special defense, right not right
not. I just think they're gonna be

457
00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,039
elite. But if Rob can be
like who I hope Rob can be,

458
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:59,079
they have a chance to be very
special, very special because that that blend

459
00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:03,119
of one of attack defenders from the
guard position, defensive versatility from the wing

460
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,720
position, and then rim protection from
the from the bigs that that time nation

461
00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:12,920
was pretty deadly. So all it
all keys on Rob about how specially could

462
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:18,279
be, but just just foundationally,
just with what we know now. I

463
00:30:18,319 --> 00:30:21,799
think that's the top five defions off
top. I tried to go through it

464
00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,519
and pinpoint teams that I knew or
I thought I knew would be better than

465
00:30:25,519 --> 00:30:27,720
them on defense. And I think
you can make cases for a bunch like

466
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:33,359
how you feel how you feel about
Golden State as an example, I came

467
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,400
up with Utah, and I came
up with Miami, and then I didn't

468
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:37,759
come up with any teams after that, just because of what happened with the

469
00:30:37,839 --> 00:30:41,640
Lakers this summer, what's gonna happen
with Ben Simmons and Philly The Knicks leaned

470
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:45,079
all the way into shock creation.
I thought Golden State's defense was like kind

471
00:30:45,079 --> 00:30:48,799
of artificially inflated last year. I
guess Phoenix could be in the conversation,

472
00:30:48,799 --> 00:30:52,319
but there are only two teams that
I really came away thinking. And I

473
00:30:52,319 --> 00:30:56,799
thought about Milwaukee for more than a
minute, but I think Utah and Miami

474
00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,480
are the only two teams I would
say they're gonna definitively are going to have

475
00:31:00,519 --> 00:31:04,000
better defenses than Boston this year for
sure, And actually I would time to

476
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:07,559
diagree to it a little bit.
I think we'll walk again have a better

477
00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,680
defense just about what we know right
now. I can't despect the champions and

478
00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,640
I think there's something about winning a
championship and the confidence that comes with that

479
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:19,920
and just having now you're you're in
year what now? Drew Howdy is gonna

480
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,440
be here for another year? His
first he has he has a school year

481
00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,839
now, he's completely comfortable. The
other guys that just at this stage all

482
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,880
corporate knowledge. So before we see
anything, I would even give the edge

483
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,599
tive to Milwaukee just for now at
least. Yeah, I guess I'm just

484
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,720
looking and their roster or some extent
is gonna have to be relying on shemy

485
00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,200
old Jela or Rodney Hood and even
you know, Grayson Allen, especially with

486
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,359
Dante even trends about to start.
I think the point that you bring up

487
00:31:45,359 --> 00:31:48,319
now though, with corporate knowledge,
they were trying a lot of different stuff

488
00:31:48,319 --> 00:31:51,920
defensively last year, and now that's
probably gonna be second nature for all of

489
00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,640
them. So top five feels right. I'll you know what you talked me

490
00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:56,799
into it. I'll put Milwaukee above
them. But those are like the only

491
00:31:56,839 --> 00:32:00,720
three teams I could really think about. We are now I'm moving into the

492
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:05,079
most unoriginal portion of the podcast because
these are questions I ask every single guest

493
00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,240
about their team. Who is the
player most likely to be traded from this

494
00:32:08,279 --> 00:32:12,640
team before the deadline as of today? I know stuff changes as the season

495
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:22,279
goes on. Oh without Okay,
So it's also funny they like limited.

496
00:32:22,519 --> 00:32:24,480
There are the no brainer once you
know they're not going to trade me,

497
00:32:24,519 --> 00:32:28,079
you look at Jason Shaman down Brown, and then there are like you know,

498
00:32:28,079 --> 00:32:30,640
Al Horford and all I could isn't
going anywhere. And then they you

499
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,079
extend Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.
So if any deal happens there, like

500
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,000
that's not going to be for a
while. So the options are pretty fairly

501
00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:45,079
limited here. Yeah, and it
depends. I feel like if you're if

502
00:32:45,119 --> 00:32:49,079
we're just assuming that you know,
like the big stars aren't going to be

503
00:32:49,119 --> 00:32:52,400
available, like we will probably wait
till the whole year and stuff like God,

504
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,359
I would say maybe Josh Richison,
just because I think he's at a

505
00:32:55,359 --> 00:33:00,000
comfortable number where even if you aren't
super high on him, you don't feel

506
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:05,160
handcuffed by his contract. And just
you know, if I could see a

507
00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:07,920
world where maybe like buy like me
smith A Romeo, it's a really big

508
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:12,759
step and Josh Herinerson is still struggling
with his shot, not really sure if

509
00:33:12,759 --> 00:33:15,839
his role, not liking the fact
that between Smart and the Jay's and Shrewder

510
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:20,519
he's not getting enough touches dribbling.
I could see a world like that where

511
00:33:20,559 --> 00:33:22,519
he's not able with his role and
then you know, because he's had he's

512
00:33:22,519 --> 00:33:24,920
had such come to a number,
the team maybe gets like a little deal

513
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:29,319
when they're able to get I don't
know, like maybe like a different type

514
00:33:29,359 --> 00:33:32,799
of wing like maybe a bigger win
or something like that that maybe doesn't have

515
00:33:32,839 --> 00:33:37,559
the same type of name value.
So oh maybe like a Richardson for like

516
00:33:37,279 --> 00:33:40,680
Joe Wingles and like a second round
pick for example. I can see that

517
00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:45,079
being I could see that being likely
like like like like something like that.

518
00:33:45,319 --> 00:33:49,200
So I would say, Josh Persons, insofar as you care, I'm gonna

519
00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,880
be lame and say one hern and
Gomez he has that non guaranteed year next

520
00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:58,400
season, and if they let's assume
Jabari Parker makes the roster, dealing like

521
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,920
dumping one hern and Gomez would be
like the path to them just ducking the

522
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,519
luxury tax entirely. And so I'm
just gonna be super lame and say it's

523
00:34:05,599 --> 00:34:08,000
him. Oh yeah, Oh,
that would be very unfortunate because that would

524
00:34:08,039 --> 00:34:10,519
say a lot about the front office. If there's still nothing in the luxury

525
00:34:10,559 --> 00:34:15,360
tax, that does a lot of
not good things for people that need to

526
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:20,159
start thinking about how they're gonna convince
the Jay's to resign again. But yeah,

527
00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:25,119
but I don't I think Launche was
good. He also liked that number

528
00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:29,440
seven million. I think it's a
hair over that. That's also a good

529
00:34:29,519 --> 00:34:31,960
like whether it's a stepping ladder just
to help up your return at a certain

530
00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:37,039
deal that just feels like a very
digestible salary and it's basically an expiring contract.

531
00:34:37,639 --> 00:34:39,400
Yeah, it's good. And I
mean they're gonna have a lot of

532
00:34:40,079 --> 00:34:45,880
very good tradable contracts come trade deadline. So it'll be very interesting, especially

533
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:50,599
a deal like doesn't doesn't like what
he's seeing, is not into the cryptocurrency

534
00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:57,559
magic that's that Spencer's talking and he
requested deal. It'll be some very difficult.

535
00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,320
It'll be very difficult because it's something's
just like their whole like half,

536
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:06,480
they're pretty much all their court has
very trainable contract, so they'll be in

537
00:35:06,519 --> 00:35:08,599
for something they'll they'll they'll be in
for a lot of noise. If I

538
00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:14,280
feel like requests of trade, what
do you think will be the most used

539
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:19,960
or most effective crunch time lineup for
this team? Okay, so I think

540
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:27,039
the first three I'm gonna put Smart
and then the Jay's I think at the

541
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:32,519
five all things, all things equal, I'll put Horford, and then things

542
00:35:32,519 --> 00:35:38,960
get tricky when it comes to that
last spot. There's a lot of options

543
00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,360
you can go with, but just
with what we know of right now,

544
00:35:43,119 --> 00:35:46,039
I would go Shrewder because I don't
know. I don't know what Jodh Fridinson

545
00:35:46,079 --> 00:35:49,960
is gonna how he's gonna fit in. I don't know what needs to it's

546
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:51,920
gonna do. I don't know what
Prid is gonna do, and I don't

547
00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,800
know what Lankford and Grant. I
don't know what any of these guys gonna

548
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:58,719
look like this year. But I
at least know Shrewder has. You know,

549
00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:00,639
he has some NBA. He has
an NBA resume being at least semi

550
00:36:00,679 --> 00:36:05,719
productive as well, and he's and
he has a pretty good track record being

551
00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,239
good at multi guard lineups like he
shouldn't. Okay, See, so I

552
00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:14,840
could see a situation where you just
go like Shrewder Smart Jayson Horford and just

553
00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,840
kind of maximize all the playmaking that
you have. You have guys that can

554
00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:22,280
space the floor, and you just
kind of and you have and they can

555
00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,639
all defend like you're not You're not, you know, set selling extra guys

556
00:36:25,679 --> 00:36:29,760
to help with Dennis and stuff like
that. So maybe that's you know,

557
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:35,079
preseason that that that's my top role. And there's a chance that you know,

558
00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:37,840
you could argue maybe Josh Versus isn't
better than Shrewder, or maybe Robert

559
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:39,599
Williams is better than Horford, but
there's a chance that just ends up being

560
00:36:39,599 --> 00:36:43,159
their five best players of the season, and so that you wouldn't really have

561
00:36:43,159 --> 00:36:46,360
to overthink that situation. Oh and
while we're on the pod, the Celtics

562
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:52,159
just said Ryan Are Yeah, they
guy from the Bulls. He has a

563
00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:57,519
really annoying face, but hey,
he might see but I know I know

564
00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,480
his his he's an energy guy.
He's gonna go to a coach that's gonna

565
00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:05,599
appreciate that. So maybe he'll make
the team. That trading game is gonna

566
00:37:05,599 --> 00:37:08,519
be very, very competitive for the
Celtics this year. Brad Brad's bringing a

567
00:37:08,519 --> 00:37:13,679
lot of like veteran guys versus what
I think Danny was doing, bringing a

568
00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:17,199
lot of kids that that that didn't
necessarily that wasn't gonna make a difference Brad.

569
00:37:17,199 --> 00:37:20,800
Brad has a pretty competitive group of
guys in camp, So I'm really

570
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,440
interested to see how that's gonna go. Is there a I'm gonna make you

571
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:28,119
the head coach? You have the
ability to put any quirky, unconventional,

572
00:37:28,159 --> 00:37:30,440
out of left field lineup that you
want to try on the floor. What

573
00:37:30,559 --> 00:37:36,800
would be that experimental five man unit
for you? Oh? Okay, so

574
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:38,719
I'd put Tatum by point guard.
I've always I've always wanted to do that.

575
00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:45,199
I would put him right next to
Jaln So actually Tatum Glan my back

576
00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:52,760
court for my three and four.
I would actually have I would actually have

577
00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,760
Oh this, Oh, this is
gonna be fun. Okay, let me

578
00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,320
just have fun with this gun I'm
gonna have. I'm gonna I'm gonna actually

579
00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:06,400
put Aaron nick Smith here at the
three. I'm gonna i'm gonna put Romeo

580
00:38:06,519 --> 00:38:10,000
length for at the four, and
and I'm gonna put Grant Williams at the

581
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:17,199
five. No guards at all all, all all wing size players and just

582
00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:21,119
run with it and just see what
the heck happens. It would be a

583
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,920
complete disaster because as much as as
much as players don't as much as we've

584
00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:30,400
gotten rid of the positions and stuff
like that, I still think players really

585
00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,960
still self identify roles, and it'd
be really weird to see how they are.

586
00:38:34,039 --> 00:38:37,440
But I think I think Tatum and
Jalen will be comfortable enough. I

587
00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,400
think Grant has played enough of the
five that in Ni Smith he would just

588
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:45,599
run around. She would be crazy
that having to stand. Romeo would just

589
00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,519
be quiet, casually dunk on somebody
and just keep on going. I just

590
00:38:49,519 --> 00:38:53,039
think they'd be like just so much
versatility and passing and vibes and stuff like

591
00:38:53,039 --> 00:38:55,039
that. I I would just I
would really just want to see it.

592
00:38:55,079 --> 00:38:59,679
But I'm also like a wing nut, So anytime you ask you questions like

593
00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:01,679
that, just pick five wings and
I'm all good. I'm all in,

594
00:39:02,199 --> 00:39:05,159
well, as you're a wing nut, I'm a small ball nut. And

595
00:39:05,159 --> 00:39:07,840
I also I think you might be
the first person who's come on this podcast

596
00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,599
and given a wonky or lineup than
I have, because I always put so

597
00:39:10,679 --> 00:39:14,960
much thought into these questions. So
congratulations to you. Mine would be,

598
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,840
and it just seems so uninventive.
After the one that you just named,

599
00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:22,679
I would have Smart Brown and Tatum. Then I would have Jason Richardson,

600
00:39:22,679 --> 00:39:24,960
and I would have Peyton Pritchard.
You're playing without a center there, give

601
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,920
me all of that. Those are
the lineups that I really love to see.

602
00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:34,119
I imagine it'll get absolutely crucified,
crucified on the glass. I also

603
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,119
can guarantee you that I don't care. I just would want to see what

604
00:39:37,159 --> 00:39:39,639
would happen with that five mate group. And you can do some fun stuff

605
00:39:39,679 --> 00:39:43,480
like zone defenses. The NBA is
going up, up and up, so

606
00:39:43,519 --> 00:39:45,000
yeah, you still can come in
glass. But if you need to,

607
00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:50,159
if you need to protect yourself from
spize, there's low a team down that's

608
00:39:50,159 --> 00:39:52,519
a perfect unit to do stuff like
that. I think I think the league

609
00:39:52,559 --> 00:39:55,800
is gonna be fun this year.
I think we're gonna see a lot of

610
00:39:55,880 --> 00:40:01,960
like experimental defenses. As you know, teams teams have now all everyone every

611
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,719
feels like every team now has kind
of like small ball lineups and small ball

612
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:09,400
leanings. And I think now like
we're seeing more like teams trying to exploit

613
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:13,679
each other's small ball lineups and I
think a big part of that with zone

614
00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:17,599
defenses, which I think we're gonna
we're gonna start seeing an increase more across

615
00:40:17,639 --> 00:40:22,519
the league as well, So I'm
interested. Then this year's gonna be really

616
00:40:22,519 --> 00:40:25,960
fun. As we record this,
Boston's over under is set at forty five

617
00:40:27,039 --> 00:40:29,840
point five. Are you taking me
over the under on that? And where

618
00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:34,559
do you ultimately see them stacking up
within the East? Oh, I wouldn't

619
00:40:34,599 --> 00:40:39,440
touched that because there's a there's a
I just I just wouldn't because after last

620
00:40:39,519 --> 00:40:43,320
year, it's kind of like when
you pop your tire, and then when

621
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,159
and then after you get a new
tire, after every pothole you think your

622
00:40:45,199 --> 00:40:50,800
tires pops. After last year with
COVID, I'm just so scared, Like

623
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:52,440
I just think, like, yo, the worst fossile stuff is gonna happen

624
00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:54,920
to them. You don't know what
the injuries, you don't know, And

625
00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:59,199
that number is set up really nicely
where it's like they could go over if

626
00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:01,880
they're healthy and stay healthy the whole
year. But whoever does that in the

627
00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:06,920
NBA? You know? So I
would I think it's closer to being that

628
00:41:07,079 --> 00:41:09,440
forty five. I could see like
a it's like what forty five and thirty

629
00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:13,400
five or something like that, the
record or something along those lone forty five

630
00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,000
and thirty seven. That seems like
that seems like respectable. I could see

631
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:22,519
them maybe finishing like higher forties,
maybe touching like early fifties, but that's

632
00:41:22,559 --> 00:41:24,079
way too close. I wouldn't touch
it. But if I had to pick

633
00:41:24,159 --> 00:41:28,239
gun to my head, I would
go I would go over because I don't

634
00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:30,360
see them. Also on the flip
side finishing like too. It too far

635
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:36,280
below, So I would think over. But money wise, I wouldn't touch

636
00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:38,840
the money with the ball I want
to touch it. I would go over

637
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,400
too. And I just taught myself
thinking that al Horfer is going to be

638
00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,360
so fresh after being able to leave. Okay, see last year in the

639
00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,760
middle of the season, and you
have I have to imagine, No,

640
00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,880
you can't assume health. But like
hopefully Jayalen Brown will miss fewer games,

641
00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:57,639
Tatum won't have to be dealing with
the old effects of COVID, and maybe

642
00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,960
Marcus Smart should might miss fewer games. And just my virtue of having that

643
00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:07,320
that's almost just your path to forty
six wins to me that they have to

644
00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:08,440
clear. So I don't feel too
confident. I'm with you. I wouldn't

645
00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,920
touch it, but i'd go over
as well. Is there anything I didn't

646
00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,440
ask you about that you think needs
to be covered about this team? Yeah?

647
00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,239
I'm surprised he didn't ask me,
like, do you want me on

648
00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,719
the pod before or after the Celtics
beat the next on opening night? I'm

649
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:27,199
surprised. I'm surprised you just never
talked about this. Look, here's the

650
00:42:27,199 --> 00:42:30,320
thing is that I have to distance
myself from the Knicks. After they let

651
00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:35,280
Frankie Latina walk in free agent,
so they needed a three and D wing.

652
00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:37,880
He was sitting right there for them. So I'll be rooting for the

653
00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:40,159
Celtics when they faced the Nicks of
the first game of the season, just

654
00:42:40,199 --> 00:42:45,159
as just as retribution for the Knicks
letting Frankie smokes leave for Dallas of all

655
00:42:45,199 --> 00:42:50,039
teams too. Oh man. But
see, the Knicks has gotten themselves one

656
00:42:50,039 --> 00:42:52,519
of the most elite charge takers of
old time and kemba Walker Come Walkers in

657
00:42:52,599 --> 00:42:57,039
a surprise, you guys power.
He plays defense. I've been along,

658
00:42:57,519 --> 00:43:00,480
I've came for him on defense.
He plays his ass off, not as

659
00:43:00,559 --> 00:43:02,039
much last year, but like you
saw it in Charlotte. You saw it

660
00:43:02,119 --> 00:43:07,679
during that inaugural season in Boston.
So I'm just curious, you know,

661
00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:09,800
I'm sure you've looked at all the
moves they've made. They're putting an awful

662
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:15,559
lot of stock in Our defense was
very much tips based last year because you

663
00:43:15,679 --> 00:43:19,800
let your best perimeter defender walk.
Now RJ. Barrett has to cover all

664
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:22,320
these dudes. You do have,
MITCHA. Robinson in nerlans No, well,

665
00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:24,679
but you're I do think. Yeah, everyone likes to claim there's a

666
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:28,800
rhyme and reason to who they were
letting shoot three pointers. I think part

667
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:30,800
of that's actually true when you watch
them, and then also just what they

668
00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:34,880
were doing off the ball. At
the same time, there was definitely some

669
00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:38,320
luck taked into their opponent three point
shooting, and so they lead them leaning

670
00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:42,079
all the way into shock creation.
I kind of get it, but I'm

671
00:43:42,079 --> 00:43:45,000
almost wondering if they went like one
or two players too far where it was

672
00:43:45,039 --> 00:43:47,039
like, oh, maybe you should
have looked at keeping Reggie Bullock a little

673
00:43:47,039 --> 00:43:52,119
bit harder. Yeah, that is
the thing. I actually I had similar

674
00:43:52,079 --> 00:43:53,480
conserns of that. But then also
on the flip side, when you have

675
00:43:53,599 --> 00:43:58,039
so much more shock creation, Like, I'm mentioned to see how Julius Randall

676
00:43:58,119 --> 00:44:00,400
kind of reacts all that, because
I felt like last year he would he

677
00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:04,480
got to maximize himself because they needed
him to do that, you know what

678
00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:07,639
I mean. It reminded me a
little bit about of like Isaiah Thomas that

679
00:44:07,679 --> 00:44:10,039
first year at Boston, where it's
like we had no other people that could

680
00:44:10,039 --> 00:44:14,599
create shot, could create shooting,
So who cared if he did all of

681
00:44:14,599 --> 00:44:16,960
that and took all of that responsibility. But I'm mentioned to see how it

682
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:20,920
is now where you have a guy
like Kemba, you have a guy like

683
00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:24,280
Evan Fournier. Now I'm sure Derek
Rose, r J. Barrett wants taken

684
00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:28,800
other leap like Howard and all those
guys are going to be guards the balls

685
00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:30,599
in their head and making most decitizonables
of the time. So I want to

686
00:44:30,599 --> 00:44:35,920
see, like, how what does
that mean for Julius Randall's role and how

687
00:44:36,039 --> 00:44:39,000
is he going to react if he's
kind of like if he's now more off

688
00:44:39,079 --> 00:44:42,800
ball and they're telling him to kind
of create off the pick and roll now

689
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,559
versus like having the rock and kind
of making all decisions that way. I

690
00:44:45,639 --> 00:44:49,159
was also a little bit disappointed because
I would have liked to see RJ.

691
00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,800
Barrett get at least the same amount
of on ball agency and for all the

692
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:57,400
reasons you just mentioned, I think
the Knicks are set up to give him

693
00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:02,599
less and so I think that could
potentially stunt his growth on offense, even

694
00:45:02,639 --> 00:45:06,960
if that you know, spot up
jumper we saw last season is for real,

695
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,480
M, what are the chances they
bring him off the bench or because

696
00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:15,800
I can see a situation like that, not not because he's performed projects treated

697
00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:21,719
him getting better this year and coming
off the bench, just because it'll I

698
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:23,920
just see like I see a lot
of guys, a lot of scoring guys,

699
00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:29,760
mentality and at the garden kind of
like backcourt position where it's like I

700
00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,360
wonder they're gonna have to make decision
gone, kind of spreading out the scoring

701
00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:37,400
a little more. And who I
don't know if you if you tell Evan

702
00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:40,400
and his seventeen million that he's going
to be coming off the bench now versus

703
00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:43,639
our day, but maybe you do. I don't know, but I'm very

704
00:45:43,639 --> 00:45:45,639
interesting to see the next The next
is one of the more interesting teams for

705
00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:46,960
me. I just want to see
how it all turns out. Yeah,

706
00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:51,079
and I think either way. The
RJ. Barrett plus bench units actually kind

707
00:45:51,079 --> 00:45:52,360
of killed last year. So even
if they start him, I think you

708
00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:54,920
need to find a way to stagger
him just to get him that growth,

709
00:45:54,920 --> 00:46:00,840
whether it's effective or not. But
Alex as the future president of the Seattle

710
00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:07,280
SuperSonics, where can our listeners find
you? On Twitter? Man? Right

711
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,519
now? You can find me at
underscore Kungu up, I'm sorry, hungu

712
00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:15,960
k you end to you underscore NBA. No, no underscore in the beginning.

713
00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:21,360
I'm planning on getting back to writing
this year. Yes, yeah,

714
00:46:20,559 --> 00:46:23,519
with the way the season and everything
was so jumbled, I add to that

715
00:46:23,639 --> 00:46:28,519
overwhelmed everything. I just I couldn't
write last year. But I think I

716
00:46:28,519 --> 00:46:30,480
think I'm gonna be back. So
if you follow me on Twitter, I'll

717
00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:35,280
probably I'll probably be somewhere on substag
or phon or something like that, maybe

718
00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:38,480
guests blogging for certain sights, but
we'll see, but I'll be back following

719
00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:44,079
me underscore NBA. I'll be very
happy if you start writing again. I've

720
00:46:44,119 --> 00:46:46,760
also just wonder where you find the
time as a lawyer to actually write about

721
00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:51,320
this nonsense on the side. But
thank you as always for coming on it's

722
00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:53,079
always a blast and I'm sure,
as you know by now, i'll be

723
00:46:53,119 --> 00:46:57,960
pestering you again in the future and
no problem, and it's it's always good

724
00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:00,239
to happen to the Opera band,
So thank you, Obtundy.
