WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:08.080 It's nice with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy Boston Radio. 2 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:12.279 Thank you, Dan, appreciate it. I'd like to thank Emily 3 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:15.759 Kennedy for joining US earlier. Andrew Giannoers, Well, gonna switch 4 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:20.199 from entertainment in the world of movies and Hollywood as 5 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.120 we get the sports. Like I said, it's the week 6 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:26.120 of Thanksgiving. I'm done with Trump. I'm done with Trump. 7 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:28.239 I'm done with what Harris that have done. I'm done 8 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.120 with I can't handle it. It's all about having a 9 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:32.920 good time, eating a lot of turkey. 10 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.520 And stuffing, and that's the bottom line. Jackson Tolliver joins US. 11 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:39.840 He's from CNLS Media covers the Celtics, covers the Patriots, 12 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:42.359 does a great job for them. 13 00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:43.439 Jackson, what's going on. 14 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:46.320 Buddy, mister Tanguy, how are you doing. 15 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.000 I'm see yeah, I'm doing great. Thanks all right. So Porzingis, 16 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:52.920 let's get right into it. The Porzingis comes back, he 17 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.320 gets sixteen points. The Celtics absolutely bury the Clippers. 18 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:58.479 Did they bring them back to soon? 19 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:03.679 Well, I mean why would they? You know, you're sitting 20 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:05.920 at fourteen and three before he comes back into last 21 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.840 night's game. Second in the Eastern Conference, only behind the 22 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.120 surging Cleveland Cavaliers. Why would they rush it back. I 23 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.840 don't see a point too. I mean, you know, obviously 24 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:19.280 their main goal with Porzingis is to keep him healthy 25 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:22.799 for the playoffs, as healthy as possible. If you remember 26 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.040 last year's playoff run, they missed him for the entirety 27 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.400 of the second round in the Eastern Conference Finals, got 28 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:29.920 him back for a couple of games in the finals, 29 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:31.480 but missed him for a couple games. So they want 30 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:34.200 to avoid that as much as possible. The team wants 31 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:36.640 Kristaps to be as healthy as possible in the playoffs, 32 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:39.239 and if bringing him back last night put that in 33 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.480 jeopardy at all, they wouldn't have done it. He's ready 34 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:44.120 to play. It's been five months since his surgery. When 35 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:48.920 it's frankly very bizarre ankle injury described as you know, 36 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:53.359 pretty freakishly rare. But it's been five months since that surgery. 37 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:55.719 He's eager to come back. Like I said, it's not 38 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.159 like this is a struggling team. They were doing fine 39 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:00.439 without him. I don't think that they would rush back 40 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:01.840 if he wasn't one hundred percent ready to go. 41 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.920 Well, yeah, it's just you know, the pessimist in me 42 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:06.879 or I'm like, well, you don't really need him, Mike, 43 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:07.680 can't he sitting. 44 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:07.840 On the show. 45 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:11.360 Here's one of the things that I thought of, is 46 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:13.840 the guy's going crazy, like Jackson, how do you tell 47 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:15.280 the player like you can't play when he. 48 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:16.199 Says, look, I'm ready to play. 49 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:18.199 I want to play, you kind of you know, the 50 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:20.439 guy's going to go loopy, right. 51 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:22.680 And he also loves playing for the Celtics. I mean 52 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:25.400 that's been evident ever since he was traded here last 53 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:27.719 season from the Washington Wizards. He loves being in Boston. 54 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:29.840 He's made that very clear. And the fans love him too, 55 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:33.759 so he's he's a special player here. And yeah, I mean, 56 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:35.680 like you said, you don't want to go crazy without playing. 57 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:37.080 And it's also that you wanted to get his reps in. 58 00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:39.319 You want him to, you know, play in a live 59 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:41.240 NBA game, because there's only so much you can do 60 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:45.280 shooting around in an empty gym or scrimmaging, which he did. 61 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:47.520 He actually went up to Maine before he played last night, 62 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:50.280 his scrimmage with the G League team up in Maine, 63 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:52.479 So you know, you want him to get live five 64 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:54.479 on five NBA action and you could tell that he 65 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:57.319 was a little rusty last night. Like you said, sixteen points, 66 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.520 which is you know, pretty solid for your third guy. 67 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:02.159 But he wants to be closer to that twenty twenty 68 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:05.439 one mark. That's around what he averaged last season, so 69 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.439 expect him to get closer to there as the games 70 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.560 go on. Celtics do have three nights off now, which 71 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:14.719 will help him out. Maybe you know, played into the 72 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:16.639 timing of you know, give him a game, see how 73 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:20.280 his ankle respond, see how he feels, and then Friday. 74 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:22.000 You know, as far as we know right now, they're 75 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.039 headed to Chicago and as far as we know, he's 76 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:24.759 going to be good to go. 77 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:27.719 That's a great point. On the backside, he had plenty 78 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:30.719 of time off. Pritcher sixth Man of the Year award. 79 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:32.719 Do we need to pump the brakes on that a 80 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:33.159 little bit? 81 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:36.000 I don't think so at all. I mean, you know, 82 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:39.240 the numbers don't lie right now that he should probably 83 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:41.599 be considered the front runner. You have some other guys 84 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:43.960 around the league that are also doing very well. You 85 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:47.479 got Buddy Heels with the Warriors, who is fitting seamlessly 86 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:51.280 into that Klay Thompson role since he departed to Dallas, 87 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:54.560 so you got some guys around. But I mean the 88 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:58.240 impact that Peyton Pritchard has off the bench. You watch 89 00:03:58.319 --> 00:03:59.960 so many Celtics games and they come out a little 90 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:02.759 for whatever reason, they don't have the energy. You're coming 91 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:04.840 off a championship, right so that stuff's gonna happen. You're 92 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:08.360 gonna have the championship hangover as they call it. So 93 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:10.319 you've got these guys coming out with no energy, looking 94 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.719 a little slow, and all of a sudden, with about 95 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:14.280 six minutes to go in the first quarter, you see 96 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:16.879 Peyton Pritcharck come in and the game just completely changes. 97 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:19.639 So even beyond just what the box score says and 98 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:21.759 the shooting numbers, which are great, and his points for 99 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:25.360 game numbers are also great, he just has such an 100 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:29.839 inexplicable impact on the energy of the team, on the 101 00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:32.720 performance of the team. Frankly, he has. I mean last 102 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:35.319 night the great example, you know, sticking on that. He 103 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:37.040 was fantastic last night. He had a great game. He 104 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:40.120 was just in just an immediate impact off the bench. 105 00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:45.720 Tremendous showing by him. And I think, you know, a 106 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:49.120 lot can happen, but the Celtics right now, like I said, 107 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:51.639 second best record in the East and the NBA. So 108 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:55.040 if they keep up that momentum, those types of awards 109 00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:56.199 tend to go to teams to perform. 110 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:56.399 Well. 111 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:58.480 We saw a Celtics win that award just a couple 112 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:00.759 of years ago, maclm. Brogden And if you put those 113 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:02.959 two their numbers side by side, they're not too far 114 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:05.040 off right now. So why he's a great shot at it. 115 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:09.000 I mean, obviously he's worked very hard, okay, because he's 116 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:12.360 a better player than he was two years ago. And 117 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:15.240 it's not it's yeah, I mean, it's not simply just 118 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:20.040 confidence because this kid. Obviously confidence has a lot to 119 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:23.079 do with it. But I remember when he wasn't playing. Now, 120 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:24.959 we thought that he was a nice player, came in 121 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.399 as a rookie. Okay, maybe he's an eighth or ninth 122 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:28.639 guy right at best. 123 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:29.199 Yep. 124 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:31.959 Then he didn't see the light of day, wasn't really 125 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:35.240 fitting into the rotation. And now he comes back and 126 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:37.360 they're talking about six minut of the year. Would and 127 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:39.920 I understand about the numbers. I never thought that would 128 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:40.759 happen with Pritchard. 129 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:41.800 Never. 130 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.240 Yeah, And you can't you're right, Jackson, I can't argue 131 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:46.199 I mean, the numbers are there. 132 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:47.839 I just did not see this coming. 133 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:52.040 I think I mentioned Brogen before. I think that a 134 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.199 lot of his problems is that he's been buried in 135 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:59.199 a pretty pretty strong guard group for the Celtics in 136 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:01.759 those early years his career, because you remember, they had Smart, 137 00:06:01.959 --> 00:06:04.199 they had White when they acquired him, they had Brogged 138 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:06.680 in right and before that, they had Kemba, and they 139 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:10.959 had you know, guys that they consistently had to play well, right, yeah, 140 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:12.480 a lot of people did, but Kemball was here for 141 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.800 a couple of years, right, so you know, he had 142 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.199 guys ahead of him that were, frankly like you had 143 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:21.399 to play them if you're Brad Stevens or Joe Mizzula 144 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:25.160 or Emo Udoka. Even so, those guys were ahead of 145 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:29.240 him in the rotation. And then when he actually got 146 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:31.720 his big time extension right around the time that Malcolm 147 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:35.360 Brogg getting got traded and that sort of and then 148 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.040 Marcus Smart was trained at that time as well. So 149 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:39.800 now at that point you look at the depth chart, 150 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:42.120 well you've got through Holliday and you've got Derek White, 151 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:44.439 but who's your next guard? And he was the clear 152 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:46.480 cut next guard. He was the only guy that had, 153 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:48.399 and that was such a big knock on the Celtics 154 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.439 going into last season that well, their bench is pretty 155 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:53.720 lousy now they only have Pritchard and Houser and Horford's great. 156 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.600 But besides Horford, you know, there were a lot of 157 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:57.839 question marks around these guys. But he was able to 158 00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:01.040 prove all those people wrong. And he's been great. He's 159 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:04.519 he has so many iconic moments that he's become such 160 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:06.839 a franchise favorite. I mean, how many buzzer beaters did 161 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:08.600 he have last year? I think it's got to be 162 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:11.639 four or five, which is a particulous number, and two 163 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:14.480 of those came in the finals. Yeah, So I mean, 164 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:17.800 just other worldly stuff that's really made him a fan 165 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:23.439 favorite in Boston. And like you said, utmost confidence, ultimate work. 166 00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:24.959 E think, I mean, to be six to one in 167 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.120 the NBA. Uh is no easy feat to be doing 168 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.560 what he's doing. We've seen that with another guy who's 169 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.759 even shorter, Isaiah Thomas, when he was around here. Same thing, right, 170 00:07:33.879 --> 00:07:36.439 Just guys that have to work a little bit harder 171 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:38.639 because they don't have the size to say, Jason Tatum 172 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:42.720 or Jamien Brown. Of course, Christoph Korzingis and and and 173 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:44.680 you know, it's just great to see his work ethic 174 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.560 being rewarded by how good he's playing right now and 175 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:49.800 how he's impacting a championship contender. 176 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.720 How do you think What do you think of his defense? 177 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.639 I mean, you know, he's he is six to one, 178 00:07:56.040 --> 00:07:58.279 so that provides an issue if teams are looking to 179 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:00.720 switch against you. But I think for his size, he 180 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:02.000 has a lot of things on that side of the 181 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:05.319 ball pretty well, particularly rebounding. He has a great seal 182 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:08.920 for positioning that's really tough to teach, but he can 183 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:12.120 get some offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds, so I think 184 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:13.639 he can hold up on that. In the floor, you 185 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:17.279 obviously have issues in terms of size, but you know, 186 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.519 he's always pressing guys full court. He definitely doesn't have 187 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:24.199 a lack of a motor. He's always gonna try his 188 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:26.439 best and sometimes that's really all it takes. Just a 189 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.399 guy who's not going to tire out there. You're going 190 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:30.319 to press you full court the entire time, just make 191 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.200 things more difficult for you, and he can do that. 192 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:35.279 But like I said, you know, switching and switching, but 193 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:37.279 it's up to the coaching staff to try to prevent 194 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.000 that from happening, where teams can exploit his size and 195 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:43.480 abuse mismatches like the Celtics do all the time with 196 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:45.399 Christops coming m Next. 197 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:48.639 With Jackson Tulliver from CLNS Media covering the Celtics. I 198 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:50.240 do want to get into the Patriots a little bit 199 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:52.039 with him, because he certainly has done his time down 200 00:08:52.039 --> 00:08:56.200 in Foxborough. But I want to ask him about the genius, 201 00:08:57.080 --> 00:08:59.200 the man that marches to his own beat, Joe Missoula. 202 00:08:59.279 --> 00:08:59.600 Next. 203 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:03.759 Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World 204 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:07.000 night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio. 205 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:11.720 Jackson Telliver's our guest here on wb Z covers the 206 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:14.039 Celtics and the Patriots for Seal Ins Media. Jackson, I 207 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:18.039 want to talk about Missoula here. Last year he seemed 208 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:20.480 to be relatively normal. At the beginning of this year, 209 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:24.960 seemed to be a little quirky again. What's your read 210 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:26.320 on him so far this season? 211 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:29.320 That's what happens when you win a championship, you know, 212 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:34.159 you can really let the walls down. He's an interesting dude, 213 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:37.080 and we've seen that they're right. Like last year at 214 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:38.600 the beginning the year, he was pretty normal. The year 215 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:40.720 before in his rookie year. But now he's just sort 216 00:09:40.759 --> 00:09:42.480 of really letting his personality shown, which I think is 217 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:44.200 a good thing. I think the players that resonate with 218 00:09:44.279 --> 00:09:47.320 him clearly something that he's doing is working. Because they 219 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:50.320 won a championship and they've been doing so well. I 220 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:53.120 think that this guy has the potential to be a 221 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:55.120 really really good coach in this league for a really 222 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.639 really long time. I think his strategy where he has 223 00:09:58.679 --> 00:10:02.080 heavy emphasis on a three point a shot, uh works well. 224 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:04.440 They want a championship off that. You see other teams 225 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:06.960 trying to copy what the Celtics are doing, which is 226 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:09.720 just we're gonna shoot x amount of threes and if 227 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:12.639 x percent go in, you're not gonna beat us. It's impossible. 228 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:16.120 So that's great. And yeah, he's a very very interesting 229 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:18.879 guy sitting in on some of his you know, pre 230 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.480 game of postgame interviews. I remember last week, Uh, somebody 231 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:25.120 asked him how he felt about the City edition jerseys. 232 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:27.600 He said, I like him. They said why, He said, 233 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:30.080 because they say the Celtics on him, and that's all 234 00:10:30.120 --> 00:10:36.840 he said. So he's a very strange guy, but you know, 235 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:40.360 not not strange. Didn't like he's you know, a weird 236 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:43.440 guy or a bad guy. He just doesn't have time 237 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.840 for a lot of the you know, media media stuff 238 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:48.919 that other coaches are gonna put through. And he is 239 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:52.759 a very sarcastic, very funny guy. I can't help but 240 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:54.840 laugh at almost every press conference that he has because 241 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:57.399 he's very quick and he has a set of humor 242 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.399 that you kind of have to be born with. It's 243 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:01.559 it's not really taught, it's very funny stuff. 244 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:03.240 I forgot. 245 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:05.879 The Celtics won by two points in the game previous 246 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:06.679 to the Clippers game. 247 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:08.039 Who did they beat? I forgot? 248 00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:09.960 Ah, that was timber Wolves. 249 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:13.919 Yes, yes, yeah, that's right, Okay, Timberwolves, right, thank you. 250 00:11:14.919 --> 00:11:18.120 And in that game, defense, the defense was the key, right. 251 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:21.799 They started hot with the three, then they got cold 252 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:24.480 with the three. And I know what you're saying about 253 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:27.200 how they focus on the three point shot, and that's 254 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:29.320 been the design and I also think that's been what. 255 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:30.480 Brad Stevens wants to do. 256 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:33.639 But I don't look at the Celtics like the Golden 257 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:36.440 State Warriors. And I mean this as a compliment, like 258 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:40.159 because the other night against the Tea Wolves, where they 259 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:43.279 had these bad stretches of shooting, the three. The reason 260 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:46.519 they win the game was because of defense. So in 261 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:48.519 the past with the Celtics, I always felt, well, if 262 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:50.559 they're not shooting threes, they're not going to win. That's 263 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.159 not the case even without porzingis they are to me 264 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.840 they are not a dependent three point shooting team, which 265 00:11:57.879 --> 00:11:58.519 is a good thing. 266 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:02.159 Yeah, I think their offense is largely depending on it. 267 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.200 But you're right, they can still find ways to win 268 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:06.360 down the stretch and we saw that in the Minnesota game. 269 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:09.159 That's a great example. Another one is the Toronto game 270 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.480 that happened about a week ago where Jason tam won 271 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:13.919 at the buzzer were the three. But that's beside the point. 272 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:16.759 They can find ways to win down the stretch if 273 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:19.000 they have to. But yeah, you're right, a lot of 274 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:22.879 it relies on defense. And when you have Drew Holliday 275 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.840 and Derek White, which is probably the best defensive backcourt 276 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:29.120 in the NBA. Actually not probably, it is the best 277 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:32.559 defensive back court in the NBA, those two guys are 278 00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:36.240 going to make it really hard on the opposing team's guards. 279 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:38.799 And most of the stars in this league are guards 280 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.639 for whatever reason. So Anthony Edwards is a great example. 281 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:44.200 If you bring a guy like Anthony Edwards, you know, 282 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:46.120 he's still going to get his which is like twenty 283 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:49.600 points or whatever. But Drew Holliday or Derek white glowis 284 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:52.720 the Seino is going to make it tremendously more difficult 285 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:54.559 for him. Drew Holliday is, you know, one of the 286 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:57.360 most respected premier defenders in the NBA. He's been that 287 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:00.120 way for multiple years. Never won a Defensive Player the 288 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:02.559 Year award because that award does usually go to Biggs, 289 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:06.960 but he is consistently on the All Defensive team. He's 290 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:09.240 very well respected. That's why he was on the Olympic 291 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:11.879 team was for his defense. Right, There's much better scores 292 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:14.799 than Drew Holliday who are left off that Olympic team, 293 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:17.279 but you need him for his defense. There's nobody like him, 294 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:19.600 So yeah, you're right, one hundred percent. And Jalen Brown 295 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:23.720 also super underrated defender, and Christophforzingis. They missed that rim 296 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.919 protection ability so much, but you saw it last night. 297 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.000 Racked up a couple of blocks and did a great 298 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:31.440 job against Viata Zubak. He was the Clipper center. He 299 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:33.879 did a great job defending him. And you know, obviously 300 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:35.399 they did a great job. They held the Clippers to 301 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.960 I believe it was eighty nine points or something like that. 302 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.759 It was definitely under a hundred. So you're right. Defense 303 00:13:40.919 --> 00:13:43.080 wins championships and it helped him a lot last year. 304 00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:46.279 It's probably gonna help him again as they try to repeat, Oh, 305 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:46.960 there's no doubt. 306 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:50.320 Listen, when Brown wants to shut you down, he can. Yeah, 307 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:52.360 I mean when he wants to do it, he can 308 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:54.919 be a great defensive player. I am sick and tired 309 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:57.879 of Anthony Edwards though. I mean in the Timberwolves, and 310 00:13:57.960 --> 00:13:59.559 you know they made the deal with the Knicks, and 311 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:01.080 I want to get into that in a minute. But 312 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:04.639 everybody's talking about the Wolves. Blah blah blah. Give it Tatum. 313 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:06.960 This is the homer in me. Give it Tatum crap 314 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.159 because he didn't shoot well. But they won the finals, 315 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:12.120 but Anthony edwis well, they're eight and eight, okay, and 316 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:14.480 then the playoffs last year they were won and done. 317 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.360 So I'm tired of that talk. And I know it 318 00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:21.799 was a close game and that's fine, but I'm just 319 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:25.039 tired of the two Wolves, like show me something please. 320 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:28.519 Yeah, to be fair, it was conference finals and they 321 00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:29.600 did beat the Nuggets in the. 322 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:36.000 Right Listen, don't let the facts get away of a 323 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:36.639 good story. 324 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:40.600 You're hey, it's my job man, as a reporter, I 325 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:42.720 always got to call You're in the finals. 326 00:14:42.759 --> 00:14:44.080 They were in the conference finals. 327 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.480 Yeah, conference finals. They a lot of people thought they 328 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:48.919 were going to be playing Boston. 329 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:56.240 But lost. Okay, yeah, lost in five. Couldn't go five. 330 00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:59.080 They couldn't even go longer than five. Please, that is true. 331 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:00.799 That is true. They were down three to zero. So 332 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:05.519 it was a gentleman sweet situation. Yeah. I definitely feel 333 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:07.360 that way with Anthony Edwards. I mean, if you remember 334 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:09.159 this summer when he was on the Olympic team, he 335 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:11.639 was very vocal about saying, I still feel like I'm 336 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:13.399 the number one option. I still want to be said 337 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:14.919 the ball all the time when you're on a team 338 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:18.159 with Lebron James and Kevin Durant and then Anthony Davis 339 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:20.720 and Jason Tatum and so on and so forth. So 340 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.720 he's a very cocky guy, and I think it's sort 341 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:25.720 of a double edged sword, because yeah, I can be annoying, 342 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:28.360 and you know, Jason Tatum addressed that after the game. 343 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.399 Because there's a documentary that came out on Netflix starting five, 344 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:34.480 and in the documentary they got a clip of Anthony 345 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:37.720 Edwards after the game say something like, you know, they 346 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:39.879 say he's the best player in the league. I locked 347 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.519 him up blah blah blah, and you know that's that's 348 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.679 kind of what he does. But also it's pretty entertaining 349 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:49.200 when when a guy is that vocal and you know, 350 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:50.679 he's really in your face, and he was doing it 351 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:53.080 all throughout the playoffs last year. But you're right, there 352 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.120 is somewhat of a sense of like back it up, right. 353 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.240 I mean, they've had one good season since he was drafted, 354 00:15:59.559 --> 00:16:01.960 which is like last year, and now you're right there 355 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.120 looks like they're about to be eight to nine as 356 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:06.399 I'm speaking. Right now, they're down six to forty seconds 357 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:11.320 in overtime against the Rockets, So you're right, relatively rough 358 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.200 start for them. If it ended today, wouldnt even make 359 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.720 the plaoff tournament. Ory're playing Turn the Rabbit, So you're right, 360 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:19.720 they kind of got to back it up. But I 361 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:22.559 do see the entertainment value and somebody likes Anthony Edwards 362 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:26.159 and obviously his play when he gets those thunder his dunks. 363 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:28.200 I mean, he's had the best dunk in the NBA 364 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:30.799 for probably each of the last five seasons, either him 365 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:33.039 or Dah Morant. So he's a fun player to watch, 366 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:35.799 but you're right, there needs to be more winning before 367 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:38.240 he can really start talking the way that he is. 368 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:39.519 How about those rockets? 369 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:44.320 Huh listen, I you know, whatever the situation was with 370 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:47.639 Email Udoka, I thought he was a great coach. I 371 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:49.919 thought he was a fantastic coach. Obviously got the Celtics 372 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:53.200 to the finals at a time where the future of 373 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:55.399 the Celtics was like, we don't really know where this 374 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.240 is going. Because his season, his only season in charge, 375 00:16:58.279 --> 00:17:01.600 they started off eight teen and twenty one. I believe 376 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.079 it was like, oh yeah, I mean record wasn't great. 377 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:05.640 Turned it around second. 378 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:12.200 Half, Yeah, oh I think we we just lost. Jackson 379 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:15.160 just bailed on me. I'll call it right back, don't worry. 380 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:16.200 Yeah. 381 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:19.680 The thing of it is is with Idoka, they turned 382 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:23.039 it around on the second half. Udoka can coach. There's 383 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.680 no doubt about it. Yeah, you're back, Sorry about that, kid, 384 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:26.359 You're right? 385 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.200 No, no, no, sorry, no, yeah, what did you hang up 386 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:28.759 on me or something? 387 00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:31.599 No, no, no, I would do such a thing. 388 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:34.480 No, but he Doka could coach we always I mean, Jackson, 389 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:35.599 that was not the issue here. 390 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:37.440 Look at I'm just going to tell you like it. 391 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.079 It was a human resources problem. That's it. 392 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:43.759 Yeah, I mean, that's you're going to know the full story. 393 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:47.640 But yeah, and yeah, he was he was a great coach. 394 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.559 The defense of the self explained that season was great 395 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:53.799 and obviously they had that great run, fell just short 396 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:57.000 of winning a title back in twenty twenty two. But yeah, 397 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:59.519 he's doing great with those rockets right now. They're primed 398 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:01.839 to make a play. Layoff appearents this year, you know, 399 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.000 assuming everybody stays healthy and such. But I like that 400 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:06.000 team over there, and they're proving that they're one of 401 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:07.759