00:00I mean, it fills an obvious need from day one, right?
00:03Look back to media day.
00:05Brad Stevens was asked about the front court, and he's like,
00:07I don't know what to expect.
00:08I don't really know how to predict it.
00:10And the reality is it's gone far better than he could have thought
00:13or anybody reasonably could have thought what they've gotten out of Luka Garza
00:17and Amish Kata.
00:18But it's clear that they needed another big man.
00:20That was a big need for them.
00:21Look back to the Brooklyn game, right?
00:22They had two-way player Amari Williams closing out that game,
00:25and he did a great job.
00:26They've relied on him when they've needed emergency depth
00:29and Boucher and Tillman have fallen out of the rotation.
00:32So you needed a big man, and it's not like they went out
00:35and got just a body, right?
00:37Vucevic is an impact player, somebody that fits in pretty well here
00:40with what they want to do.
00:41He gives them a different dimension too offensively
00:43with his presence in the post, with his ability to stretch the floor.
00:47I know Garza's been knocking down threes at a high rate,
00:49but he hasn't been attempting them the way that Vucevic will.
00:53So it does make a lot of sense.
00:54It fills a positional need.
00:55Obviously, it's tough to move on from a guy like Simons,
00:57who we've been talking about, made one hell of a case to stay.
01:00I mean, he was terrific, really bought into his role
01:02as an ultimate professional, but the need for a big man like that
01:06outweighed the need for a guard.
01:07I think if we're being consistent, I think we said all along,
01:10I'd trade Simons for a big.
01:12And so, I don't know, Keith, do you think in a vacuum,
01:15forget fit on the team, forget contract and everything,
01:19which is, of course, a factor in everything the Celtics do.
01:21Who's a better player, Vucevic or Simons?
01:23So, I think for a long time, it would have been Vucevic.
01:26Now, it's probably Simons.
01:27Interesting.
01:28Based on the age, it's close.
01:30I would still say Vucevic.
01:31He's 35.
01:31A year ago, maybe, I would have said Vucevic.
01:33This might be where I swing it.
01:35But even with that, I'm going to turn it.
01:36I think the fit is so much better.
01:38I agree.
01:38The fit, I think, makes it a pretty clear win for the Celtics.
01:41I just think Vucevic is a better player.
01:43He's good, and he's what they needed.
01:46And so, it's funny, with, like, you know, not re-signing Horford is one thing.
01:51You know, salary dump of Porzingis is another.
01:54I feel like Brad's did a really good job with the Drew Holiday asset,
01:57because I thought Drew Holiday was sort of, you know,
01:59towards the end of his career anyway.
02:01He gets Simons for him, and it was like, so, yeah,
02:04it is, in a way, cutting salary, but I wouldn't call it a salary dump
02:07because you've got a player in return.
02:09This isn't like Jordan Hicks.
02:10Not a salary dump.
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