Celtics, Jrue Holiday Committed Long Term w/ Adam Himmelsbach | Celtics Beat - video Dailymotion

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Adam Himmelsbach covers the Boston Celtics for The Boston Globe. Adam joins the program to help break down everything Jrue Holiday, Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla's new outlook, and how Boston best matches up with the Bucks. Twitter: @adamhimmelsbach  0:00 Intro  4:00 Holiday press conference vibes off the charts 9:00  Jrue trade felt different from the beginning 15:00  White extension coming? 25:00 Former Celtics hanging out more 32:00 How to the C’s stack up with the Bucks?  FanDuel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. NEW customers can bet $5  and get $200 in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Now is the best time to join FanDuel! The app is easy to use and you can be on everything Fanduel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. NEW customers can bet $5  and get $200 in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Now is the best time to join FanDuel! The app is easy to use and you can be on everything from spreads to player props and more! So, visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season with an offer you won’t wanna miss.   21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.  If a comprehensive solution is what you need from your supplement routine, then try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase. Go to https://drinkAG1.com/GARDEN  ODDS-R! Ever wished you could navigate the betting field with the confidence of a pro? Enter OddsR. They're not a sportsbook, but they're the sports betting advisor you've always needed. It's like having a playbook for smarter bets right in your pocket. I've been absolutely loving the experience, and I think you will too. Especially since Pats Interference listeners get a 30-day free trial! Elevate your game day and join the smart betting revolution! Go get it at https://oddsr.com/celtics  Visit https://factormeals.com/NEWSFEED50 to get 50% off your first box! Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door.

Transcript

00:00 And how different, calmer, more at ease,

00:02 kind of within the job does he seem?

00:05 - Yeah, he absolutely seems more comfortable,

00:09 more engaging, less combative with us.

00:13 There's no doubt.

00:14 And he said, he's acknowledged, like, look,

00:17 it was, I didn't know kind of how I was supposed to be.

00:19 I didn't know what this was supposed to be like.

00:21 You gotta remember, this is a guy, like,

00:22 he was like a behind the bench assistant coach

00:25 before he took over.

00:26 It wasn't even a situation where, like, you know,

00:29 if somebody got ejected, you know,

00:31 he may have got ejected the year before,

00:33 Brad got ejected.

00:34 He's stepping, like, Joe is nowhere near a role like this.

00:39 He coached Division II college basketball

00:41 in Fairmont, West Virginia.

00:44 - Celtics Beat is brought to you by FanDuel,

00:47 the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNX Media Network.

00:52 - Well, what's up, everybody?

00:55 Welcome in.

00:56 We're here with Celtics Beat, training camp is underway.

00:58 Media Day is behind us.

01:00 And I hope you tuned in to last week's show.

01:02 I hope you've been tuning in quite frankly for months

01:05 because we have been telling you,

01:06 maybe not in every little detail along the way,

01:09 but we've been telling you what was going to happen,

01:11 what we felt strongly anyway was going to happen.

01:13 Yeah, the card, you know,

01:14 everything had to align and blah, blah, blah.

01:16 But this, we don't get a lot of chances to take, you know,

01:20 true, just impassioned victory laps on this show.

01:24 This is certainly one.

01:25 When it comes to telling you for months,

01:27 Malcolm Brogdon would not be here when the season started.

01:29 And that obviously if he was to go,

01:31 you had to get a good guard and return.

01:33 And on top of that, that I wasn't sold,

01:35 Derek White would in fact be this team's

01:38 starting point guard.

01:39 And that the team was more comfortable

01:41 with him coming off the bench.

01:42 Now that part still remains to be seen.

01:43 We'll find out.

01:44 Starting five's a little bit overrated

01:46 when it comes to all of that.

01:47 We can dive into that stuff.

01:48 But very pleased to have Adam Himmelsbacher

01:50 of the Boston Globe here with us.

01:52 And there are so many different things

01:54 that we have to cover here with Adam.

01:55 But what you may not know,

01:57 because we do this once a year with Adam,

02:00 at least once a year anyway.

02:02 And you don't typically, you can read--

02:04 - Syracuse wins 10 football games.

02:05 That's it's only--

02:06 - Well, that's where I wanted to go.

02:08 So the agreement last year, Adam,

02:10 was that we would get you for a second time,

02:11 depending on how many football games Syracuse won.

02:14 We're all Syracuse people.

02:15 Had Syracuse won enough, you know,

02:17 we would have had you back a second time

02:19 because you don't do a lot of these interviews.

02:20 You make time for us.

02:21 We greatly appreciate that.

02:23 Syracuse didn't hold its end of the bargain last year,

02:26 but off to a four and one start right now.

02:28 So what's it take?

02:29 How many do we need this year to get you

02:30 for another in-season interview?

02:32 - I'd like to keep the same.

02:33 We had 10 wins last year was the mark.

02:36 - Okay.

02:37 - And I think we set that when they were six and O.

02:41 - Yeah, I think that's right.

02:42 - Wasn't like the start of the year.

02:43 It was like, all right, somewhat realistic, maybe.

02:46 And then they just tanked down the end.

02:48 So yeah, let's keep it at 10.

02:49 They have a soft schedule

02:50 after they get through Florida State.

02:52 - I don't know.

02:53 I wouldn't call it soft.

02:54 They got to play, I think four of their,

02:56 like UNC's ranked, Duke's ranked, Miami's ranked,

02:59 and Florida State's ranked.

03:00 They have four ranked opponents left.

03:02 - I don't think they play Duke, to be honest,

03:03 but maybe they do.

03:04 - I don't know.

03:05 - All I know is I thought they had a real shot

03:07 to beat Clemson and not get embarrassed

03:09 the way that they did.

03:10 - It's always the Clemson.

03:11 It was the same thing last year.

03:13 They went into Clemson,

03:14 had a chance to win that game to decide,

03:16 let's not give the ball to Sean Tucker.

03:17 We're just gonna keep throwing,

03:19 even though we have the lead against team on the road.

03:21 And it felt, literally, 'cause I was confident.

03:25 I was telling you, like, Tex Himmelsbach,

03:27 like, I'm feeling confident.

03:28 Like, he better get ready for the first show number two.

03:31 I was like, puffing my chest out.

03:34 Not confident this year, not confident.

03:36 - Yeah, we'll see.

03:37 Four and one start,

03:38 but there's one thing I could be abundantly confident in,

03:41 and that is that the vast majority of listeners of this show

03:45 do not give a damn about Syracuse football

03:47 and wanna hear about the Celtics from someone who-

03:48 I was gonna say, I wonder how many lost

03:50 during that opening segment.

03:52 - I know.

03:53 I would just fast forward,

03:54 skip 30, skip 30, skip 30, whatever.

03:56 All right, Celtics, let me just,

03:57 I'll wave my arms for people watching on the video.

03:59 We're ready to talk Celtics at this point.

04:01 Adam, you've been around this team as closely as anybody.

04:04 Obviously, the reporting has been fantastic.

04:07 You have become, and this is not a new thing

04:09 in recent weeks or months, it's been this way for years.

04:12 You've become the, I don't wanna make you blush,

04:14 but it's true, when Adam speaks, we listen.

04:16 When it comes to reporting on the Boston Celtics,

04:19 you've become the guy.

04:21 Everybody else is terrific, but it's like,

04:24 well, has Himmelsbach reported on this yet?

04:26 That's just the bottom line.

04:27 And so that in mind, let's get your impressions

04:30 of what has been going on, obviously, with this team.

04:33 Before we get into the moves specifically,

04:36 just the overall sort of temperament.

04:38 I mean, very clearly, vibes are high.

04:42 For anyone that watched the Drew Holiday

04:44 introductory press conference a couple of days ago,

04:47 I tweeted out, it was the best shape of our lives

04:52 in vibes, energy in a press conference.

04:56 When it comes to Brad Stevens couldn't wipe the grin

04:59 off his face, Wick Grosbeck, I thought was gonna

05:02 buy Drew Holiday an apartment.

05:06 It was like, can we move in together?

05:08 It was getting nuts with how excited, obviously,

05:11 everybody is about this acquisition,

05:13 where this team appears and hopes to be going

05:16 as long as it's healthy, obviously.

05:17 So give us a closer look at what's happening

05:20 behind the scenes.

05:21 - Yeah, I mean, we saw the same thing you did.

05:25 Honestly, I thought, and this is no fault of Drew's,

05:28 like he almost seemed a little uncomfortable with it,

05:31 to be honest, just being gasped through the press conference

05:35 basically by Wick, Steve and Brad.

05:38 But it was like, it was a lot.

05:39 Like some of us were looking at each other afterwards.

05:42 Like that was like, that just felt like a lot

05:45 in terms of expectations and raising kind of the hopes

05:50 just instantly when this guy had been in town

05:52 for like 24 hours.

05:54 But there's no doubt, like people are feeling good

05:57 about where this team is.

05:58 And it felt like for the first time,

06:00 like there's, with the Celtics,

06:02 there's always in the off season,

06:03 there's always so much uncertainty.

06:04 Are they gonna do this?

06:05 Are they gonna do that?

06:06 And our fans get upset 'cause for a lot of years,

06:08 especially the later Danny Ainge years,

06:10 those big, big deals sometimes fell through.

06:13 But now there's a sense of like,

06:16 okay, we've really established this excellent top six

06:20 that we feel like can win a championship.

06:23 And it feels that way.

06:24 It feels like, I think I tweeted something like this,

06:27 like this doesn't feel like a regular season team

06:30 because they don't have the depth

06:32 that they've had in past years.

06:34 I don't think it's a team that's necessarily gonna win.

06:36 Like even though they are championship favorites,

06:38 I don't think necessarily they'll win like 62 games

06:40 or something like that,

06:41 but they're built for the playoffs

06:43 when rotations get whittled down

06:46 and these are the guys you're sticking with

06:47 and their top six can go up against anyone.

06:50 - To that point, I mean, obviously like injuries can happen

06:53 whether it's freak stuff, random stuff,

06:54 like, so I don't wanna take anything for granted

06:56 in that respect, but it's nice to not enter a season.

06:59 This is something we've talked so much about,

07:01 if it's nice to not enter a season

07:03 when you can already pinpoint a handful of guys

07:06 that you have injury concerns about.

07:08 Malcolm Brogdon was one of them, he's off the roster.

07:10 Obviously Rob Williams perennially,

07:12 one of those guys is off the roster.

07:14 Still you have Kristaps Porzingis concern there.

07:17 You know that Al Horford's gonna get load managed

07:19 to the moon because of just age and whatever else.

07:22 And again, injuries in general can happen.

07:26 But to your point, it's why I've been saying,

07:28 I'm not even so sure that they'll hit the over

07:30 on their over-under for wins at 54 and a half

07:32 is because I just think that they don't care about seating.

07:35 They don't care about this, that, and the other.

07:38 It's about being healthy and ready for the postseason,

07:42 establishing, as you said, that top six, even seven guys.

07:45 And so that in mind, not having the depth they had,

07:49 but having the stronger top six,

07:50 clearly than what it's been in recent years.

07:53 I mean, when Drew Holliday is your fourth scoring option,

07:55 he's a guy that can give you 20 points a game,

07:57 it really says something, obviously.

07:59 Is this team in your mind better than it was

08:01 when last season ended?

08:04 - When last season ended, yeah.

08:05 I still think, I'm really curious to see.

08:09 It's such a weird thing to talk about,

08:11 like the stuff you can't really put an actual measure on.

08:16 But the Marcus Smart effect,

08:17 I'm still gonna be fascinated by it.

08:20 I just don't know.

08:21 They're more talented, yes, but he was so important

08:25 to like the fabric of this franchise.

08:27 The way he, obviously the things he saw,

08:30 he's an incredible defender.

08:32 He didn't get enough credit for his offensive game.

08:34 People looked at his, whatever,

08:35 three point percentage not being tremendous,

08:37 but he was the general of that offense

08:40 that almost won a title.

08:43 And he was the guy like that kind of,

08:46 guys looked up like when things went wrong,

08:47 he was the voice.

08:49 When other teams pushed them around,

08:51 he was the one stepping up.

08:53 And that's a significant loss, I think.

08:56 You know, they might not need it.

08:58 You know, who knows?

08:58 Like I said, some of those things are intangibles.

09:01 You don't really know how important they are,

09:02 but I'm really curious to see what it looks like

09:05 without him.

09:06 Several people told me part of the reason

09:08 that they made this move,

09:11 they think it's time for Jason and Jalen

09:13 to kind of step into that role now,

09:16 and this will force them to do that a little bit.

09:18 - I wanna piggyback off that,

09:20 'cause I am actually curious, Adam,

09:22 'cause you might know some things that we don't know.

09:24 I think part of the reason why they might've pushed

09:28 for Drew so much is he's kind of,

09:30 if you're gonna replace Marcus Smart

09:31 with anybody in the league,

09:33 Drew's probably on the short list of guys

09:36 that you would say, yeah,

09:38 he can do a lot of what Marcus did.

09:41 You know what I mean?

09:42 And I'm talking teammate in the locker room,

09:44 play on the court offensively and defensively.

09:47 And then like Marcus was a big part of the community

09:49 off the court too,

09:50 which I think is also important

09:52 to the fabric of Marcus Smart.

09:55 So my question for you, Adam,

09:56 kind of revolves around trading through Drew Holiday.

09:59 Maybe you know some things we don't know.

10:02 Obviously the deal went through, everybody's thrilled.

10:04 You know, again, the vibes are immaculate.

10:06 Brad is talking about how he asked Danny Ainge for years,

10:09 hey, can we get Drew Holiday on this team?

10:11 Like, can we make this happen?

10:13 Do you feel like that maybe there was like,

10:16 we're not being outbid for Drew Holiday on this one.

10:19 We're ending up with Drew, you know,

10:21 almost regardless of the price,

10:22 because they wanted to maybe fill that Marcus Smart role

10:25 and how well Drew kind of seamlessly fits this team.

10:27 Do you sense any of that?

10:29 - Yeah, I mean, you never say like,

10:31 we'll pay whatever the price is.

10:33 Like obviously there's always a limit, you know?

10:35 And I was told initially the asking price was extreme,

10:39 not just to the Celtics,

10:40 but to other teams around the league.

10:43 We're talking like four or five first round picks

10:45 or swaps and things like that.

10:47 But you know, that's how those negotiations start.

10:49 That's not that unusual.

10:50 And then you talk a little bit and say, okay,

10:52 let's get down to brass tacks.

10:54 But they wanted him.

10:56 Like, you know, I know I have this reputation

10:59 as like the cooler on Celtics deals

11:01 that's like formed over the years and people get mad.

11:04 Like, oh, you always bring bad news.

11:07 I'm like, it's not bad.

11:09 Like, I'm just telling you what's happening.

11:10 Like I'm not intentionally being like,

11:12 oh, I don't want this to happen or this isn't gonna.

11:14 Like I'm saying like, hey,

11:15 I found out this is not going to happen.

11:17 This one felt different from the moment,

11:20 I guess right after the Lillard trade went down,

11:23 speaking to people,

11:25 it wasn't that like, yeah, we'll see.

11:27 It was, yeah, we want this guy.

11:31 It just sounded different, felt different.

11:32 And as the week progressed, none of that changed.

11:35 And Evan, to your point,

11:37 those Marcus Smart questions without question

11:41 become a lot easier to figure out now that Drew's here.

11:44 'Cause as a player,

11:46 he feels he's a better offensive player than Marcus.

11:48 You know, defensively, you can make an argument.

11:53 But, you know, off the court stuff is,

11:56 like you said, it's active in the community.

11:58 Everyone talks about this guy as like a great guy.

12:00 I've never spoken to people about a player

12:04 and heard such a unanimous,

12:06 like this guy's an incredible person, incredible teammate.

12:10 So no doubt he feels part of that.

12:12 - Talking to people around the team and who covered the team,

12:16 it's sort of, I don't know if you would agree with this

12:19 on your own personal level,

12:21 but, you know, dealing away Marcus Smart,

12:23 Grant Williams, Rob Williams, those three in particular,

12:25 no disrespect to Malcolm Brockton,

12:27 but guys who had obviously been around for a while

12:29 at multiple deep playoff runs,

12:32 really core pieces of what this team

12:35 has been looking to achieve in winning Banner 18,

12:38 felt like there's a lot of,

12:40 oh man, it hurts to lose these three guys

12:43 all in the same off season.

12:44 But it's been sort of emphasized more in a personal way.

12:49 Like these are all good guys

12:50 and great personalities, people that you like talking to,

12:55 great community guy, great, all of the,

12:58 all of that stuff gets mentioned before basketball.

13:00 And that's not to, you know,

13:04 de-emphasize their impact on the floor,

13:06 especially Marcus's or Rob when he's healthy.

13:08 But I feel like there was a lot of, you know,

13:11 we're really gonna miss these guys as people

13:13 more than their basketball fit.

13:15 Whereas Chris Hapsporzinga is coming in

13:17 and Drew Holiday coming in,

13:19 there's just been a transformation in terms of,

13:22 wow, we can do a lot of different things

13:24 we couldn't do before bringing these guys in.

13:26 We believe that we are just,

13:28 yeah, it hurts to lose those guys on a personal level,

13:30 but on a basketball level,

13:31 we are just better and more equipped now.

13:34 - Yeah, I think that's fair.

13:37 I mean, there's no, that's part of being a fan, right?

13:39 The people become, and that's what this is.

13:41 People become attached to the players.

13:43 Marcus Smart had been here longer than anyone

13:46 and he kind of fit this city with his style

13:49 and just the way he played and the way he approached things.

13:53 And he embraced that.

13:54 And when you lose a guy like that,

13:56 people are gonna be upset.

13:58 That's not to say the changes aren't better,

14:00 like whatever, sometimes let's say you start a new job.

14:03 There's parts, you're like, oh, you know,

14:05 I missed this and this, but I'm in a better situation.

14:07 This situation is actually better.

14:09 Like it's okay to have both in the same conversation.

14:13 So I think bringing in these guys,

14:16 they're gonna play differently.

14:17 Joe Mozilla has emphasized that a lot this past week.

14:20 He goes, look, we're gonna play to our personnel.

14:22 We're gonna restructure things a little bit.

14:24 We have now a seven foot three big guy

14:28 who can like hit threes.

14:29 We didn't have that last year.

14:31 Now we have a guy in Drew who people talk about,

14:34 not just him as a defender, which everybody knows,

14:38 but a lot of people have talked over and over

14:40 about his strength, just like his ability

14:43 to just be physical with players, no matter who they are.

14:46 From, you know, I talked to Charles Lee about him.

14:48 He goes, man, Milwaukee, he's on Steph Curry one minute

14:52 and Julius Randle the next.

14:53 Like not a lot of guys can do that,

14:55 but he has the physical traits to do it.

14:57 So I think Mozilla is really looking forward

14:59 to figuring things out.

15:01 And you know, that's, and I think that's what those,

15:03 maybe the first month might be a little, not rocky,

15:05 but they're definitely gonna be experimenting

15:07 and trying to find what works with this team moving forward.

15:09 'Cause there are gonna be some significant changes

15:11 in the way they play.

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16:27 - Do you think that Drew Holiday is here long-term?

16:32 You know, there's been a lot of talk

16:34 about his potential, he's extension eligible,

16:36 obviously in February.

16:37 It seems like Brad Stevens would like him to retire here,

16:40 but you know, do you think that we see him

16:42 get a new multi-year deal?

16:44 - Yeah, it seems talking to people on both sides

16:47 that is very much the plan.

16:50 He obviously has to wait six months to sign an extension.

16:54 So I think April 2nd,

16:56 I'm just putting a story today,

16:58 is the exact day he would be eligible for one,

16:59 but I would expect them to figure something out.

17:02 This is not a Drew Holiday rental.

17:05 And you gotta remember, the Celtics in general,

17:08 they've gotten older too,

17:09 but not just Tatum and Brown getting older,

17:11 but as a roster.

17:12 Like Drew, if they make the finals,

17:14 Drew will turn 34 during the finals.

17:16 Like obviously Al's older, that's two years or six.

17:18 Like Derek White will be 30.

17:20 Like for the longest time, this team was the,

17:23 they're coming close, but it was always like,

17:27 oh, but they're so young still.

17:28 Like, oh, this was a chance,

17:30 but just wait until these guys mature and develop.

17:33 And the sense you get also just watching

17:36 the way they're putting together this team,

17:37 is they realize, all right, this is our window.

17:39 This window is now.

17:40 That's not to say they can't, you know,

17:41 in a few years move on from Drew and Al

17:44 and keep building around Tatum,

17:46 who still has plenty of years left,

17:47 but there's no doubt the kind of like youth movement days

17:51 are over with this team

17:52 and their trying to win championship.

17:54 - You had Wick the other day

17:55 talking about a six-year window.

17:57 - Yeah, that was an interesting number.

17:59 I just took that as Tatum's, basically Tatum's window.

18:02 - Right, yeah.

18:03 I'm with you.

18:04 You mentioned Derek White.

18:05 Where do things stand with a potential extension for him?

18:07 Is that a priority for the organization or even for him?

18:10 Or do you think he might be thinking about

18:11 potentially getting more on the open market?

18:14 - Yeah, I'm not sure.

18:15 I haven't heard a lot about Derek's extension yet.

18:17 They're definitely have had talks and will.

18:20 Derek's the kind of guy that he's never gonna come out

18:23 and say, you know, I deserve this, I need this.

18:26 And if for some reason it doesn't work out,

18:28 like last year, Grant was a little upset

18:30 when he didn't get one.

18:31 Like you won't hear that from Derek if it doesn't happen.

18:34 But I'm sure they'll look,

18:35 you know, if something works out for both sides,

18:37 they'll try to find a way.

18:38 But obviously they want Derek to be a part of this team

18:40 long-term as well.

18:42 - Do you think he feels that way?

18:44 - Yeah, I think so.

18:45 I mean, he wants to win.

18:46 And we were asking the other day about,

18:49 you know, 'cause here's a guy who thought

18:50 he was hands down the starting point guard on this team

18:54 and all of a sudden drew holidays.

18:55 And now it's like, oh, is Derek even gonna start?

18:58 And Mazzullo said he's not sure yet

19:00 how he's gonna work with the starting lineups.

19:02 But he's, Derek's very much a guy,

19:04 like this team is filled with like those guys,

19:07 like quintessential teammates.

19:08 And he won't hear any like chirping from him.

19:10 It won't be like Malcolm Brogdon 2.0

19:14 if he comes off the bench again.

19:15 And, you know, but I think he's happy to win a winning team.

19:18 He'll have a, look, if he comes off the bench,

19:20 he's still gonna have a huge role on this team.

19:21 It's not like he's gonna be at the end of the bench

19:23 minimized or anything like that.

19:25 - Joe Mazzullo has come up a few times.

19:27 He's been, you know, I think whether it's the interview

19:31 with the old man, the three podcast that he did

19:34 with JJ Redick, it's a really good listen

19:36 for anyone that hasn't checked it out,

19:37 or just, you know, hearing him talk to you guys early

19:40 in camp, those, you know, throngs of media

19:43 that are out there, obviously at the Auerbach Center.

19:45 It's, he's, there's an element of, it seems comfort.

19:49 Obviously he can be self-deprecating.

19:52 He's, you know, I think he's got a good personality

19:54 that we just, you know, saw very little of last year.

19:57 You know, he got tight as the season went on

20:00 and never really relented.

20:02 I think it's part of why Charles Lee and Sam Kissel

20:05 are here, but also it's just the transition to,

20:08 you know, being the guy and knowing he's the guy.

20:12 There's no interim tag.

20:13 He had a full off season to prepare.

20:15 He's going into a new year without just being,

20:19 having it thrust onto him a couple of days

20:21 before media day, the way it happened last year

20:24 with the Imeo Doka situation.

20:26 It's just, again, I'm guessing,

20:28 I'm putting words in his mouth,

20:30 but I'm guessing it's just the comfort of a new year

20:33 and a full year and a totally different situation

20:38 to where we were with him on a personal level

20:40 one year ago today.

20:42 How much of that are you observing

20:44 and how different, calmer, more at ease

20:48 kind of within the job does he seem?

20:50 - Yeah, he absolutely seems more comfortable,

20:54 more engaging, less combative with us.

20:58 There's no doubt.

20:59 And he said, he's acknowledged, like, look, it was,

21:02 I didn't know kind of how I was supposed to be.

21:04 I didn't know what this was supposed to be like.

21:06 You gotta remember, this is a guy, like,

21:07 he was like a behind the bench assistant coach

21:10 before he took over.

21:11 It wasn't even a situation where like, you know,

21:14 if somebody got ejected, you know,

21:16 Imei got ejected the year before, Brad got ejected.

21:19 He's stepping, like, Joe was nowhere near a role like this.

21:24 He coached division two college basketball

21:26 in Fairmont, West Virginia.

21:28 Was his only coaching experience.

21:31 So he had to figure out what it means.

21:33 Now he said, he's kind of like grasping now.

21:36 He understands he holds an important position in this city.

21:39 And like what he says means a lot to a lot of people.

21:43 And he's kind of taking that responsibility a little more.

21:46 And it's been cool to see him just like open up more

21:48 'cause he does have a personality down there.

21:50 And like, when you generally, like,

21:52 I wrote a big story about him at the start of last year

21:54 where we went out to lunch together.

21:56 And in that, he was like really engaging and comfortable.

21:58 And in that setting, so you see he had it there.

22:01 It wasn't like, you know, it didn't exist,

22:02 but he just wasn't comfortable necessarily

22:05 bringing it out just yet.

22:07 Of course, you know, a couple of other media members

22:10 and I have joked around, let's see what happens,

22:12 you know, when you lose to the Hornets in mid November

22:16 and what the interactions are like.

22:18 But, you know, obviously every coach

22:19 would be upset by something like that.

22:20 But for now, yeah, he's more comfortable, more outgoing.

22:24 And I feel like just a little more open,

22:26 which will be good for everyone.

22:27 It's good for him, good for fans, good for the players.

22:30 And you know, I think it's just a better situation so far.

22:33 - I think I remember that story.

22:34 I think that as a nugget in that story

22:36 about him asking his wife if he could live in an RV

22:38 in the parking lot outside the gym.

22:40 And I remember reading that,

22:41 "Ben, this is the kind of psychopath

22:42 you want to be the head coach of your basketball team."

22:45 Guy just wakes up and he's like,

22:46 "I don't wanna waste any time from here to the,

22:50 I just wanna wake up, walk outside and be right at the gym."

22:53 So I thought that was, 'cause it comes across too

22:55 in that interview you mentioned with JJ,

22:58 he talks about how, you know,

23:00 previous to him getting this job,

23:03 like he got off the service elevator

23:05 'cause it was the closest to the film room.

23:06 He'd be like, "I didn't have to see anybody,

23:08 talk to anybody.

23:09 I could just go from point A to point B

23:12 and just get my work done."

23:13 And so like a lot of people give Joe a hard time

23:16 and, you know, he's learning the job at the same time.

23:18 Like I was a very big Joe defender

23:21 because it's like, man, like he's this first,

23:24 he went from D to Fairmont

23:26 to the coach of the most successful NBA franchise.

23:29 This is not easy, especially with the circumstances.

23:33 But I think, you know,

23:34 considering he has more help this year,

23:37 considering the roster's I think a little bit better,

23:40 again, he knows his players a little bit better,

23:41 I think it's gonna be a much better experiment.

23:44 How have you interacted so far with the two new guys

23:47 that had lined the bench with him

23:49 and Charles Lee and with Sam Casell?

23:51 Is it nice having those two guys in the building?

23:52 Have you got to talk with them much?

23:54 Yeah, I spoke to Sam at Summer League in Vegas

23:57 and he seems like he's a guy they needed,

24:00 especially with Damon Stoudamire gone.

24:03 He'll have a little more prominent roles maybe than Damon,

24:05 but similar having a guy that's that experience,

24:09 championship experience in his case.

24:12 He's worked a lot with Jason Tatum after practice this week

24:15 when we've been able to watch for a little bit,

24:17 just kind of doing individual stuff.

24:18 And Tatum talked about yesterday saying like, you know,

24:21 it's cool to hear his stories and hear his perspective.

24:24 The guys appreciate stuff like that, it's just different.

24:26 And this, let's be honest,

24:27 the Celtics staff over the years,

24:29 dating back to the Stevens era,

24:30 hasn't had a lot of like NBA,

24:32 former NBA players with significant experience.

24:35 They just have, so it was important to bring him in.

24:38 And I sat down with Charles earlier this week,

24:40 really impressive guy.

24:42 I don't know how much fans are gonna see him talk

24:45 or whatever, but people are gonna like,

24:47 just his general vibe, really, really positive.

24:50 Seems to have a good outlook.

24:52 This is a guy that interviewed for a head coaching jobs

24:54 around the NBA, very well-respected.

24:57 He's already been working with Drew, obviously.

24:58 So that, I mean, I said,

25:00 like would you ever have thought that was, you know,

25:03 gonna happen?

25:04 That wouldn't even be on anyone's radar

25:05 when Charles Lee was hired.

25:06 Oh yeah, maybe later this year,

25:08 Celtics will actually trade for the point guard

25:10 you've poached for the last two years

25:11 and helped win a championship.

25:12 So he's excited about that.

25:13 I'm sure he's excited about that as well.

25:16 - So Sam Cassell would be a good hire as a, you know,

25:20 a head assistant on any staff,

25:22 but obviously what makes him a uniquely good hire here

25:26 is that he's part of that group

25:27 that last won a championship here in 2008.

25:30 And we've heard the team talk a lot in recent days,

25:33 Joe Mazzulla sending an email out to former Celtics,

25:36 basically imploring them to, you know,

25:38 come back and be part of this.

25:40 And I feel like that's something that we saw, you know,

25:44 a lot back in the late nineties,

25:47 even when the team wasn't good, early 2000s,

25:49 I think a lot, a big part of it was probably Tommy Heinsen's

25:52 presence still being here, obviously he's passed,

25:54 but you know, you had the old guard come around

25:58 and some of those guys, obviously many of them

26:00 have passed away over the years.

26:02 And so it's kind of that next generation to where, you know,

26:06 we're talking about the Paul Pierce's

26:09 and the Kevin Garnett's.

26:10 Paul's been around at training camp the last couple of days.

26:13 I don't know, maybe KG comes back at some point.

26:15 I imagine he will, he was here last year.

26:17 I don't know if Ray Allen even shows face.

26:19 I think that would really get people's attention,

26:22 obviously now that fences have been mended there

26:24 after all the years of personal turmoil.

26:28 I think there are a lot of guys that just go beyond

26:30 the Dana Barrows' and the Leon Poe's and, you know,

26:35 Eddie Howson, Scal, you know,

26:37 guys who are part of the broadcast crew now,

26:38 people that, you know, be nice to have more and more

26:41 obviously come back and it's clear it's important

26:43 to the organization.

26:44 What do you see this year looking like from that regard?

26:48 - Yeah, it was kind of cool.

26:50 Obviously it was an emphasis for Joe

26:51 and we saw it right away.

26:53 Like Satch Sanders, who's kind of the,

26:56 he's the old guard standing, obviously him, Bob Cousy,

26:59 and was at the very first practice sitting there watching.

27:03 Obviously Paul has been here now for a few days this week

27:07 and like worked out with Tatum for like a month

27:10 in LA this summer.

27:11 It's kind of has more, I think the way Joe described it was

27:16 you see a lot of guys, NBA players, they go back,

27:20 off season comes, they go back to their colleges.

27:22 Tatum, you saw it, went back to Duke a couple of weeks ago.

27:25 He's like, guys are always like, you know,

27:26 I got to get back to my school.

27:27 I get up in school.

27:28 He's like, I want that same feel here

27:29 where former players feel like that they want to come back

27:32 here and hang out and maintain that connection.

27:35 You know, it'll be interesting to see how it progresses

27:37 over the year.

27:38 It might be something that's more visible

27:40 during training camp, but there's no doubt.

27:43 It's a new push and, you know,

27:44 only can posit that they can come from it,

27:46 especially for the current players to be around these guys.

27:48 When you do mention that '08 title team,

27:51 the last team to actually win it in Boston,

27:54 kind of they can tell their stories

27:55 and share things about their experiences,

27:58 which I think the younger players do appreciate.

28:00 - When it comes to building a winner here,

28:02 and I think the team's had a very good off season,

28:04 I honestly, I was not sold on their moves

28:06 pre-Drew Holiday trade.

28:08 I thought there were a lot of questions

28:09 coming out of the dealing smart, acquiring presingas,

28:12 some obvious holes that have been shored up

28:14 by bringing Holiday in.

28:15 So I'm much happier now than I was, you know,

28:18 a week ago or however long ago.

28:20 But as we look forward,

28:22 I think it's very clear listening to ownership

28:24 that there's an element of impatience.

28:27 You know, it's, they've been on the cusp.

28:29 They've been in conference finals

28:30 five out of the last seven years.

28:32 They've obviously not won a championship since 2008.

28:35 It's Boston, banners are what it's all about.

28:38 Wick knows that and the rest of that group

28:40 as well as anybody.

28:41 And so when it comes to spending and, you know,

28:44 potential second apron penalties long-term,

28:48 that type of thing,

28:48 what impression do you get

28:50 in talking to people behind the scenes

28:52 or just hearing from ownership in general

28:54 about how uncomfortable they're willing to get financially

28:57 to actually bring another winner here?

29:00 - I mean, they've made this pretty clear the whole way.

29:03 Like they're ready to spend and, you know,

29:06 these moves are indications of that.

29:08 Like Drew's a $36 million player.

29:12 Like they're in the second apron now.

29:14 It's no, there could have been some maneuvering elsewhere.

29:18 Like they're gonna be well into it

29:20 and they're prepared for it.

29:22 You know, it's something that's new.

29:24 Obviously they're trying to formulate.

29:26 You wanna, how long you're up there

29:28 and what, you know, long-term penalties,

29:30 how it's gonna affect you.

29:31 But if you're gonna be, if right now,

29:33 if you're building a championship team,

29:35 like that's something you're going to have to deal with.

29:36 Like look at the Warriors spending over the past,

29:38 like 10 years and spend just astronomical.

29:40 So one thing, you know, if you're a fan, you feel good.

29:46 And I know people haven't always felt that way

29:49 about ownership around here,

29:50 but like that you feel pretty good about Wic and Pags,

29:54 I would say, and their dedication to it.

29:57 - There's also a $6.2 million trade player exception

30:01 that they have, if I'm not mistaken.

30:03 Is that something that,

30:04 'cause I know in certain moves they've made,

30:07 they've lost certain abilities, certain exceptions,

30:09 that type of thing.

30:10 But I believe they still have this TPE here.

30:12 Is this something- - Yeah, that one's from Grant.

30:15 - Yeah, do you think they'll use it?

30:17 - I mean, like anything else, it's a chip.

30:19 Like they've had so many trade exceptions over the years

30:22 that have expired without being used

30:23 and people don't notice,

30:24 but it's always good to have, you know,

30:26 something in your war chest that could be an asset.

30:29 I think they're gonna, you know, they'll look and see,

30:31 like, look, the way this offseason went,

30:33 it was also like definitely vote of confidence

30:35 for some guys, particularly Peyton Pritchard, really.

30:37 Like the way they, you know,

30:39 even if they hadn't brought in Drew and traded Malcolm,

30:43 like giving up Smart and not really finding a replacement,

30:47 like that was like, "Hey Peyton,

30:48 we think you can be a significant player for us."

30:50 And they still feel that way.

30:52 You know, you're gonna see what Santa Houser can do.

30:54 O'Shea Brissett has, you know,

30:57 performed pretty well from people I've spoken to.

31:00 They wanna see the second unit,

31:01 but then, but they will have a chance.

31:03 If it doesn't work out, like if these guys struggle,

31:05 they're injuries, they're gonna have opportunities

31:08 come to trade deadline to make an upgrade if they need it.

31:12 And they still have, they've given up some picks,

31:14 they still have, you know,

31:15 beyond the ones they just traded.

31:17 And then they have to pick swap

31:19 with the Spurs in a few years.

31:20 They have plenty of firsts to deal with

31:23 and they have a million second round picks.

31:24 So there'll be chances for them

31:26 if they find a need to upgrade their roster in February.

31:29 - Do you view the front court as,

31:31 after dealing Rob Williams,

31:33 having a hole now that needs to be plugged?

31:35 You know, Blake Griffin's come up a lot,

31:37 doesn't seem like that's going to happen.

31:40 Is there a move that you see,

31:42 not obviously a monumental one,

31:44 but a move that you see potentially being made

31:46 before the season,

31:47 or is that more of a potential in-season adjustment?

31:50 - No, I think that if there was a move

31:52 they were going to make,

31:53 like they would have done it.

31:55 Like I think they like Luke Cornett.

31:57 Again, this isn't a team that's building

32:00 to have a million regular season wins,

32:02 team building for the playoffs.

32:03 They'll reassess and, you know,

32:06 like there'll inevitably be some injury

32:07 that makes them kind of reformulate things a little bit.

32:11 That's the one thing that could derail this team.

32:12 I do feel like if a top six guy gets injured,

32:15 that there isn't a ton of depth

32:17 in terms of championship depth.

32:20 But yeah, I don't anticipate anything happening.

32:22 And they have a bunch of these guys

32:24 on partial guarantees right now

32:25 that they're intrigued to see in training camp,

32:27 the winning Gator girls of the world,

32:28 the Lionel Dantons,

32:29 you know, they're going to get an opportunity

32:30 to show what they have

32:32 throughout these pre-season games.

32:34 - Before we let you go,

32:36 how do you think they stack up with the Bucs?

32:38 You know, I think in many ways,

32:39 and I'm not the first to mention this,

32:41 in fact, I think we talked about it last week

32:42 when the writing was on the wall for the holiday trade,

32:45 that, you know, there's an element of thanks

32:49 that goes to the Bucs organization

32:50 for bringing in Damian Lillard,

32:52 because I'm not so sure Drew Holiday

32:53 becomes available if they don't.

32:55 And so not only does he not,

32:57 Lillard that is, go to Miami,

32:59 he obviously goes to one of your chief rivals,

33:01 no doubt about it,

33:02 but it frees up an opportunity

33:04 for you to get better as the Celtics.

33:06 So that's, you know, kind of a win right there.

33:08 I think the Celtics would happily take that.

33:11 But now these two teams,

33:12 another team that is pretty top heavy,

33:15 Middleton is not what he was at this point,

33:18 but you still have as good a two-man tandem

33:19 in Lillard and Giannis as there is in the NBA.

33:22 How do these teams stack up at the top of the East

33:24 as it comes to, you know,

33:25 who has the right to potentially face

33:27 if it's Denver again on the other side in June?

33:30 Yeah, the Bucs can't be pleased with this.

33:34 Like, they had to do this.

33:38 Obviously Damian Lillard is available.

33:40 This was not only a move to bring in Damian Lillard,

33:42 more than anything, it was a move to keep Giannis.

33:45 And they have to do it.

33:45 You have a player like,

33:46 like Giannis is a generational talent.

33:48 You have to do whatever you can

33:49 to make sure he's with your franchise.

33:52 I get all that.

33:53 But the idea of freeing up Drew Holiday

33:57 to go to your biggest competition in the East,

34:00 like, can't be good for them.

34:02 Like, I'm sure they considered it and they were aware,

34:05 like, this guy's probably gonna be flipped, you know?

34:08 They would have probably much preferred him

34:10 end up on the Clippers or something like that.

34:13 And if you're the Bucs as well,

34:15 the reports about Middleton,

34:17 like right now are not encouraging.

34:18 He hasn't really done anything in training camp yet.

34:20 And you hear Adrian Griffin be really vague about it,

34:23 you know, without any specific dates or details,

34:28 just kind of saying like,

34:29 "Oh yeah, he did some side work.

34:30 He's right on course."

34:33 Okay, you know, what does that mean?

34:36 When is he actually going to play in real games?

34:38 You know, maybe he's fine,

34:39 but it's certainly ominous,

34:41 the words that are coming out of Milwaukee right now.

34:43 So I think right now the Celtics have to feel

34:45 a little bit better about their position

34:48 than Milwaukee does, given that.

34:49 - Yeah, totally. - Adam, go ahead.

34:53 - No, totally agree.

34:54 I'm 100% with him on that, for sure.

34:56 - Adam, we'll let you jump off as we,

35:00 Evan and I will keep going for a little bit here,

35:02 but we'll monitor Syracuse's road to 10 wins

35:04 and hopefully get you again mid-season at some point here.

35:07 - Well, they got the bowl game.

35:08 That'll count.

35:09 So if they, you know, nine and three and a bowl win,

35:12 you know.

35:13 - Sounds good to me. - I'm not holding my breath, Adam.

35:16 - They're going to try and steal one this weekend.

35:17 This is a big, big opportunity.

35:18 - A big one, this'll be a big one.

35:20 - Yeah. - Thanks for having me on.

35:22 - Adam Hibblesbach of the Boston Globe.

35:24 Absolutely, always great insights and analysis,

35:27 and obviously just behind the scenes talk

35:29 about what is going on with this organization.

35:31 And, you know, we're going to be keeping an eye on that

35:33 when it comes to Drew Holiday, to Derek White.

35:36 I didn't even ask about a potential

35:37 Peyton Pritchard extension, but that's another one

35:39 that, you know, as time goes on, we'll be thinking about.

35:42 But Ev, I wanted to make sure that, you know,

35:44 normally we'd sign off right along with the guests,

35:46 but I wanted to give us a few minutes to talk as well,

35:48 because, you know, we said,

35:50 for anyone who listened to the show last week with Abby Chin,

35:53 and obviously the Damien Lillard trade had happened,

35:56 seemed like Drew Holiday could be available,

35:58 wasn't likely to stay in Portland.

36:00 And I mean, we laid this out.

36:02 I mean, I flat out said to you,

36:05 this is when like in another universe,

36:07 we'd get fancy and just play you the clip from last week.

36:10 But I flat out said-

36:11 - I might still do it.

36:12 - I said, hey, if the, please go right ahead.

36:15 Let's, you can cut all this crap out

36:17 and just put that in instead.

36:19 I said to you, if the Celtics have an opportunity

36:22 to get Drew Holiday and it costs the Malcolm Brogdon

36:24 and Rob Williams and picks, that was the trade.

36:27 I outlined it for you.

36:28 Are you in or out?

36:29 At the time, in the moment, you didn't like it.

36:34 I said I was all about it.

36:36 We didn't really force Abby into a declaration there.

36:39 But as the week has gone on,

36:41 as we've taken a dive into the analytics,

36:44 you've sort of been reminded on our text thread

36:47 quite how impactful a player Drew Holiday is.

36:50 Was it more of the emotional turn of like,

36:55 man, it sort of sucks to let Rob Williams go?

36:58 Or have you just sort of done a full 180

37:02 and come around on the trade?

37:03 - I mean, I still have legit concerns

37:06 over their big man depth.

37:07 Like I think that's, I'm justified.

37:10 And I'm very, like, I think it's okay

37:12 that I'm worried about that.

37:14 - Sure.

37:14 - I will say though,

37:16 if you were trying to replace Marcus Smart,

37:18 as we said with Adam Immelsbach,

37:20 like this is the perfect guy to do that.

37:22 I mean, he's really, he really is just kind of

37:24 the perfect carbon copy for that

37:28 in even a better version of that.

37:29 His shooting numbers are off the charts.

37:32 He's gonna be the best passer on the team by a wide margin,

37:35 as I kind of joked about between Yumi and Seth.

37:38 They now have a guy on the team

37:40 that could make an entry pass and a low post

37:42 if they wanted to do something like that.

37:43 I feel comfortable with it.

37:45 Look, you gotta do two things.

37:48 One, again, they have big man depth issues, I think.

37:50 I think if anyone of Al or Chris Stapps get hurt,

37:55 they're in a real bind.

37:57 It will help though that they have better

38:00 rebounding forwards, wings, and guards

38:03 than most teams do.

38:05 Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown are excellent rebounders.

38:09 Drew Holiday is a more physical guy.

38:12 He's a guy that can go in and get rebounds.

38:14 I think he averages about five or six per game

38:16 throughout the past couple of years.

38:18 So it's concerning in terms of defending the glass

38:23 and defending the rim and all that stuff.

38:24 That being said, this is the perfect fit.

38:28 I mean, it really, you couldn't have done a better job

38:30 of trying to bring someone in here

38:33 that's gonna do exactly the other things

38:34 that you want a guard for the Boston Celtics to do.

38:37 He's gonna fit seamlessly with Jalen and Jason,

38:39 especially Jason.

38:41 I'm curious how they'll stagger.

38:43 They have so many intriguing lineup options now

38:46 with Drew Holiday.

38:47 How they stagger these six guys

38:49 is gonna be really interesting.

38:51 I've been a big proponent of Chris Stapps' Porzingis

38:54 is more of a two than a three,

38:56 and people have given me a lot of flack for that.

38:59 They just have four guys that can flat out

39:01 score at any time.

39:02 As a lot of people wanna point out with Milwaukee,

39:08 how tough their two-man game's gonna be,

39:10 Boston's got four dudes that are all,

39:13 when they're on fire, gonna be impossible to stop.

39:16 I said this a while ago, one of the shows you took off,

39:19 justifiably so, I think you were on vacation,

39:23 that the Celtics kind of felt like Phoenix East already,

39:28 and they just took that wall and bashed it down

39:31 and made a new one.

39:32 They are definitely the Phoenix Sons of the East.

39:35 I mean, you compare those two teams,

39:36 they're both very top-heavy.

39:37 And I dig the approach.

39:41 Again, I think my concerns are valid,

39:44 but Drew Holiday is just a spectacular player,

39:47 defensively, offensively.

39:49 I love that he talked about picking up guys full court

39:51 with Jalen Brown, above the sea,

39:53 what that looks like with Derek White.

39:55 That would just be a lot of fun.

39:56 You create a lot of havoc that way.

39:57 Maybe get some easy points that way.

39:59 But Kaufman, you wanna talk about taking a victory lap?

40:02 You've been doing this ever since they traded Marcus Smart.

40:05 Like, they're not done.

40:06 This roster is not finished.

40:09 I mean, you've been at 'em and pounding the table

40:11 every week, it feels like.

40:13 So I just feel to be right.

40:14 I mean, you were calling this months ago,

40:17 and here we are, ready to rock and roll for training camp,

40:19 and you were riding the money with that.

40:21 - I just think it became increasingly clear

40:23 that the roster didn't make sense.

40:26 Like, it had obvious questions that I just,

40:29 I trust in Brad Stevens, and it was the first time

40:33 where he made a move where if he was done, I didn't get it.

40:37 I didn't understand it.

40:38 I didn't know where they were going from there.

40:40 And so now, not that they could have foreseen this

40:44 at the time that they acquired Porzingis.

40:46 You know, they knew Damian Lillard was gonna be available.

40:48 They didn't know he was gonna go to Milwaukee.

40:50 Nobody was talking about Milwaukee,

40:52 and of course, it springs, you know, Drew Holiday free,

40:54 and they're able to kind of complete the puzzle.

40:56 But, you know, at that time, it was,

41:00 there were a lot more questions than answers, you know,

41:02 not only for people like me who were skeptics,

41:04 but definitely, I'm sure, within the Celtics front office

41:07 and saying, all right, you know,

41:09 we're on the right track here, we're building something,

41:11 but how do we finish the job?

41:12 You know, where do we sort of shore this thing up?

41:16 And I don't think they knew, and this, you know,

41:18 just to, it happened, and it works.

41:21 And I think that part of the reason that,

41:24 I didn't say this to Adam,

41:24 but I think part of the reason that, you know,

41:27 ownership, Brad, whoever, that, you know,

41:29 they were falling all over themselves

41:31 during that press conference with Holiday

41:33 that, as Adam said, might have even made Drew

41:35 a little bit uncomfortable, is because, you know,

41:38 they knew how important it was to not only get

41:41 another adult in the room, which Drew Holiday is,

41:45 as Adam noted, as respected a player as there is

41:48 in the NBA, he's like three-time teammate of the year,

41:51 whatever it is, and, you know, you see the post

41:54 his wife puts out about leaving Milwaukee

41:56 and sort of accepting the realities of the business,

41:59 but the sad truths of it as well,

42:02 and establishing yourself in the community

42:05 and how important all of that is,

42:06 and now looking obviously to it here,

42:08 but, you know, how important it was

42:10 to get another adult in the room,

42:12 along with Al Horford, I put those two,

42:13 and that's not disrespecting anybody else on the roster,

42:16 it's just most guys are younger, you know,

42:18 Horford, Holiday, they'd been around the block,

42:21 they, you know, they are guys that, you know,

42:25 really fill, and Holiday maybe even more so,

42:28 maybe he is truly that new smart in terms of

42:31 a de facto leader of this team,

42:33 at least in terms of more of a vocal leader,

42:35 but also, I think the team really wanted

42:37 to get a guy in there, not that they were gonna get

42:40 any guy, it's just Drew Holiday fits the bill so perfectly,

42:44 I think they wanted to get another guy in there that,

42:47 or not even another, a guy in there

42:48 that isn't on the coaching staff,

42:50 that has won a championship, you know,

42:52 that knows what it takes to, but is not just a,

42:56 like a, it's different when it's your starting,

42:59 you know, a starting guard, who is still an impactful player,

43:02 a top defensive player, a leader, a scorer,

43:05 all of the different things that Holiday does,

43:07 even as early to mid 30s, versus if you were adding,

43:11 like, your, you know, the 10th guy on your roster

43:14 that was rarely gonna crack the rotation,

43:17 not gonna play much, he was kinda gonna be your,

43:19 Udonis Haslam type guy, who could speak to it,

43:23 but couldn't really show it and display it.

43:26 It makes a difference, it matters,

43:28 when you bring in a guy that has done it,

43:31 and can still do it, and can still help lead you there,

43:35 and so Holiday, for just a litany of reasons,

43:37 we haven't even talked about how,

43:38 what a killer shooter he is, or Brown talking about his,

43:42 his, you know, insane competitiveness, and all of that,

43:47 all the different things that, all the reasons

43:49 that everyone is just obsessed with this acquisition,

43:52 and rightfully so, it's not about,

43:56 like, as much as we joke,

43:58 and I joked off the top of the show, partially joked,

44:00 part of, you know, part of it was a legitimate pat

44:02 on the back, 'cause I don't get to do that often,

44:03 but it's not, it's not being right so much as it's just,

44:08 like, now it makes sense, now I understand this roster,

44:10 now I love this roster, and I'm truly,

44:13 and I didn't think I would say this at the end of last year,

44:15 when everyone was having the conversations about,

44:17 you know, do you kinda, like, blow up the core,

44:20 quote unquote, which they really, you know,

44:22 it's still a two-man core, but like, Rob or Smart,

44:25 like, these guys were your three, you're four,

44:27 like, you've really, you know, made monumental changes.

44:32 Marcus Smart's out, Malcolm Brogdon's out,

44:34 Rob Williams is out, Grant Williams is out,

44:37 Ian is Chris Tapps for Zingas, Drew Holiday's in,

44:39 I mean, these are significant moves for a team

44:43 that has been to the conference finals

44:44 five out of the last seven years,

44:45 that has said, "Enough is enough, we want a banner."

44:49 And I really like where they're at,

44:50 and I'm really excited for this season.

44:52 - They know that, I mean, this is confidence

44:54 for Jalen and Jason, they're like,

44:56 "We got the right two guys,

44:57 we just gotta put the right guys around them."

44:58 And it's not, I'm not gonna sit here and say

45:00 that Marcus and Rob, and like, but at some point,

45:04 you know, you have to get past a certain level,

45:07 and the Celtics level at this point

45:09 is the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals.

45:11 And look around you, I mean, again,

45:14 teams are gonna continue to get better

45:15 as we get along here, and Boston is just,

45:18 and I give Wick and Brad and Steve and everybody,

45:20 you know, some credit for just saying,

45:22 "No, we're not gonna sit here and sit on our hands

45:24 and hope for the best, like,

45:25 we have to be proactive about this."

45:27 And they went out and did it.

45:28 I'll do one, I'll go this far with this.

45:30 This roster, to me, is the most talented roster

45:33 they've had since the KG Paul Pierce for Allen years.

45:36 And, you know, people be like,

45:37 "Oh, what about Al and Gordon and Jalen and Jason?"

45:41 Jalen and Jason were babies.

45:43 They weren't even, and Kyrie, you know, look,

45:45 we'll have to get into that, all right?

45:48 - Well, I mean, that, what was it, the 18,

45:50 what was the year that Hayward got hurt?

45:52 Was that the '18-'19 or '17-'18?

45:54 It was '17-'18, right?

45:56 - Years right now are tough for me, so it's around.

45:59 - Anyway, the first year of Kyrie and Hayward,

46:02 even though Hayward went down five minutes into his side,

46:04 it was never the same after.

46:06 But the feelings going into that season,

46:08 I think- - I would say

46:09 we're right there.

46:10 - Yeah, that roster was-

46:11 - I think we're even higher than that,

46:13 to be honest with you.

46:13 I think the expectations are like way higher than that,

46:18 because we know what Jalen and Jason are now.

46:20 And so now you're like, "Those guys are 26, 27,

46:23 you know, will be upcoming this season."

46:25 Those guys are in their prime,

46:29 and they have some guys around them

46:31 to give them even more ammo than they had back then.

46:35 Like, I think if you put these two teams on the floor,

46:37 that this team would just wipe the floor with that team.

46:40 And I'm not trying to say, you know,

46:41 Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris,

46:43 and this team would wipe the floor with that team.

46:47 They would know how to handle it.

46:48 - I'm just, I'm itching to go, man.

46:52 I'm excited about this season.

46:53 I think that, like I said, I've said it time and time again,

46:56 it's just now it makes sense to me.

46:59 All of, you know, now that the full picture is completed,

47:02 and yes, I think they could still make a move,

47:04 potentially, a small move, nothing significant,

47:07 you know, to add somebody in the front court,

47:11 just for depth, you know, as we said,

47:13 like get through the regular season, you need bodies.

47:15 It can be someone of Cornette's caliber player,

47:19 you know, something like that, Blake Griffin in an ideal world.

47:22 I'm sure the team would love to bring back if it could.

47:25 I don't think that's going to happen

47:27 based on all the reporting that's out there.

47:29 But yeah, I mean, you've,

47:32 there's a little bit of a hole, for sure.

47:34 I think your concerns are absolutely valid.

47:37 But to me, you had a hole at guard

47:39 that was in some ways more important to sure up

47:42 with the acquisition of Porzingis.

47:44 So, we're ready to get going.

47:46 Preseason game's right around the corner,

47:48 you know, like literally, like a few days away.

47:51 And regular season is coming up.

47:55 It's, you know, hockey season is starting in a few days.

47:57 We're here, man, like winter is here.

48:00 We're not at Halloween yet, but damn it, winter is here.

48:03 - Yeah, but we made it though.

48:04 We got through like the August slog of nothingness.

48:07 And now we're here in October, we're like,

48:09 everything's great.

48:10 - It was not a slog, we were just diagramming

48:12 what was going to happen for you.

48:13 - We did, yeah.

48:15 - The question is whether you were listening

48:16 and paying attention.

48:17 - Don't answer that question.

48:20 Just, you're paying attention now, that's what matters.

48:22 - Yeah, that's all that's going forward.

48:24 All right, for Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe,

48:27 Evan Valenti, I'm Adam Kaufman.

48:29 We're going to be talking like actual basketball and fits

48:32 and what it looks like on the floor

48:33 and all that good stuff next time.

48:35 So be with us next week.

48:36 We'll see you then.

48:37 Rate, review, subscribe, Southwick's Beat,

48:38 wherever you get your podcasts.

48:40 Till then.

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Celtics, Jrue Holiday Committed Long Term w/ Adam Himmelsbach | Celtics Beat

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