What is krack alakin Hardwknox listeners, I am Dan Valley coming at you once
more without my fantabulous Times Infinity co host Adam FROMO our team look Ahead train
rolls on with the Boston Celtics today. I'm gonna be talking with Alex Kungu.
At Kungu underscore NBA. At Ku nng you Underscore NBA. Follow him
on Twitter. He's a great follow. He does have a website whop Island,
where he used to write. He plans on firing that bad boy up
again. You can find a link in his Twitter bio. And I told
him I think before we recorded that I did miss his writing, So I'm
happy that he's going to start. He's always a great person to talk to
about the Celtics. We get into a ton It was a blast. Know
what we did record before. The Garrison Matthews signings, like those little miniature
moves aren't talked about here. You'll obviously forgive us for that. Don't think
that's game changing, as much as I love with Garrison Matthews around here.
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and so forth. Were also on Instagram at Hardwood Underscore Knox. Let's move
on to some deep, deep Boston Celtics talk with Alex Kungu. Alex,
thank you so much for coming back on to the Hardware Knox podcast to talk
with me about some Boston Celtics First and foremost though, how the are you?
Man? I'm doing well. I just came from Seattle, Pacific Northwest.
I fished for some salmon living. I'm living their off season life.
So but I'm definitely ready to get get things back in gear. I'm starting
to get that back, that NBA itch back now, so ready to get
it. Are you moving to Seattle to get them to bring back the Sonics
or what's the story on that? Maybe maybe maybe you know, we'll see
because you know when the super side has come back and it's gonna be great
that that city's been pastic But I think that's a different podcast it indeed it
is. So I'll start with this and then I want to recap their off
season. But I'm just wondering what your general thoughts, feelings, impressions,
whatever about the off season actually was for them. Was there anything that stands
out or caught off guard or that you just you know, you come out
of the off season one specific thing or addition or move or non move that
you find yourself thinking about. Man, I think for the Celtics, the
question is what didn't catch you off guard? You know, like I mean
like for some of for I know for some reporters. You know, though
the talks about Danny Age potentially stepping down where you know they were coming.
But from my point of view, I didn't know. It was like this
season, I didn't know Brad I didn't know Bradson was gonna be the president
of Battel Operations. And the way the way those moves happened so quick,
it was like that that's been a plan for at least a few months for
them. So going out from there, the front office was surprised to me,
the coaching staff just you know, the changes that they made. I
was really happy about it, not just in terms of the diversity higher which
has been a big butch for NBA players this year, but just more so
that this that the team is listening to their players because from what from what
I understand, you know, Tatum, Smart, Jalen, all of those
guys are really pushing for more diverse hires, and not not all, not
all, not all organizations take their players words and apply them so quickly.
So I was I was happy to see that the coach was the coach was
kind of a surprise to me. I thought Emay was the best guy for
the job, but I didn't know if being in Boston, would you know,
mean that they would maybe look for a bigger name. I thought,
maybe like a guy like Chauncey what it would it would maybe have gotten more
played just because he was a former Celtic. I believe he's family with Jason
in some type of way. So it looked like maybe that they would have
gone that route. But I'm happy. I'm happy then they ended up with
Emay. It's actually funny just to do a quick side note watching how Portland's
fans have just been so upset about their coaching staff and the Celtics just got
a Portland native coach who's now bringing in a coaching staff of just all Portland
natives, and I and I just keep thinking like how different would the Trouble's
offseason be to their fans if they just hired Emay instead of Chance. But
you know, maybe maybe when you're Portland guests comes on, he can talk
about that. But long story trying. I mean, everything surprised me,
and mostly a good way, mostly a good way. I'm sure we'll talk
about some things I'm a little bit more skeptible about, but the overall direction
of the team, I was very I was very happy to see. Yeah,
and look, you mentioned Chauncey. Imagine what the raction would have been
had Chauncy been hired in Boston and then all of a sudden, that's like
Brad Stevens's first or second big decision, whatever it is, and so had
that been flip flopped. I liked the choice that they made with Emydoka,
and I stand by, Look, if you're not listening to Jaylen Brown as
an organization, you're probably doing something wrong just because he's just one of the
overall smartest players in the league, like Encourt off the court. So it
was cool to see that they loose took his leanings and like you said,
Jason tatums and players into account. Emydoka has been pretty open about how much
he wants to see sort of his two incumbent guys, starting with Jason Tatum,
elevate their playmaking. And I do think after moving on from Fournier,
after moving Kemba Walker, even though you get Dennis Shrewd, they're still sort
of built in a way where they're gonna need lean on Jayson Tatum even more
to set up the offense to be there their floor general for stretches and I'm
just wondering based off what you know, he's all very made strides there.
I think last season we saw him make some more complicated passes and reads.
But based on what you've seen there, do you think he has another gear
there and would that be sort of the final front tier that separates him between
he's a superstar now, but there's still that MVP click just in front of
him. Yeah. So, I mean, the playmaking stuff is always hard
because a lot of like it's not it's not something that's guaranteed, you know
what I mean, Like you can get better as a playmaker, but there's
I could see him getting better as a playmaker and its not necessarily coming out
and assist and in that way as well. And what I mean by that
is you've watched Jason Tatum's passing development. I think it really really started and
when he had his first hot street I'm only two years ago in February,
when he started becoming unguardable off the catch, shoot three pointers and things like
that, because that was the first time defense and started really adjusting to him
at the number one. And what you saw was like he really really learned
stuff very quick, Like he learned how to make reads really quick. So
when they learned so when they first started double teaming him, and I almost
remembered this thinking the game where that happened against Utah specifically, he struggled a
lot. He didn't necessarily know where the play was going. He picked up
his dribble way too fast and it just ended up looking crazy. But within
a couple of weeks he was able to beat that. Then then what happened
is in the bubble he started seeing his zone a lot of his own defenses.
Toronto killed him with it, and so at a Miami with his own
defense and made him think so much that he really couldn't He really didn't know
what to do with the ball, and it kind of stif stifled his aggressiveness.
But by the next season, last season I'm speaking of now, he
seemed to be able to handle his own defenses and stuff like that. So
that leaves the last step I think to me is not just now the ability
to like read and react, but the ability to not anticipate and dictate defenders.
So one thing that have the perfect the perfect person to look at Luca
done. For example, when you watch Luka don gets go and even even
simple cross court passes. The reason why he's able to get them so quick
and hit people and they're so open all the time is because he's making the
pass before the defender even is making the defensive adjustment, you know what I
mean, Like they're they're still in, they're still in help while he's passing
it to the corner, for example. So that's that level of anticipation and
knowing what's going to happen before the play and doing it. That's a really
hard stuff to me. I don't know if I don't know if they'll makes
that stuff, to be honest, because that's really really hard, and I
don't there's not a big level of evidence of guys who aren't natural born passers
making that leap. But just looking at some of the stuff, the progressions
he's made now, considering some of his history of being a guy that was
a point guard in high school and stuff like that, it's impossible, yes,
But could he make it to that degree? Like is he ever gonna
be a seven eight ass this guy average game? I don't think so.
But I also don't think he needs to because I think he's the guy that
can legitimate average thirty at the same time. So to answer your question,
I do think he can make a leap, but I think his leap is
not His leap is not elite playmaker. I think his his his his conference
zone is going to be like five five six as to the game right there,
And I think if that's the leap we're talking about, that that's possible.
I saw. Joka also sort of mentioned the importance of Jalen Brown stepping
up as a playmaker and speaking of people who aren't natural born passers, have
you really seen anything to suggest that he has that dimension to his kid?
Jann Brown's a fantastic player. I just never looked at him after all these
years and thought, this is someone who can do what, let's say,
what Jason Tatum was doing before this past season. Yeah, yeah, and
I mean Jake and I'm I'm really happy you brought those up as two separate
things, because sometimes the people talk about the Jay's like one thing, and
they have very different developmental paths. So so with Jalen last year, there
was a really very interesting kind of diversion in his passing. Early in the
year, he played a lot out of like the mid post, and that
was where you know, and he's making a lot of highlights. He had
his little tea bag bag going on. But one thing he was also able
to do is he was able to make a lot of passes. He saw
the floor better. He became like one of Rob's like like top lob thrive
guys. And then later in the year, when he started becoming very apparent
that we weren't that the Celtics weren't getting three point shooting from other places,
they asked him to up his three point shooting. What we saw was him
taking like a lot of three point shooting, but it became a lot less
of like him holding the ball and making decisions, and it became more of
him just kind of shooting, like kind of just letting it fly. So
his playmaking dick because he was playing a very specific role. Now the question
is going to become now like okay, can you get the ball to the
top of the key, him off a pig, make defenses collapse and kick
out the opensuters. Jayalen is actually more Jalen is actually more equipped to do
that than Tatum is because he's more athletic, he's bigger, he's stronger,
he can get to rim much better. And finish better. So actually,
like he can he can at least do the collapsing, like get guys to
collapse and kick it out. Will he Will he ever do the anticipating?
Will he ever do like the manipulation? I don't think so. I don't
think that's in the cards for Jaalen. But he's he's he's he's put a
lot of us wrong. So maybe, but I think what he may make
might be looking for if he's thinking about it more realistically, it's just Jaalen
being more consistent with the driving kids, because you can't necessarily expect him to
learn how to make like these complicated reads. But if you're just telling him,
hey, man, when he gets to the rim and the defensive collapse,
you're gonna have guys here and here, get used to seeing guys going
here and here, and you kind of drow that into him over the course
of time. Now it's actually now that he's gotten usage, which is the
thing that people forget, like these young guy needs to actually see a lot
of looks and make a lot of mistakes before they get used to it,
because what's really developing is just experience, you know. So I think for
Jalen he can become a guy that can drive and kick more. He could,
He could become a guy guy I think, to do a little bit
more as a as a low threat, not just odd the midpost, but
from the three point line as well because of his first step. But like
but like, but like Katum, I don't think the upper echelons of elite
claiming and are in their cards. But I think if they can just you
know, be good playmakers, right, the type of playmakers that at least
can help help get their teams involved, the guys that aren't necessarily being black
holes like they were at times last year, I think that'd be huge.
So yeah, and to your point, if they try and like slow Jalon
Brown down to like take away his North South jet fuel in trying to have
him, like you to manipulate the defense, that would definitely be a mistake.
And he didn't prove. I wrote about this at some point in the
season where it felt like his drives were less addictable when you looked at the
volume of his passing and even his assist percentage on them. And so as
long as they surround him with guys who can hit those kickouts, it does
seem like he is more willing to make them. That being said, that
is not a distinction that I really made when I saw Ammadoca's comments. So
the way you framed it really helped me envision like the best possible Jaylon Brown
scenario in that regard. Yeah, yeah, it's it's gonna be really interesting.
I'm really interesting to see also how how Smart plays a part into that,
because it looks like he's going to be the starting point guard. Two.
Yeah, I guess that's do ultimate. Well, let me start here.
They're two biggest offsible I guess not even their two biggest. But how
do you like the fits of Shruder and Josh Richardson. I know Shuder is
build a zero risk, and he really is, but they all of a
sudden't have this guy who's now playing for his next contract that they're definitely not
going to resign unless something goes incredibly wrong, And so I'm wondering how that
sort of factors in what they're doing. And the I didn't have an issue
with the Josh Richardson extension. It was just such a whatever number to me.
But there's also the I've held out hope for Josh Redinson since he left
Miami, and that's like two straight seasons of being disappointed. So I was
just curious about your thoughts and optimism around their fits with this roster. Yeah,
so weirdly, I'm kind of a little bit more optimistic on Shruder just
because I kind of see I see a clear path where they kind of let
him be like what Gore and Droughtic goes for Miami, Like you just kind
of let him be the second unit maybe depending on how the starting units go,
maybe maybe you just play him with al off the bench and throughout the
regular season, you can win a lot of games with Shrewder and Horford being
the leaders of your second unit. So I can see I could see them
too, kind of like playing off each other doing well. I don't I
don't know or think Shruder will close games though, with injuries and stuff like
that, that's a possibility. But yeah, Like the Josh Innson thing is
the thing that I'm kind of iffy on because I see what I've seen what
everyone else sees. The it seems like three point shooting has been like a
really swing skill for him in the last couple of years that hasn't necessarily come
true. I'm not necessarily a believer that changing uniforms necessarily changes your talent level
at all. So I don't know like what the Celtics expect from that going
forward, but I do know he may. He may had a relationship with
him, a pretty good one, and he's you know, I think he
was one of the guys pushing to bring him into Boston as well. So
I know, at least from from a defensive standpoint of, you know,
a ninety four feet guy, a potential guy that you know can can help
you when you start thinking about who's gonna defend, like the Kyrie Irvings and
kind of Lowrys and stuff like that, that's a guy you think about.
But the big thing for them is going to be offensive because if your if
your team is built around Jason and Jalen, the complimentary guys have to be
guys that can space the floor. And johh Orgerson has a fit defensively,
but if he's not able to shoot, or if he's very streaky, it's
gonna call live thing in the question. He might you know, it could
think those outs really quick in a way where I think because of Dennis's playmaking
but handling ability to kind of, like, you know, run an offense.
I don't think his value inges on one skill the way I think Josh
Josh has does. So it's it's it's it's. But with that being said,
though, I am much more happier with the with the with the role
players overall, because the suffix played some guys that I'm happier not one of
the UniFormat Well, we'll just keep it at that. So do you think
they ultimately have enough playmaking or do you think, you know, is this
the I guess who's gonna be sort of most impacted aside from Jason Tatum and
Jalen Brown from this current pecking order. You mentioned Smart being a starting point
guard, and so are they going to ask him to do like more floor
general type stuff than they normally do. Maybe we see, you know,
a lot of a lot more of Peyton Pritchard this season. I'm just curious
how the pecking order is sort of impacted by the moves that they've made.
Yeah, I think, I think, I think, without question, I
would say there's two guys, but I'll start with one. Marcus. Marcus
is a market is gonna surprise a lot of people with how good a playmaker
he is. I generally think he's been the best playmaker on the team,
but I think mentally mentally, mentally wise, he's just been very like driven
on proving that he's a score And I think that got exacerbated more with Stevens
as he was moved off ball because Souths have had a lot of all star
caliber point guards the position, and that's less Marcus Martin kind of being like
the guy that covers with him on defense but then does secondary playmaking. But
the secondary playmaking is not enough to be necessarily known as a playmaker. So
it kind of becomes where his role has kind of been about, you know,
floor's facing a little bit and he's taking that a little bit too happily.
And I think now, and I think now as like just a guy
was like, look, you're responsible for running the offense, right, You're
responsible for making sure all these dads get their shots. You need to know
how these guys like their shots, where they're at. He's be responsible for
calling out the place, knowing all that stuff on both sense, right,
And I think that that's going to weirdly kind of concentrate him in a way
where we can just kind of maximize the best parts of him, which offensively,
I think his playmaking is actually his greatest tool by a pretty wide margin.
He's able to do a lot of the stuff that I'm talking about,
things that Tatum and Jalen will need to kind of show. He can do
a lot of those things. He doesn't have the scoring threat that creates some
of the passing lanes that make it a little bit easier for the Jason do,
but he does have like the IQ and the field where he can be
able to manipulate defenses in a way where I think will surprise people. The
other guy, I think that's gonna get a really high Another guy who I
think is really going to benefit a lot from this kind of new reshuffling is
is Rob Williams, who I think he showed himself to be a little bit
of a passer, right. I think some of that stuff is overblown a
little bit. I hope some kids don't tell me for that, But I
mean, like he's he's still more of a secondary pastor He's not on like
a Yokis trail or something like that. He's basically made he made the jump
before Jared Allen made the jump of like he can pass on those like shorter
roles or just as he's moving downhill exactly exactly like exactly. So I think
there he showed some stuff. And I think I think with the way that
the way the team is to kind of like set up now, depending on
how they go to the starters, like he's gonna have a chance, you
know, to show himself to be like a very high level, key starting
caliber center. And he compliments that Jay's wall. They love throwing him laws
as everyone on the team. Defensive wise, he's gonna be their backline communicator
there, you know, kind of their insurance. He gets a little jumpy
went with shot locking because he because you know, he can jump a lot.
He's kind of rilled in some of that. But pick and roll when
he's defending a guy like a legit shooter, that's still kind of been an
issue. And I'm gonna be really interested to see if this coaching staff can
kind of kind of help him get over that last hurdle because I kind of
think interior wise, he's become much more patient as a shop blocker, but
on the perimeter he still jumps a lot for everyone except for James Harden for
whatever reason, I think James Harden, he's he's just learned how to not
jump for James Harden, but everybody else he's still he still tries to leap
over them. So I don't get that. But I do think Rob is
going to be someone that if he can stay on the floor, stay healthy,
he can he has a chance to be like really impactive for them.
He could be one of those guys it ends up being like the net rating
Darling for the team, for example, where just his his his impact those
far beyond the counting numbers. I love it when guests answer a question before
I even get to It makes my job so much easier. I was curious
about his role. The one thing that I still wondering is do we expect
him to play a ton with Al Horford, because then it seems like they
are going to be depending on Robert Willings to be defending away from the basketball
in that scenario, because I don't see Al horfor but he still has some
of that malleability to him, but he's just getting up there. And I
don't know if you know, I thought Robert Williams got better away from the
basket later on in the season or at least maybe I was tuning in when
there were flashes of it. But like you said, I don't know if
that's gonna be his optimal role. And so do you think that we're gonna
see a lot of Horford Williams minutes slash? Do you see those minutes going
particularly? Well, oh, this is fun? Because I really don't know.
I don't know how is gonna and Brad Stevens is coaching. I would
tell you it would it would depend on what he sees from the other ways,
because when he went double biggs last year, it was not because he
liked double bigs. It was because that's how bad. That's like Grant Williams,
Romeo Langford, Nie Smith and stuff like that. Chemy show them something.
They showed him to not be reliable enough to play that because his preference
was good was to play small. I don't know what. I don't know
what Emilcau's preferences that are gonna be. He might prefer to play big because
unlike last year, he didn't have he didn't have an other big that can
space the floor in the type of way that Al Horford ken. So maybe
he goes big. But in my opinion, I could see them maybe going
with what's surprisingly either Josh Richardson. There's been some buzz about Aaron Nismith,
but I don't think he dribbles good enough to even even in a role where
he's just catching and shooting. He dribbles that bad that I don't know if
I wanted him to start period, I wanted to play, I just don't
wanted to start Josh. Josh Richardson could be a guy that gets like that
early, not just because he's kind of he's he's kind of a two if
he's able to not comment. He is a two. If he's able to
hit some catch and shoots and maybe be like you know, high high,
thirty percent, low forty percent there, and then he brings a defensive kind
of integrity back to them between him and between him and Smart. That is
kind of the backcourt that I think Emay would kind of like to envision them.
Just guys that can go nine before, are versatile, can really set
the tone at the point of attack. Maybe maybe he values that over room
protection, but that would be something that will that that will bear out.
But my but in my opinion, if I had to pick, I would
say maybe just out off the bench, Whip whip Shrewder, start, start
d Richardson and cross your fingers. He can hit, he can hit Caton
shrew threes in a more compimentary role and kind of just you know, have
like really value that point of attack defense and hope Rod can cover everything in
the back. I don't know that I would have asked this question before they
signed Dennis Shrewder, because I would have thought it was a no brainer.
But who do you even ends up getting more of an opportunity or just playing
the bigger role for this team. Is it Peyton Pritchard or Aaronnie Smith who
both had pretty good summer leagues, although I think it was Nicias Duncan tweeted
that he heard people calling Peyton Pritchard Caucasian Kyrie or something and that was that
was a little too much for me. Yeah, I mean, that wasn't
gonna be good because again, Pritchard, Pritchard is another Portland guy. He
may he may has known him before he he came on the Celtics, so
there's already kind of built him familiarity there. But at the same time,
you know, he played the position that's kind of a strength of the Celtics.
They have Marcus mart there. They have been a shrewder there who's going
to command you know, a lot of minutes as well. So if for
Print, Princhard's path is he has to show he can play off one of
them and still kind of bring it defensively. Ni smif path Nismith's path is
a little bit easier because he's a wing because behind the Jays there's not a
lot of answers there Romeo, you know, we don't know necessarily what's going
to happen with him. Grant had a kind of down year and struggle with
confidence last year, so there's used to be like a place for a reserve
wing to kind of like butt himself in. So just you know, just
you know the positions of how they're stacking up now. I would kind of
pull money on nice Smith just because he showed himself to be a guy that's
willing, you know, to go all out spensively, even though I thought
some of that was noise. He hustled a lot, which you know,
endeared him to the but his defense, like in terms of like reacting staying
in front of guys wasn't really that great. And I don't think it was
that great in summer League. He just hit a lot of shots, so
people didn't necessarily realize that. So you know it's still gonna be. It's
really up in the air, is what I'm trying to say. Like training
cab will determine that in my opinion. But if I had to put like
who's ahead right now, I would just go with Pritchard because I think he's
a better basketball player at this moment. Yeah, he looked really good in
summer League, and he Smith looked good on offense. I'd probably agree with
you with him defensively, and he is the Patrick Beverley of aaron Nie Smith's
when you look at his activity. I don't know if there's a rhyme or
reason to it all the time? Is there like a So let me frame
it this way. Between Juan her and Gomez, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford
who ends up playing a bigger role for this team, do any of them
get a chance to even play a real role for this team? Well,
I shouldn't be admitting this. You just reminded me Want Show was on the
team. He moved around a couple of times, So I think that's on
understandable. Yeah, I forgot all about watching. Yeah, so Wancho,
so yes for one for the previous question, want to would obviously be involved
in in a perimeter guy who's trying to squeeze in for minutes. But I
also, yeah, that's gonna be interesting to see because I know Wancho,
there's there, There's Jabari, I know some of the training camp guys they'll
see like Gary Clark, Jowan Mortigan. I think there's another. I think
Luke Cornette, even which is crazy, is probably gonna get a look there.
It's just it's very happy before or after they give up a first round
pick to get off of Venice candor oh my god, hopefully after oh god,
I miss doesn't then, but you know, so yeah, I really
don't know, like after after he gets out of like the top like eight
nine guys, Like I really feel like it's like an open common tryout,
like we don't know what role is gonna be flidified. We don't know who's
gonna rise and get it. And my money would my money I think if
I had to take from some of those like thirty tier of guys, now,
I would look at I would look at I would look at Lancho,
But Jabari showed me a couple of things. I'm not reading to give up
a Jabari yet. I know he is what he is offensively, like,
I don't see him like gaining any crazy flexibility and being able to do a
bunch of things. But he showed me a little something as like a guy
that could potential to be a playmaker, as a guy that could tend to
be like just like a score, a guy that can play off of like
scores and stuff like that. I wonder if, like if you haven't been
a second unit with like Shrewder and Al Horford, if Horford can just like
direct him enough that he can be, like, you know, just a
neutral guy defensively and then maybe at least be like a semi positive guy offensively,
because I think that that would be huge for a guy, like for
a guy on a non guaranteed deal. And I just think like with his
age as well, he still plays pretty powerful, So I would I'm rooting
for him. I'm very rooting for him, but I would I just based
off NBA body of work is probably one Joe, I will say, if
they're looking and as you sort of mentioned for another wing, type player who
can potentially dribble. I wouldn't view it as hern And Gomez. Er Nie
Smith. Parker, even though he's a big probably just comes closer to that,
given what he could do on on offense. Yeah. Uh so,
as you're talking about this, it would just make me thinking. I think
Zach Lowe said it on one of his recent podcasts that he is confidence in
the Celtics because he feels like they just have a lot of good players,
And as as I was going through this roster, I found myself agreeing with
him. But it also, just as you're talking, just feels like this
mishmash where there's still a ton of mystery involved. The one thing I feel
very confident is that they're going to be a defensive nightmare for opposing teams.
And so if I were to ask you to fill in the blank of this
sentence, the Celtics will rank in the top blank in points allowed per possession.
Where would you peg them in that hierarchy, I'd say I'd say top
five. I would want to go higher, but we're in Protection is still
a thing that exists, and I think Al Horford can be there. Positionally,
I worry about Rob just in general, I think you can build a
very elite defense even with those questions. But I think when you get into
the levels where you're talking about like the Utah and stuff like that, you
need to have also that scaring thing. I'm like, Okay, there's a
guy in the middle who I really fear. And if Rob can maintain even
after coaches scout him and kind of see his tendencies, if he can maintain
that presence, I'd probably take my answer to top two. But I have
to see it. I have to see it from him first. I have
to see that he's able to stay disciplined in all types of situations first,
before I can really say like, yeah, they're gonna be like a really
really special defense, right not right not. I just think they're gonna be
elite. But if Rob can be like who I hope Rob can be,
they have a chance to be very special, very special because that that blend
of one of attack defenders from the guard position, defensive versatility from the wing
position, and then rim protection from the from the bigs that that time nation
was pretty deadly. So all it all keys on Rob about how specially could
be, but just just foundationally, just with what we know now. I
think that's the top five defions off top. I tried to go through it
and pinpoint teams that I knew or I thought I knew would be better than
them on defense. And I think you can make cases for a bunch like
how you feel how you feel about Golden State as an example, I came
up with Utah, and I came up with Miami, and then I didn't
come up with any teams after that, just because of what happened with the
Lakers this summer, what's gonna happen with Ben Simmons and Philly The Knicks leaned
all the way into shock creation. I thought Golden State's defense was like kind
of artificially inflated last year. I guess Phoenix could be in the conversation,
but there are only two teams that I really came away thinking. And I
thought about Milwaukee for more than a minute, but I think Utah and Miami
are the only two teams I would say they're gonna definitively are going to have
better defenses than Boston this year for sure, And actually I would time to
diagree to it a little bit. I think we'll walk again have a better
defense just about what we know right now. I can't despect the champions and
I think there's something about winning a championship and the confidence that comes with that
and just having now you're you're in year what now? Drew Howdy is gonna
be here for another year? His first he has he has a school year
now, he's completely comfortable. The other guys that just at this stage all
corporate knowledge. So before we see anything, I would even give the edge
tive to Milwaukee just for now at least. Yeah, I guess I'm just
looking and their roster or some extent is gonna have to be relying on shemy
old Jela or Rodney Hood and even you know, Grayson Allen, especially with
Dante even trends about to start. I think the point that you bring up
now though, with corporate knowledge, they were trying a lot of different stuff
defensively last year, and now that's probably gonna be second nature for all of
them. So top five feels right. I'll you know what you talked me
into it. I'll put Milwaukee above them. But those are like the only
three teams I could really think about. We are now I'm moving into the
most unoriginal portion of the podcast because these are questions I ask every single guest
about their team. Who is the player most likely to be traded from this
team before the deadline as of today? I know stuff changes as the season
goes on. Oh without Okay, So it's also funny they like limited.
There are the no brainer once you know they're not going to trade me,
you look at Jason Shaman down Brown, and then there are like you know,
Al Horford and all I could isn't going anywhere. And then they you
extend Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. So if any deal happens there, like
that's not going to be for a while. So the options are pretty fairly
limited here. Yeah, and it depends. I feel like if you're if
we're just assuming that you know, like the big stars aren't going to be
available, like we will probably wait till the whole year and stuff like God,
I would say maybe Josh Richison, just because I think he's at a
comfortable number where even if you aren't super high on him, you don't feel
handcuffed by his contract. And just you know, if I could see a
world where maybe like buy like me smith A Romeo, it's a really big
step and Josh Herinerson is still struggling with his shot, not really sure if
his role, not liking the fact that between Smart and the Jay's and Shrewder
he's not getting enough touches dribbling. I could see a world like that where
he's not able with his role and then you know, because he's had he's
had such come to a number, the team maybe gets like a little deal
when they're able to get I don't know, like maybe like a different type
of wing like maybe a bigger win or something like that that maybe doesn't have
the same type of name value. So oh maybe like a Richardson for like
Joe Wingles and like a second round pick for example. I can see that
being I could see that being likely like like like like something like that.
So I would say, Josh Persons, insofar as you care, I'm gonna
be lame and say one hern and Gomez he has that non guaranteed year next
season, and if they let's assume Jabari Parker makes the roster, dealing like
dumping one hern and Gomez would be like the path to them just ducking the
luxury tax entirely. And so I'm just gonna be super lame and say it's
him. Oh yeah, Oh, that would be very unfortunate because that would
say a lot about the front office. If there's still nothing in the luxury
tax, that does a lot of not good things for people that need to
start thinking about how they're gonna convince the Jay's to resign again. But yeah,
but I don't I think Launche was good. He also liked that number
seven million. I think it's a hair over that. That's also a good
like whether it's a stepping ladder just to help up your return at a certain
deal that just feels like a very digestible salary and it's basically an expiring contract.
Yeah, it's good. And I mean they're gonna have a lot of
very good tradable contracts come trade deadline. So it'll be very interesting, especially
a deal like doesn't doesn't like what he's seeing, is not into the cryptocurrency
magic that's that Spencer's talking and he requested deal. It'll be some very difficult.
It'll be very difficult because it's something's just like their whole like half,
they're pretty much all their court has very trainable contract, so they'll be in
for something they'll they'll they'll be in for a lot of noise. If I
feel like requests of trade, what do you think will be the most used
or most effective crunch time lineup for this team? Okay, so I think
the first three I'm gonna put Smart and then the Jay's I think at the
five all things, all things equal, I'll put Horford, and then things
get tricky when it comes to that last spot. There's a lot of options
you can go with, but just with what we know of right now,
I would go Shrewder because I don't know. I don't know what Jodh Fridinson
is gonna how he's gonna fit in. I don't know what needs to it's
gonna do. I don't know what Prid is gonna do, and I don't
know what Lankford and Grant. I don't know what any of these guys gonna
look like this year. But I at least know Shrewder has. You know,
he has some NBA. He has an NBA resume being at least semi
productive as well, and he's and he has a pretty good track record being
good at multi guard lineups like he shouldn't. Okay, See, so I
could see a situation where you just go like Shrewder Smart Jayson Horford and just
kind of maximize all the playmaking that you have. You have guys that can
space the floor, and you just kind of and you have and they can
all defend like you're not You're not, you know, set selling extra guys
to help with Dennis and stuff like that. So maybe that's you know,
preseason that that that's my top role. And there's a chance that you know,
you could argue maybe Josh Versus isn't better than Shrewder, or maybe Robert
Williams is better than Horford, but there's a chance that just ends up being
their five best players of the season, and so that you wouldn't really have
to overthink that situation. Oh and while we're on the pod, the Celtics
just said Ryan Are Yeah, they guy from the Bulls. He has a
really annoying face, but hey, he might see but I know I know
his his he's an energy guy. He's gonna go to a coach that's gonna
appreciate that. So maybe he'll make the team. That trading game is gonna
be very, very competitive for the Celtics this year. Brad Brad's bringing a
lot of like veteran guys versus what I think Danny was doing, bringing a
lot of kids that that that didn't necessarily that wasn't gonna make a difference Brad.
Brad has a pretty competitive group of guys in camp, So I'm really
interested to see how that's gonna go. Is there a I'm gonna make you
the head coach? You have the ability to put any quirky, unconventional,
out of left field lineup that you want to try on the floor. What
would be that experimental five man unit for you? Oh? Okay, so
I'd put Tatum by point guard. I've always I've always wanted to do that.
I would put him right next to Jaln So actually Tatum Glan my back
court for my three and four. I would actually have I would actually have
Oh this, Oh, this is gonna be fun. Okay, let me
just have fun with this gun I'm gonna have. I'm gonna I'm gonna actually
put Aaron nick Smith here at the three. I'm gonna i'm gonna put Romeo
length for at the four, and and I'm gonna put Grant Williams at the
five. No guards at all all, all all wing size players and just
run with it and just see what the heck happens. It would be a
complete disaster because as much as as much as players don't as much as we've
gotten rid of the positions and stuff like that, I still think players really
still self identify roles, and it'd be really weird to see how they are.
But I think I think Tatum and Jalen will be comfortable enough. I
think Grant has played enough of the five that in Ni Smith he would just
run around. She would be crazy that having to stand. Romeo would just
be quiet, casually dunk on somebody and just keep on going. I just
think they'd be like just so much versatility and passing and vibes and stuff like
that. I I would just I would really just want to see it.
But I'm also like a wing nut, So anytime you ask you questions like
that, just pick five wings and I'm all good. I'm all in,
well, as you're a wing nut, I'm a small ball nut. And
I also I think you might be the first person who's come on this podcast
and given a wonky or lineup than I have, because I always put so
much thought into these questions. So congratulations to you. Mine would be,
and it just seems so uninventive. After the one that you just named,
I would have Smart Brown and Tatum. Then I would have Jason Richardson,
and I would have Peyton Pritchard. You're playing without a center there, give
me all of that. Those are the lineups that I really love to see.
I imagine it'll get absolutely crucified, crucified on the glass. I also
can guarantee you that I don't care. I just would want to see what
would happen with that five mate group. And you can do some fun stuff
like zone defenses. The NBA is going up, up and up, so
yeah, you still can come in glass. But if you need to,
if you need to protect yourself from spize, there's low a team down that's
a perfect unit to do stuff like that. I think I think the league
is gonna be fun this year. I think we're gonna see a lot of
like experimental defenses. As you know, teams teams have now all everyone every
feels like every team now has kind of like small ball lineups and small ball
leanings. And I think now like we're seeing more like teams trying to exploit
each other's small ball lineups and I think a big part of that with zone
defenses, which I think we're gonna we're gonna start seeing an increase more across
the league as well, So I'm interested. Then this year's gonna be really
fun. As we record this, Boston's over under is set at forty five
point five. Are you taking me over the under on that? And where
do you ultimately see them stacking up within the East? Oh, I wouldn't
touched that because there's a there's a I just I just wouldn't because after last
year, it's kind of like when you pop your tire, and then when
and then after you get a new tire, after every pothole you think your
tires pops. After last year with COVID, I'm just so scared, Like
I just think, like, yo, the worst fossile stuff is gonna happen
to them. You don't know what the injuries, you don't know, And
that number is set up really nicely where it's like they could go over if
they're healthy and stay healthy the whole year. But whoever does that in the
NBA? You know? So I would I think it's closer to being that
forty five. I could see like a it's like what forty five and thirty
five or something like that, the record or something along those lone forty five
and thirty seven. That seems like that seems like respectable. I could see
them maybe finishing like higher forties, maybe touching like early fifties, but that's
way too close. I wouldn't touch it. But if I had to pick
gun to my head, I would go I would go over because I don't
see them. Also on the flip side finishing like too. It too far
below, So I would think over. But money wise, I wouldn't touch
the money with the ball I want to touch it. I would go over
too. And I just taught myself thinking that al Horfer is going to be
so fresh after being able to leave. Okay, see last year in the
middle of the season, and you have I have to imagine, No,
you can't assume health. But like hopefully Jayalen Brown will miss fewer games,
Tatum won't have to be dealing with the old effects of COVID, and maybe
Marcus Smart should might miss fewer games. And just my virtue of having that
that's almost just your path to forty six wins to me that they have to
clear. So I don't feel too confident. I'm with you. I wouldn't
touch it, but i'd go over as well. Is there anything I didn't
ask you about that you think needs to be covered about this team? Yeah?
I'm surprised he didn't ask me, like, do you want me on
the pod before or after the Celtics beat the next on opening night? I'm
surprised. I'm surprised you just never talked about this. Look, here's the
thing is that I have to distance myself from the Knicks. After they let
Frankie Latina walk in free agent, so they needed a three and D wing.
He was sitting right there for them. So I'll be rooting for the
Celtics when they faced the Nicks of the first game of the season, just
as just as retribution for the Knicks letting Frankie smokes leave for Dallas of all
teams too. Oh man. But see, the Knicks has gotten themselves one
of the most elite charge takers of old time and kemba Walker Come Walkers in
a surprise, you guys power. He plays defense. I've been along,
I've came for him on defense. He plays his ass off, not as
much last year, but like you saw it in Charlotte. You saw it
during that inaugural season in Boston. So I'm just curious, you know,
I'm sure you've looked at all the moves they've made. They're putting an awful
lot of stock in Our defense was very much tips based last year because you
let your best perimeter defender walk. Now RJ. Barrett has to cover all
these dudes. You do have, MITCHA. Robinson in nerlans No, well,
but you're I do think. Yeah, everyone likes to claim there's a
rhyme and reason to who they were letting shoot three pointers. I think part
of that's actually true when you watch them, and then also just what they
were doing off the ball. At the same time, there was definitely some
luck taked into their opponent three point shooting, and so they lead them leaning
all the way into shock creation. I kind of get it, but I'm
almost wondering if they went like one or two players too far where it was
like, oh, maybe you should have looked at keeping Reggie Bullock a little
bit harder. Yeah, that is the thing. I actually I had similar
conserns of that. But then also on the flip side, when you have
so much more shock creation, Like, I'm mentioned to see how Julius Randall
kind of reacts all that, because I felt like last year he would he
got to maximize himself because they needed him to do that, you know what
I mean. It reminded me a little bit about of like Isaiah Thomas that
first year at Boston, where it's like we had no other people that could
create shot, could create shooting, So who cared if he did all of
that and took all of that responsibility. But I'm mentioned to see how it
is now where you have a guy like Kemba, you have a guy like
Evan Fournier. Now I'm sure Derek Rose, r J. Barrett wants taken
other leap like Howard and all those guys are going to be guards the balls
in their head and making most decitizonables of the time. So I want to
see, like, how what does that mean for Julius Randall's role and how
is he going to react if he's kind of like if he's now more off
ball and they're telling him to kind of create off the pick and roll now
versus like having the rock and kind of making all decisions that way. I
was also a little bit disappointed because I would have liked to see RJ.
Barrett get at least the same amount of on ball agency and for all the
reasons you just mentioned, I think the Knicks are set up to give him
less and so I think that could potentially stunt his growth on offense, even
if that you know, spot up jumper we saw last season is for real,
M, what are the chances they bring him off the bench or because
I can see a situation like that, not not because he's performed projects treated
him getting better this year and coming off the bench, just because it'll I
just see like I see a lot of guys, a lot of scoring guys,
mentality and at the garden kind of like backcourt position where it's like I
wonder they're gonna have to make decision gone, kind of spreading out the scoring
a little more. And who I don't know if you if you tell Evan
and his seventeen million that he's going to be coming off the bench now versus
our day, but maybe you do. I don't know, but I'm very
interesting to see the next The next is one of the more interesting teams for
me. I just want to see how it all turns out. Yeah,
and I think either way. The RJ. Barrett plus bench units actually kind
of killed last year. So even if they start him, I think you
need to find a way to stagger him just to get him that growth,
whether it's effective or not. But Alex as the future president of the Seattle
SuperSonics, where can our listeners find you? On Twitter? Man? Right
now? You can find me at underscore Kungu up, I'm sorry, hungu
k you end to you underscore NBA. No, no underscore in the beginning.
I'm planning on getting back to writing this year. Yes, yeah,
with the way the season and everything was so jumbled, I add to that
overwhelmed everything. I just I couldn't write last year. But I think I
think I'm gonna be back. So if you follow me on Twitter, I'll
probably I'll probably be somewhere on substag or phon or something like that, maybe
guests blogging for certain sights, but we'll see, but I'll be back following
me underscore NBA. I'll be very happy if you start writing again. I've
also just wonder where you find the time as a lawyer to actually write about
this nonsense on the side. But thank you as always for coming on it's
always a blast and I'm sure, as you know by now, i'll be
pestering you again in the future and no problem, and it's it's always good
to happen to the Opera band, So thank you, Obtundy.