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00:00Hi, noon! Jones and Keith here on WEI.
00:04We're taking you up until 2 o'clock.
00:06We got your phone call, 617-779-7937.
00:11We've been pretty much all Patriots to this point.
00:14Tale of the tape, Pats and Broncos, AFC title game, Taylor Kyles,
00:18a couple of would-you-rathers in there.
00:20Plus, we did talk some MLB Hall of Fame, Andrew Jones and Carlos Beltran,
00:24two undeserving Hall of Famers.
00:26Yikes!
00:27But two Hall of Famers nonetheless.
00:28Nevertheless, haven't talked Celtics yet.
00:30Justin Turpin, WEI.com, joins us every Wednesday.
00:33What's up, Turp?
00:33What's up, guys?
00:34You want pure hoops.
00:35That was what that was the other day.
00:37That was a good basketball game.
00:38You like that game?
00:39You've actually said this to us on the air now and off the air.
00:41Shut up about it.
00:42You like that game?
00:43What do you like about that game?
00:44I like the physicality.
00:46I also like-those are the best two teams in the Eastern Conference,
00:48and I don't think it's up for debate.
00:50The Knicks stink.
00:51They're falling apart.
00:51They've lost 9 of 11, 4 straight.
00:53Completely falling apart.
00:53That loss to the Mavericks, man,
00:55their injury report's longer than a CVS receipt.
00:57Like, everybody's on there,
00:59and you're getting blown out at home and booed.
01:02Like, those are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference,
01:04and sign me up for seven games of that come the spring.
01:08Yeah, we're at the halfway point.
01:09Do you think this is-
01:10How likely is it Pistons-Celtics-Eastern Conference Finals?
01:12I mean, just looking at-
01:14Who would compare with those two right now?
01:15The Knicks?
01:16Yeah, it would have to be like a trade, right?
01:17It would have to be.
01:19Looking at-
01:20I don't see any of those teams really coming out.
01:22The players' only meeting ever worked out.
01:24No, the players' meetings don't work.
01:25So, Jalen Brunson's calling one of those.
01:27It feels like they're not coming out of this.
01:28That's like a white flag.
01:29I wouldn't rule Cleveland out, but then again, they've-
01:32So, Cleveland is the team that I was going to say.
01:34Yeah, yeah.
01:34That'd be my next team on the list.
01:35But-
01:36Yeah, I still can't quit them for some reason.
01:38Just because of last year, they almost won 70 games.
01:40I'm not totally giving up on the Knicks, by the way.
01:42Yeah, I mean, they could be-
01:43They're playing very poor right now, but like-
01:45But they have a couple of really good players.
01:46They just don't play defense.
01:48They don't play any defense whatsoever.
01:50And I guess you can kind of look at that.
01:51We talked about it all last spring.
01:52Their best two players that you can't take off the floor for them,
01:55Carl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, are their worst defenders.
01:58Yeah.
01:58So, it's kind of hard to survive like that, but they just don't play any defense.
02:02And their offense is built to be this high-octane offense,
02:05but they turn the ball over too much, and they haven't been able to score points.
02:08So, I don't know.
02:09I mean, you feel like they would turn it around a little bit,
02:12but even looking at when the Celtics have matched up with them,
02:14they've played them really well with the exception of the second quarter
02:17in the second game of the year when they played in New York.
02:20I mean, when they came here, what, Jalen Brown had 42 points or whatever.
02:23They really kept Brunson in check.
02:25So, I don't know.
02:26I probably would take the Celtics over the Knicks even looking towards the long term,
02:29but, I mean, all that changes in the postseason, right?
02:32Oh, for sure.
02:33Peyton Pritchard mentioned that the other day.
02:34Like, they were 4-0.
02:35They blew the doors off the Knicks all regular season.
02:37Come the postseason, it was a different story.
02:39So, I think you do kind of take it with a grain of salt.
02:41It's really impressive what they've done, though.
02:43I mean, 42 games into the season, they're the two seed.
02:45Yeah.
02:46I was like, hey, six seed.
02:47They're on pace for what, like 50 wins?
02:4851.
02:49Yeah.
02:50I'm telling you, it's really good.
02:51Now, Jason Tatum, he's been at all the games.
02:56We see him.
02:57You guys saw him recently.
02:58Like, what are we thinking now for a target date for Tatum?
03:01I mean, him working out with the media right there was a sign of, like,
03:06don't forget me.
03:07Like, don't forget, like, this is coming.
03:08So, you agree with that?
03:09Because Mannix had a tweet about this.
03:11He's like, this is not an accident.
03:12100%.
03:13This is not just, like, some video they released in the training.
03:15This was in front of the media, media filming it.
03:18No doubt.
03:18Because he's been there working out at different times at the RBAC Center.
03:23We've gotten glimpses of it.
03:24But it's very minimal stuff that we've been able to see.
03:27Like, him taking station jump shots.
03:30Like, none of this off-the-dribble stuff.
03:32None of this dunking.
03:32None of this going with defensive pressure.
03:35Like, we haven't seen any of that.
03:36So, I think him doing that in front of the media was very calculated.
03:40And him saying, like, hey, don't forget, because this is coming down the pipeline here soon.
03:43It's pretty crazy.
03:44And there had been different theories and, like, Reddit theories about when he's going to return.
03:48The 8th.
03:48People are all over the 8th against the Knicks.
03:50So, that is Super Bowl Sunday.
03:52It's a nationally televised game on ABC.
03:54What a day that would be.
03:54Jason Tatum comes back and the Patriots play in the Super Bowl.
03:57What a day that would be.
03:58Forget about it.
03:59That's insane.
04:00Give me the Archer mean.
04:01Yeah.
04:01So, stop.
04:03Stop.
04:03That does feel a little bit too soon now.
04:06That's wild.
04:07That does feel a little too soon to me.
04:08Just because when Brad Stevens outlined the timeline last month when he talked.
04:12Why does that seem too soon?
04:13I'm starting to look at the games in January, Terp.
04:15I'm like, is he coming back on the homestand in January?
04:17Judging off the timeline that Brad laid out last month, it feels like he's still in the scripted parts against smaller groups.
04:24So, he has to go the unscripted.
04:25There's still a ways to go, it feels like.
04:27But it also feels like.
04:29He's close.
04:29Well, it does, but don't you think it's, it seems like it's important to him to like shatter that timeline and be like the torchbearer, like the standard for players coming back from this injury.
04:41That seems to be very important to him because the original timeline was March, maybe April.
04:47He sounds way ahead of that.
04:48So, if that's important to him in any way, I think he's going to be, yeah, that next game sounds like just about right.
04:53The original timeline was eight months and we're eight months and one week, I believe, into it.
04:57So, we're kind of fitting right in there, but they are very.
05:00The original timeline was he would be back in eight months.
05:02That was what his dad said after the surgery.
05:04He told ESPN that.
05:05And that was like his dad's goal.
05:06That was his goal, though.
05:07That was eight months.
05:08That was the closest goal, I should say.
05:10They haven't put a timeline.
05:11No, goal, not timeline.
05:12That's fine.
05:13Goal was eight months.
05:14Timeline, they haven't put one on.
05:15They still haven't put one on.
05:16So, it's pretty unclear.
05:17They, you know, they're not saying anything about it.
05:19And they shouldn't.
05:19Like, they don't want to get the hopes up.
05:21But it feels like with him, he understands what this team is capable of.
05:25If, like, you're looking at it, they're second in the Eastern Conference.
05:28They're, what, second in point differential or third, I think, behind Oklahoma City and
05:32Houston, first in the Eastern Conference.
05:34Like, all of the numbers around this team show they have the statistical profile of a
05:40contending team.
05:41Yeah.
05:41And I think he sees that and wants to come back.
05:43And beyond that, like, the guy's addicted to basketball.
05:46Like, this is the guy they had to beg to sit against the Hornets when they have 10 wins
05:49in January, and the Celtics are on pace for 60 wins at the time.
05:53So, I think he wants to be back.
05:55This is probably just, this would be a guess on your part.
05:57But do you think it's going to be one of those things where they announce it?
06:01Like, hey, in a week, he's going to play.
06:04Or is it going to be, every day, they put out the injury report.
06:06Right.
06:06And every day, Jason Tatum's been on there, and it says, out.
06:09Is it going to be, like, the day before the Knicks game, Jason Tatum questionable?
06:14Like, something like that?
06:15And then everyone's like, huh?
06:16And then it's like, then all of a sudden, you see him warm it up, and you're like, oh,
06:18he's playing?
06:19Like, what kind of a heads up do you think we're going to get?
06:21This is a guess, admittedly.
06:23But I would imagine they send some sort of email out that would be like, Jason Tatum's
06:26progressing in the, like, recovery stage, and he's progressing to the unscripted stuff.
06:32I'd imagine there's something like that.
06:33He's playing in Portland tonight.
06:35It also would not surprise me at all if he just goes, Jason Tatum, available.
06:40I don't see that happening.
06:43I think they will send, like, some sort of email and be like, okay, he's progressing.
06:46And his recovery and his time, like, time table and all that.
06:47And then everyone's going to respond with the Michael Scott gif of, like, oh, my God, it's
06:51happening.
06:52He's running out of the building.
06:54So, and we're talking to Terp, Pure Hoops, high noon, every Wednesday here on Jones and
06:59Keefe.
06:59If you've got Celtics questions, dial us up, 617-779-7937.
07:05How much do you think Tatum's return would help something that you're harping on quite a
07:08bit in your work at weei.com?
07:12The struggles in the clutch.
07:13Another clutch loss the other night.
07:14It was a really good look for Jalen at the end of the game.
07:17Didn't go down.
07:18Bounced all around the rim.
07:19But they had an opportunity to win that game.
07:21They had bad turnovers, missed free throws.
07:24Missoula set after the game the other night.
07:2650-50 balls.
07:27Detroit pretty much got all the important ones.
07:29Why are they struggling in the clutch?
07:31And how does Tatum and his return help that, if at all?
07:33Well, first of all, Tatum's their closer.
07:35Like, that's their guy.
07:36And Jalen's done a good job with it, getting to shots.
07:38But Jason Tatum just gives them a whole other layer.
07:40And it gives another guy to be out there and pose another threat.
07:43But, I mean, the clutch numbers are kind of getting a little bit too alarming.
07:47They're 11-6 since December 15th.
07:49All six of their losses have been in the clutch.
07:51They have to be able to win these games.
07:52And I think the biggest part that Jason Tatum shores up that has been really highlighted in
07:57the clutch is their rebounding.
07:58Like, he's their best rebounder.
07:59And it's not particularly close.
08:01So, having him out there, I mean, the other night, like, look at the end of that game.
08:05They wasted, what, 20 seconds in the final Detroit possession because they couldn't grab a rebound.
08:08Like, those things are going to go a long way with him helping them.
08:12But their defense has just been a mess there, too.
08:14And I think Jason Tatum doesn't get enough credit.
08:16Really, neither him or Brown did for the last couple of years of how good they are as two-way players.
08:21And I think Tatum will go a long way in shoring that up.
08:24Jalen Brown named an all-star starter.
08:26So, congratulations to him.
08:27Yeah, absolutely deserving.
08:29I think he's been the MVP of the Eastern Conference.
08:33I think where you start to add in Shea Gildress-Alexander, you add in...
08:37Even more than Cade.
08:38Yeah, I think so.
08:40I would agree with that, yeah.
08:41I think he would be for me.
08:43I think the West has, like, three or four.
08:45I know Jokic is hurt, but he still played over 30 games.
08:48So, like, they have, like, three or four guys that might even get more votes than Jalen Brown.
08:52But I don't know if there's an Eastern Conference guy that's more deserving.
08:55Yeah, I'd agree.
08:55I think he's definitely been the best player in the East.
08:57And I think when you're looking at this, you have to kind of take into consideration the expectations that they had.
09:03And I know Detroit is exceeding them a little bit.
09:05I don't think people expected Detroit to be this good.
09:07But they were in the playoffs last year.
09:08They were a really good team last year.
09:10With the Celtics, I mean, people had them slated for the lottery.
09:13And they're the second-best team in the Eastern Conference right now.
09:16Again, we mentioned the point differential, top three in point differential.
09:19Like, again, the statistical profile of a championship-contending team.
09:22And if you're looking at the Celtics, where would they be without Jalen Brown?
09:26Just night in and night out, what he's done offensively, defensively, just setting the tone.
09:30And, you know, he couldn't ask for anything more.
09:33And I think that wasn't overlooked when looking at, you know, the all-star starters.
09:37And when looking at his standing in the Eastern Conference, like, it's hard to argue anyone's been better than him this season.
09:42So what?
09:42It's USA versus the world?
09:44Is that what they're doing?
09:45So he's an Eastern Conference starter?
09:46But is he actually going to, like, start in the game?
09:48Does that make sense?
09:49Is he actually going to start in the game?
09:50I have no clue how this is going on.
09:52Because, like, the world is...
09:54Starters are better.
09:55The top of the world roster is better than the U.S.
09:57I mean, I didn't even...
09:58So yesterday when I had my hot take about the Western Conference starters are, like, the best...
10:02It's not going to matter.
10:03They actually aren't even the Western starters.
10:04It's really...
10:04The whole thing is very confusing.
10:05But four out of five of those guys are international players.
10:08So right there.
10:09And then the East, I think, has Giannis.
10:11So, yeah, he'll start.
10:13I think it actually worked out where they have five international, five American starters.
10:16Maybe they manipulated that in some way.
10:17That's actually probably a way for the Celtics to get another.
10:19There's a lot of player out there in Hugo Gonzalez, especially for the rookies.
10:22Like, have an international rookie pool out there.
10:24Oh, I thought you meant the All-Star.
10:25Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
10:26He does lead the NBA bench players in plus-miners.
10:30But no, no, that's not going to happen.
10:31I'm saying from an international standpoint, to send another player out there for some sort
10:35of...
10:35I know it's not the same, obviously.
10:37He's not a superstar.
10:37No, no, no.
10:37But he's part of the weekend.
10:39Whatever it is, he'll be a part of the weekend, I'd imagine, just given the new format.
10:43Did they scrap the dunk contest?
10:44Or is it back again?
10:45No, it's back.
10:46It's back.
10:46Yeah, I wasn't sure after the G League guy went over here.
10:48It'll be like Hugo in the dunk contest.
10:51Get him in there.
10:51It won't be anybody good.
10:53What's going on with Derek White?
10:54Your colleague on the beat, Chris Forsberg, is writing about this the last couple of days.
10:58He struggles every January.
11:00Dry January.
11:01Yeah, it's a dry January for Derek White.
11:04Maybe that is what's going on.
11:05I've actually seen him at some of these Colorado Buffalo...
11:07You saw him at the parade.
11:08I've seen him at the Colorado Buffaloes game.
11:10So yeah, maybe it is the dry January affecting him.
11:13Do you think he needs a break?
11:14Why would he typically struggle at this time of year?
11:17What's going on with him?
11:17Yeah, I actually wrote about this the other day.
11:19I really think he's due for a break.
11:20And I thought tonight was going to be a perfect one for him.
11:22He hasn't sat since November 30th.
11:24And I know people look at it.
11:25It's like, oh, it's his job to go out there and play basketball.
11:27But he's played in 41 of their 42.
11:29Other guys have had nights off.
11:31And especially as of late, like this road trip really highlighted.
11:34He made one shot in two of the last three games.
11:37One shot.
11:37He's taken like 11 in multiple of them.
11:40Leads the team in minutes by a long shot here.
11:42I thought for sure tonight would have been a good night to give him a day off.
11:46But maybe they're setting it up for the back-to-back here.
11:48They got Chicago on Saturday and Brooklyn on Friday.
11:50They're probably, when Tatum comes back in like two days, they're going to, they'll rest in that one.
11:54That's what they'll do it.
11:54Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:55They have an extra body at that point, yeah.
11:56But again, since November 30th, hasn't sat 41 of their 42.
12:00I think he's due for a break.
12:01And it did him wonders.
12:02Earlier in the year, he sat against Cleveland, came back.
12:05And that was when he really started to turn things around.
12:07So yeah, I think he's due for a break.
12:09But you can't overlook the shooting.
12:11Defensively, he's been great.
12:12He's averaging a block and a steal over that stretch.
12:14But the shooting numbers have just not been good enough.
12:16Especially when he's expected to be their number two option.
12:19He has to be better.
12:20Trade deadline is two weeks from tomorrow.
12:22So we will have a couple more times to talk to you prior to the trade deadline.
12:25But you think anything brewing for the Celtics here?
12:29I mean, they need a big man.
12:30Like if we're talking again, we've mentioned it a couple times.
12:33Like what's the ceiling on this team?
12:35Like why not go for it this year?
12:36It's kind of similar to the Patriots, right?
12:38Like where you're sitting at the...
12:39And it didn't end up mattering for the Patriots.
12:41But like you're sitting there.
12:42It's like, you have a chance to do it here.
12:44Why not go up and shore up their roster?
12:45Like they need a big man.
12:47Like that's the reality.
12:48And as good as Namiya Shkate has been.
12:49And I think he can be your starter.
12:51But you need another big behind him.
12:53Garza's been great since he re-entered the rotation.
12:55But does anyone really rely on that in big postseason minutes coming up?
13:00He has his moments, but no.
13:01He has his moments.
13:02Wait until he's in the playoffs and he runs the way he does?
13:04That's going to turn into like an even bigger thing.
13:08Fastest sprint speed in the NBA, according to the track.
13:11I refuse to believe that.
13:12I'm worried about that one.
13:13It is, yes.
13:14But I would imagine that they go out and they have to add to this team.
13:18We talked about it last week.
13:19The luxury tax should not be a problem.
13:21Like you're not selling off teams.
13:22You have a team that can reach the finals.
13:24And I don't think many people would argue against that.
13:27Like they have what it takes right now.
13:29You're a few pieces away.
13:30But just moving players to get under the luxury tax would be very,
13:34very disappointing.
13:34It would not be a good precedent to set in your first year in ownership.
13:38Real quick, because he's the show's goat.
13:40And it's very well documented.
13:41He's not my goat.
13:42The show's goat, I said.
13:43Well, it's awesome.
13:44LeBron James.
13:44LeBron James.
13:45LeBron James will not be starting in the All-Star game for the first time
13:49in like two decades.
13:49Your thoughts, Turd?
13:50I wonder.
13:51I don't want to make excuses for the show's goat here.
13:54But I do wonder how him missing so much time at the beginning of the year,
13:57if that played a factor into it.
13:59Because I feel like if he was just out there,
14:01he would have made it just strictly off name recognition.
14:03Do you think he'll wear the patch in the All-Star game?
14:05I kind of hope so.
14:06I would hope.
14:06I mean, that's the time.
14:07You can't have that thing made and wear it once.
14:09It's a good-looking patch.
14:10No, I think he's going to wear it more than once.
14:11But I wonder how much him missing time at the beginning of the year
14:15impacted that.
14:15Because it's totally off name recognition.
14:17And people want to see that trend continue.
14:20It's LeBron James.
14:21They want him out there.
14:22But him missing, what?
14:23He didn't play until almost December?
14:26First week of December, I think it was.
14:28But it also shows you how many insanely popular players there are in the league.
14:32We were doing the jersey sales yesterday.
14:33And then you look at the sheer number of votes coming in.
14:35And all these international guys, like Wimbayama and Luka and Yogic,
14:39they have big-time following.
14:41It feels like that change in the guard is finally happening.
14:44For years, the NBA, specifically the NBA and their marketing and whatnot,
14:48has held on so long to the LeBrons, the Currys, the Hardens,
14:52just trying to get whatever they can.
14:53It's crazy that Durant, Harden, Curry, and LeBron are as good as they are right now.
14:56They're still very good.
14:57Why?
14:58Harden just moved in a ninth all-time in scoring.
15:00It's crazy.
15:00This guy, like 20 years ago, all those guys would have been retired for like six years
15:04or eight years, right?
15:06And they just keep playing.
15:07They all came into the league sooner and they're playing longer.
15:09Larry Bird, like, barely made it to 30.
15:11Right.
15:11You know, like, these guys are still going and still playing at a high level.
15:14Anyway, he's Justin Turpin.
15:15Check out his work at weei.com.
15:18Follow him on Twitter at JustinMTurpin.
15:20Pure Hoops with Turp every Wednesday at High Noon.
15:23Turp, excellent stuff as always.
15:24All right, guys.
15:25All right.
15:25We'll talk to Turp next week.
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