We're not just talking wins and losses here; we're dissecting the strategic post-ups and the offensive versatility of the Boston Celtics. We examine Derek White's journey from obscurity to NBA sensation. The trade winds are blowing, and we speculate on how the Celtics might bolster their roster. The conversation gets fiery as Jim and Mike argue over Oklahoma City Thunder's contender status. Finally, we go through 5 random NBA questions with Mike.
We're not just talking wins and losses here; we're dissecting the strategic post-ups and the offensive versatility of the Boston Celtics. We examine Derek White's journey from obscurity to NBA sensation. The trade winds are blowing, and we speculate on how the Celtics might bolster their roster. The conversation gets fiery as Jim and Mike argue over Oklahoma City Thunder's contender status. Finally, we go through 5 random NBA questions with Mike.
You're listening to they're gonna call it a heartfelt they're gonna call it a heartfelt. Offering in-depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics With your hosts Jim and Mike Quigley.
Mike Quigley:It's a cold morning here in the Northeast but the red socks, the Celtics, are red hot and welcome to another edition of Hard Foul with my brother, Michael, and myself, Jim Quigley. I hope everyone is doing well, Hope you had a great New Year's and, you know, enjoyed it as much as the Celtics did down in San Antonio. Mike, I don't know what is really more to be said. The Celtics continue to be red hot. I know they had some close, competitive games at home last week against the Pistons and the Raptors under kind of different set of circumstances. And then they go down to Texas and they kind of beat the bag out of the Spurs.
Mike Quigley:You know, in a fun game Don't get me wrong, it was fun to watch. You got some Wembley, Wembley and Yama kind of love out there. He was going in that first half, so you got some of that. And then you got the Celtics just turn on the Jets in the third quarter and blowing the doors off the Spurs with some, you know, fun, exciting plays. I don't know what your takeaway is from particularly the last two games against the Spurs or the Raptors. If you want to stop there, you want to start with Derek White or other Celtics. I'll leave it up to you, but you know 26 and 6 through 32 games Best team in basketball. I don't think there's any question about that.
Jim Quigley:Thanks, jim. With the Raptors game that's another example of a game they would have lost last year. In the year before, where they came out in the fourth quarter, they had a pretty big lead I want to say double figures, and the Raptors hit a bunch of threes. The Celtics were clearly not playing well to start that quarter, whether they weren't ready or focused. A lack of focus. It can be concerning to see pop up in Detroit and Toronto, but the Celtics at the end of the game pulled it out in overtime.
Jim Quigley:No no wait, that wasn't an overtime right.
Mike Quigley:That was overtime. It was, the try was overtime.
Jim Quigley:Yeah. But both those games Detroit and Toronto, you can argue were games that were two games last year and the year before that you would probably see the Celtics in some sort of dramatic fashion either win because the other team screwed up or lost because they just couldn't execute. And this year there's been a lot of examples of this, of games where we've been texting and we were like, yeah, they weren't great tonight, but again they pulled it out. And for Zynga, simwight are a big part of that difference with moving smart. It obviously opened the door for Zynga to join the team, but even more importantly, the role it's given to Derek White. And in the fourth quarters of both those games and in overtime of the Detroit game, you saw Derek White really step up when he was struggling for parts of those games but really showed where he could take over.
Jim Quigley:So there's not a lot to say about the San Antonio game. San Antonio is really bad. I think out of the three teams that the Celtics played in the last three games, none of them are really that good. Even with Detroit's losing streak, san Antonio's had one of their own this year of like 18 and 19 games. That's just a really bad team. It wasn't very competitive, it was fun. You know, kp struggled in that game, shooting a lot of threes, but once again, when he saw KP go inside against San Antonio, the game really shifted.
Jim Quigley:And the Celtics when they start going to the hoop I think I've said it on the pod before everything else opens up. When the Celtics are going to the basket, because they're so hard to beat in the paint, with Brown's ability to get in there, whether he's driving a post and up, same with Tatum, same with White, same with Holiday. And then, obviously, you know, porzingis has dominated the post all season, from follow line extended down, where he's really unique in how he does it. There isn't anybody else that does it in the league and I think it was another example of that against San Antonio, and the Celtics put it inside. Everything just opened up and as far as had absolutely no answers. So Celtics are dominating right now.
Jim Quigley:A couple of weeks ago we were saying that they weren't a good road team and coming into this morning they have the second best road record in the NBA to OKC, and percentage wise they're around the same. So they're doing everything. They're winning at home. They're winning against bad teams. They're winning against good teams. They're winning back to backs, their bench is playing well, so things are firing in all cylinders right now, and tonight should be a really good test. I'm looking forward to tonight.
Mike Quigley:Yeah. So I want to hit on a couple of things that you mentioned that I think are important. So you bring up the different ways they can win the share and you know whether it's shooting the three or going to the basket. What's the remarkable differences? The amount of post ups they have compared to last year I think they were the bottom percentile of the league and now the number one in the league and post up points, percentile, percentile wise. And you know a lot of that's prosingous, but a lot of that is also brown and Tatum.
Mike Quigley:You know how often do we see those guys on the block and just kind of going to work with fadeaways or drop steps, you know, or drawing a double and finding the right read and kicking it out.
Mike Quigley:It's, it's been, you know, much different in that sense than last year.
Mike Quigley:Right, you, really there were no post ups and I guess you know the prosing is huge, but credit Tatum and Brown for getting into the gym this summer and really add in that element to the game and I think it's made a big difference with how the Celtics can play.
Mike Quigley:You know it really puts different, a different type of play, a different type of pressure on the defense. You know, what's interesting to me and you know Scal pointed this out in the last game it's just the approach to prosingous with defenses right now and the approach the Celtics took last year, honestly, where they would put a small on him and I know that was kind of the read you would make early in his career and thinking you could kind of push him out and it would confuse him a bit and throw him off his game. He's now not even trying to muscle you, he just kind of turns them out. It's understanding that it's almost like a tennis ball out of a Nerf basket for him, you know, whereas those guys can't contest. And when they do try to contest, as you saw with McDermott down in San Antonio, you know he gets the line. So the question becomes is you know, do the teams eventually start to treat him differently? And if they do, what does that mean for Tatum and Brown?
Jim Quigley:It means that the lanes are going to open up.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, if they start throwing doubles at him or they start bringing their big out more, because I think that's part of the thought processes.
Mike Quigley:You know, if we stick out big on him, then we need to have that big be able to come out and contest him, and if he does, that takes him away from the rim to contest the Celtics wings. They're also prosengus, is skilled enough to take them off the dribble. So just the pressure that he's able to put on defenses is really important. And you know, as we look forward to tonight, mike, you have a OKC team and I'm looking forward to this game quite a bit, but you have an OKC team that really plays a lot of wings, or guys that are on 6'7" 6'8". They don't have a lot of size at all and I do think this is going to be another prosengus game, especially as we get into the later moments of this. I think the OKC, unless they make an adjustment, they're going to see guys like Lou Dordt and Giddy and Williams matched up for prosengus late in the game and they're going to be in trouble.
Jim Quigley:I don't understand why you? I guess because it's so concerned about Tate and Brown going to the basket. That's probably why they're doing that, because if you put Holgram, our other teams put a big on prosengus around the foul line, then that's going to open up driving lanes. Take away one of your strengths at defending the basket. But I think at this point, especially in the fourth quarter of games, I think maybe you can get away with it early, maybe through the first three quarters, letting prosengus do his thing and trying to keep it close. But in the fourth quarter of games I would have especially if I'm OKC and I got a guy who's 7-3 who can match his wingspan, I would have my big on prosengus.
Jim Quigley:I would not put a small on him anymore. It simply doesn't work. He scores, he has to score against that 90% of the time. The numbers have to be outrageous when he gets the ball foul line extended against the small. That's why I get crazy. I understand the 3-point shot's a big shot. I want him to shoot it, but it's like somethings could go to that every possession. It's unstoppable.
Mike Quigley:I feel like they use that Mike to soften them up. They have him go out there earlier in the game and you have to extend them, so it softens them up a little bit and then they go. If that thing's not flowing they stop punching you inside or they stop running just reading rolls. So even if you want to have Chet Holgram, who I just it's funny to say this with prosengus I don't think has the strength or speed to cover him right now Even if you have Chet Holgram with that wingspan, start on him. The Celtics are waiting the game to just run a screening roll and then all of a sudden you're going to have Jalen Williams down there on prosengus, so you're going to have Lou Dordt or you're going to have Fulton and Todd on an island with Tatyana Brown, and it makes it just at least force the Celtics to do that though, yeah.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, when Holt said the Celtics because you never know a game on the road the Celtics could get lazy and not run their offense Like you got to do something. I feel like what you're bringing up, what Scals is bringing up, is just poor game planning, poor film. Like how do you not notice that prosengus is dominating the league right now?
Mike Quigley:I think they're picking it poison. Honestly, I think they're still and probably rightfully so, they're still more afraid of Tatyana Brown and they're so fearful of what happens when those guys get going with this offense that they become on. The offense just becomes unstoppable when they're going good, when they were going good in particular. So I think it will be interesting to come playoff time, what adjustments teams make to this, because they're going to have to make some and some teams are better suited than others. Certainly, miami, with BAM, is much better suited than other teams. But yeah, I think they're picking the poison right now I mean, Minnesota is well suited as well.
Mike Quigley:If they get there, yeah, if they get there, yeah. So it's really interesting. I'm looking forward to tonight's game. I think OKC has been one of those teams that right now I think a lot of people the consensus on them is that they're not a top three team in the West in terms of that's where they'll end up. But they've certainly played that way. That's right, and they've beaten Denver twice. They got some really good, skilled players and this is a big game for them. I think it's going to have a playoff fail down there in OKC. You're not going to have as many Celtics fans show up because I don't think there's as many transplants in Oklahoma City and I don't think anyone's planning their vacation post New Year's for Oklahoma City to go watch the Celtics. So you're going to have a good environment down there. A big game and for the Celtics last time you played them you got embarrassed. You lost by almost 50 points. So this is I think it's setting up to be a fun night, fun atmosphere. What's your expectations for tonight?
Jim Quigley:I don't agree with the pundits that OKC is not a top three team in the West or a top three team in the NBA. They are, and they have the talent too. They're just young. That's why people don't believe in them. They're nine, and four more on the road, so they're winning on the road. They didn't just beat Denver, they dominate Denver when they play them. Nobody else plays like they do offensively with the way they attack the hoop over and over and over again. Their center is a 40, 50, 90 guy, their center at 7-3. And he's one of the best rim defenders in the NBA. He's made all the difference on that team. They've always had the talent. Now they have an all-star center who we're going to be talking about if we're not as first team all defense one day. I think they're an NBA title contender. They have that much talent, yeah.
Mike Quigley:I don't think that they have.
Jim Quigley:They have the scoring with FESTA. They can compete with all these teams in the West. I mean outside, I mean who in the West is the favorite right now?
Mike Quigley:It's still Denver.
Jim Quigley:I don't know how.
Mike Quigley:But I mean how?
Jim Quigley:is OKC.
Mike Quigley:Not in that conversation, though, because they're not in Denver, I mean they dominated Denver.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, they dominated them twice.
Mike Quigley:It's regular season. Denver's been there. They've done that. They're just much more well-balanced If you look at their size and across the board. I don't think OKC has any answers for Yolkic whatsoever when it really comes down to crunch time, or that two-man game between Yolkic and Murray Gordon wasn't available the last time they played because of the dog bite issues, which is an interesting story that should be examined a little bit. I think Denver I think the pecking order out there is probably still Denver Minnesota, I think has shown that they're real and I think the Clippers in Phoenix are probably all ahead.
Mike Quigley:Oh no way At this point. No way, not at this point, by the time, the end of the season, I think, phoenix is going to get red hot soon. Their talent's going to take over.
Jim Quigley:We'll see. I don't think Phoenix could? Yeah, but they can't defend anybody. And the other thing about it, too, with OKC, is they have more chips than all those teams have when it comes to an acquisition. That's traded dead line.
Mike Quigley:There's some that move around. If someone's available, yeah.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, so as far as the task for the Celtics side, they don't have a ton of size OKC.
Mike Quigley:There are a bunch of six to six, eight guys outside of Holmgren and it's not always the best thing in the world. One, you know one guy has a ton of blocks. It's kind of sometimes it means like too many guys are getting to the paint against you. I think they're really really good I and I think tonight they're gonna show out and it's gonna be good. And I think they kind of remind me of the Celtics teams. You know, post. I am pretty kind of the Kyrie, you know, those Isaiah Thomas teams, whether they are, they're really really good, they're really really close. I just don't think they're there yet.
Jim Quigley:Those Celtics teams didn't have two All-Star talents and they started five.
Mike Quigley:But that's fine, I'd say, for tonight I would say the other All-Star talent right now other than SGA?
Jim Quigley:Chad Holgram's already an All-Star talent.
Mike Quigley:He's not close to an All-Star right now. He may be Sunday. What do you mean? He is not an All-Star right now.
Jim Quigley:Fine. Well, the Celtics didn't have a player in those Isaiah Thomas teams that were close to being an All-Star. One day they had Isaiah Thomas and a bunch of guys.
Mike Quigley:Al Horford was an All-Star.
Jim Quigley:Fine, jim Fine.
Mike Quigley:Okay, I'm just like they're not a championship contender right now. Mike, I don't know You're out on an island on that to believe that by yourself, I think.
Jim Quigley:I think they could win the West. I think they could.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, I think that's crazy.
Jim Quigley:Whatever We'll see when the playoffs start, because Denver has a lot of holes. They do, they're the same team as last year. They're not the same teams last year. They don't have Bruce background, who was a huge part of that team. They're not that good. I don't think they're the same team as last year.
Mike Quigley:I don't think they're as focused as they were last year too. They have the same starting five.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, they have the same starting five.
Mike Quigley:They still have the best player in the world.
Jim Quigley:They certainly do. Yeah, as far as this being a regular season game tonight on the road, this might be one of the tougher regular season games Celtic's seen a long time. Only because I do think the crowd is gonna be really focused. This is a young team who's gonna take this game more serious than other teams will take, as far as what this means.
Mike Quigley:Yeah.
Jim Quigley:I don't think this game means as much to the Celtics as it will to OKC, and I also think we've seen some tendencies with the Celtics that they played a lot of bad teams recently three games in a row where they haven't had to be focused the entire game, which is typical for an NBA season. Something like that can come up to bite you like a bad habit. Somebody has to show you this bad habit's gonna hurt you. Maybe that comes up tonight and the schedule's kind of designed too.
Mike Quigley:The schedule's been going it's out west two games back to back at home right after Christmas and then right back to middle America. Like it's been a grind travel-wise.
Jim Quigley:It has, and it should be interesting to see what the matchup is at the guard position tonight, how the Celtics go after SGA. I wanna say I don't know if he's a leading scorer in the NBA, but he's definitely up there. He shoots it, maybe too much, but MVP candidate for sure.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, I don't know if it's Derek White or Holliday and also what the Celtics do on switches. Tonight will be interesting too, because I don't know if you can switch against OKC because they just go to the basket. That's like their whole philosophy. They must put up shots so early in the shot clock because of the way they just attacked the paint and I know that's something the Celtics really struggled against even when they wanted home last year. Defensively was just the way they were gonna attack the paint.
Mike Quigley:So KP can obviously make a difference there, though OKC puts a shit ton of pressure on you and they play with extraordinary pace and not the type of pace where it's like seven seconds and get a shot off. Just constant pressure, like you said, and going to the basket and ball movement, and I would not be shocked to see a final score with both teams high 120s, low 130s tonight, like I totally expected to be that type of game which, for January, is fantastic to watch.
Mike Quigley:So, I wouldn't like if the final score was 133 to 125, that would knock shock me one bit tonight if it was around that range.
Jim Quigley:And then what's funny is last year you'd be like well, that's not good for the Celtics, that's not the type of game the Celtics are gonna win.
Mike Quigley:They can win either.
Jim Quigley:But this year they can win a game 110, 108, 198, or they can win a game 130 to 126.
Mike Quigley:The.
Jim Quigley:Celtics have built different.
Mike Quigley:I think the two guys and you hit on them, I think the two guys that you're gonna see have big nights. I think SGA will for OKC, for the reasons you outlined and I think for the reasons we outlined early, I think KP, I think Przingis is gonna have a really good night for the Celtics. I just think this is OKC does not match up well against him at all, especially if the Celtics can get him in switches. Mike Derrick White he's been just obviously his best season in the NBA. I think a lot has opened up playing timelines for him. With Marcus Smats exit, there's no more question about crunch time minutes for him.
Mike Quigley:I sometimes lose sleep thinking what the Celtics might have been if he was getting those crunch time minutes last year, Because we're seeing what he does with the ball in his hands in big time spots, especially in these last couple of games. In Toronto he was the guy down the stretch, Even though Brown was probably the most skilled player was White who was getting the ball, making the plays, and you saw that a little bit in game seven against Miami until White got hurt. When Tatum couldn't do what he could do, the Celtics finally figured it out in the third quarter. Let's get the ball to Derrick White and get him going down hill, and it was working. I don't know if he's an all-star. There's a lot of really good guards in the East this year. There's an argument to be made for him.
Jim Quigley:Caseboard. Yeah.
Mike Quigley:But he's a winning, winning player. They used to be the thing with Smats and I'm a Marcus Smats guy. I loved him on my team. I believe in the intangible stuff that people talk about, but he was never this good and you know, malcolm Brogdon was never this good last year and, frankly, drew Holiday is not this good now. For the Celtics this has been the best guard they've had post Isaiah and you know he does it on both ends. You know the amount of what is he like looking at seven straight games of at least two blocks.
Mike Quigley:He's got the basketball, the stales. You know he moves the ball so quickly and you know his scoring ability. He can do it a lot of different ways. It's just been awesome, awesome to watch. You know that's my, that's, those are my thoughts. I've always. I was a white guy. Going into the season there was a lot of people saying, you know, consider him in a trade for Drew Holiday. We had a pot about that and how stupid that would have been. And I think that's being proven right right now.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, we saw a part of this last season. It's just he got caught up in the mess of who do? I play With Smart and Brogdon and obviously they needed to be playing white more minutes last year. Who knows what that would have done for their chances, maybe even the year before, but he's improved even from last year. I don't ever remember. I know his ball handling was good last year but this year you'd be able to slow down white in the past by getting up on him.
Jim Quigley:The conversation would be he's not a true point guard. He's not. That's what we would say that Mark and Smart really turned himself into a true point guard. That's who we trust with the ball. White is like Tatum and Brown where he doesn't really handle the ball pressure. That's not this season. He might be their best ball handler on the team this year. And then how quickly he makes decisions whether he's going to the basket where, when he's going to the hoop, it feels like there aren't many people who can stop him from getting to the paint and getting a good shot up, and he's making the majority of those shots. And then how quickly he gets the three point shot up. Now, I didn't realize this until I read the athletic article yesterday that he's over 40% from three, he's at 49% from two and he's from 88% from the free throw line. He's the self-explanatory shooter on the team right now, statistically.
Mike Quigley:Which is amazing where he used to be as a three point shooter. Yeah.
Jim Quigley:Well, especially when they first traded for him. Yeah, that first season here. He had some moments, obviously in the NBA finals game one where he went off. But and that's the thing too We've seen prior to this season we've seen this version of Derek White at the end of games take over. He just hasn't been given the keys to do it on a nightly basis and he is playing like an all-star. And you're right, Tim, he's probably not going to be an all-star because of the amount of guards who already have big names nor notoriety in the NBA and good seasons and real good seasons.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, and great good seasons, right? What Trey Young's doing, amy and Lily, what have you Halliburton? Halliburton had a 20 assistant. Otero was the other night. It's been amazing. He's been amazing, yeah. But when you talk about most improved player in the NBA at the end of the season, that could be an award. Derek White should be certainly looking at. That's a well-deserved honor, I think. All team first team defense. Maybe he could be looking at 10 this season as well, so he'll have his notoriety. Where at the beginning of the season, the SPN left him off the top 100 list, which you've noted too several times, was this crazy on the Celtics team? I wonder where he is as far as like the best player on the team, what number he is after Tatum and Brown, because he's right up there with Porzingis. So yeah, he's been phenomenal. He really has.
Mike Quigley:Every minute on the floor that goes by. Right now his contract number is going up and up on that extension and good for him. So, and I think, of the players that are coming up, obviously Hauser's a distant third, but him drew Holiday and Hauser, he's got to be the guy the priority right now to react.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, I mean, I feel like we don't have to have this conversation yet, but win the championship this year and move Holiday next year so you can extend White. I think that has to be the plan.
Mike Quigley:And I think the other thing with Derek White, you know if you look at, you know you hear it often, you know back in San Antonio was getting him to believe he could be this good right, you know it was kind of convincing him that he would get this. So I think that has a lot to do with his consistency and the confidence. And you look at his background, you know as a guy that you know wasn't heavily recruited, junior college, transferred to Colorado, you know, wasn't, you know a top prospect for the NBA draft, and you know he's kind of had to create his own persona. You know, at every level he's got into right and had to believe that he could be this guy. At every level he's got into. I think kind of serves him well as a teammate, it serves him well in this league. He's very grounded, but it probably didn't serve him well in terms of understanding how good he is, you know, even to himself, and I think that realization is coming finally and you're seeing that in his play. So you know a guy with a great story and you know not, you know a lottery pick and is, you know, big, big part of what could be a championship team and a guy that will get paid a lot of money soon. A lot of money soon.
Mike Quigley:Mike, I have five questions. Are you ready for them?
Jim Quigley:No, but let's go.
Mike Quigley:On the current Celtics roster, which player would you most want to hang out with? Who cornette? All right, that's a good answer. How come?
Jim Quigley:Because I feel like he's dumb enough to get shit based at the bar.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, he's slimmed. His celebrations on the bench are unbelievable. You know what? Like there's a great dunk and he just jumps off the bench. He looks like a like just a running dad joke. You know, and I I'm kind of with you, it would be him or Derek White, derek White's kind of get that reserve good guy attitude, and but then you saw him at the University of Colorado Opening day game to share and he was kind of going crazy. So he has like that kind of get a few beers at me and I'll go nuts. So it'd be one of those two guys. But Quinnette looks like just an absolute, absolute riot. So the Celtics you know we're gonna probably do a trade deadline show or you know a couple trade shows. Do the Celtics make any trade? In your mind, that's gonna be worth, you know, spending much time on, I guess.
Jim Quigley:Yes, they're gonna trade for Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets. He's on the contract for Two more years at $5 million a year to be a solid backup center and he's, since he started, with Mark Williams going down, he's had a bunch of double doubles and, where he's 27 years old, I don't think the Hornets, as a rebuilding team have him in their Plans and he's kind of like the type of move that would make sense for the Celtics, the backup center that you could, after several years, to solid. I think that's the guy.
Mike Quigley:That's the type of move to make right. It's the one that's beyond this year, because I think if you're gonna convince, if you're gonna go further into the tax and use that trade exception, it has to be something beyond that, beyond just kind of roster fodder which is, you know, with the way the rotation set, I'm gonna, I must say, can pull off and move like that and I don't know what it would take to take get a young center under a good contract. I Don't know how much you have to pay. I'm gonna go no, and I think you know.
Mike Quigley:My prediction is I think you're gonna see Blake Griffin back on the Celtics around the off-dobrick, as you know, your extra big body, someone that you can throw out maybe for a couple minutes against Giannis or Embiid To get a couple charges, hit, a couple corner threes to draw them out, maybe give out the night off on back-to-backs, that's. That's a guy I think you're gonna see come back Biggest weakness with the Celtics, outside of the obvious that you know injuries, you know which you could say about anything, but what is their Achilles Hale, so to speak, on the floor?
Jim Quigley:There, their history, the history of losing focus, losing games at home in the postseason, being out, you know, mental toughness by Miami or just toughness in general by Miami. They have to cope, they have to overcome, even even though this regular season they've shown it. They have to overcome that history this postseason. That's gonna be the moment that they have a bad game in the postseason, when they blow a lead at home or and it will happen they happen, saw good teams. Everybody will be talking about it.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, and it'll be how you guys gonna respond yeah, so that I think that's their biggest Achilles Hale.
Mike Quigley:I go back to something you talked about In a previous part and I've been thinking a lot about it is, you know, good guards seem to really get off against them, whether it's, you know, and that's not unique, you know, they do it against a lot of teams, obviously. But Halliburton, dame, I think you're gonna see it tonight with SGA they kind of do extreme dark drop coverage with prosingus, which makes a lot of sense. There was a huge focus not to give up the corner three, which makes a lot of sense. But in a seven game series can teams should be able to scheme up against the Celtics. If they have Playmakers like this, like a Tyrese, maxi or Halbert or Dame Lillard, that Should get those guys to go off and how the Celtics are gonna react to that is gonna be pivotal to this success in the postseason. This game is fine for the regular season Interest in to see how it will work come postseason time and it's something you know you brought up, you caught early on this season and it's something that's you know really gonna be a watching, not so much now but once the games really matter in April and May.
Mike Quigley:Mike, yeah, most likely to fade. You know you have a lot of teams that are kind of playing above their head, over expectations. How do you want to word it? Whether it's, you know, the team we talked about already. Okay, see, minnesota, they're in the East. You have Orlando, you have Indiana I might be forgetting somebody else. Yeah, houston early on, but they've already begun to fade and Really not that good. Out of those four teams, which team do you think is most likely to kind of Revert to the mean and maybe just be like a play-in team or something like that?
Jim Quigley:Oh, unfortunately, I'm gonna keep Indiana out of that group because I feel like they're they're just a little bit over 500 team, no matter what, and For me it's it's Orlando, and it's hard to say that because I really like the way they play, the talent on their team. I think they've got to be missing something. They're already starting to play bad basketball and it just feels like to me that the wheels are coming off a little bit and that they could be a team that falls back. It's like the six or seven seed in the east.
Mike Quigley:I agree with you. I think Indiana has so much shooting that they're gonna win 45 To 48 games somewhere around there and be somewhere in that five, six, seven seed. I don't think Orlando really has enough shooting. I don't think they have enough experience. They still have too many guys that a ball dominant, that a try to make names for themselves and down there, and I think, as the season goes on, that could be problematic.
Mike Quigley:It when these games get tighter, you know, and the teams got more of a book on you, I tend to think that Orlando is gonna end up being like a playing team. I think they're a good team. I think they're gonna be involved in the playoffs somehow. I just they're not what they. You know they did not what they were early in the season with record wise. Final question, mike Teams most likely to show that haven't shown yet. So we're talking about you know the Clippers to some extent that really have started to play better. I know the Lakers money in season tournament, but they've been basically a 500 team. You have the Phoenix Suns with the talent they have that have really struggled, and then out east you got a Cleveland team that should be better that they are. I think they're probably what they are, though what team in the league right now Do you think that isn't as much of a factor is going to be a factor come April met?
Jim Quigley:Well, Phoenix will get hot. They'll win a bunch of regular season games. I don't think that they're built to win in the postseason as far as I don't think those guys will be out there. I don't think Bradley feels dependable, but I think they're going to win a bunch of games. I think you're already starting to. Maybe they've already won three in a row. Now, Offensively, they're just going to be really hard to cover and to scheme, but I don't believe in them to you know contempt for the NBA finals.
Jim Quigley:But I certainly think they could be a top three or four seed in the West by the end of this.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, I think all those teams in the West will be better than what they are now the Lakers, the Clippers and the Suns. I think right now I would have the Clippers with the highest sailing, but you know that James Hottenpill is just it's tough to swallow. Come play off time.
Jim Quigley:I don't why Lenin too like is the guy even going to play?
Mike Quigley:Yeah, he's going to be healthy and then, as far, as the Lakers go. They're a playoff team. I don't see them as currently constituted as being close to a contender, even if you know Davis is playing at a real high level. I just don't think they're in that category. I think they'll move away and it'll be a question of whether they can do that because they get a bunch of good role players but none of them that install fair into anybody.
Jim Quigley:Well, they have the GM, though that'll do a million moves to try to make him contend, as like he did last offseason. So I certainly can see the Antelope Russell's contract being moved.
Mike Quigley:Whatever brings in.
Jim Quigley:I don't know, I don't think they have any assets to really trade, but the Lakers will certainly try.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, they'll try and they get some really good defensive players. They have some wings that would have some value on the market. But I just and I thought that Celtics game was a good indicator I thought the Lakers played well and they were nowhere near the class of the Celtics are in right now. Yeah, to me they're nowhere near the class that Denver's in right now.
Jim Quigley:Whenever? Where do you think Pascal Siakum ends up?
Mike Quigley:I don't know. You know that's interesting, but I don't seem going to move that the deadline and I end up. You know, I see, you know Ajay Barrett, and quickly. They don't seem to be a team that wants to tank. I'm going to guess that they try, that they see a core of building around him and what's his name? The, the kids, gaudi Barnes. Gaudi Barnes yeah, you know, they've had. I think there's been a better opportunities to move Siakum. I think right now, if you're trading for him, you're taking a risk in case he doesn't want to resign with you. So how much you really want to give up? He's going to want to get paid. He sees his best opportunity to get paid is in Toronto, so I don't really see him going anywhere.
Jim Quigley:If I was a betting man now, yeah, I guess the only team I was thinking was maybe Philly with Nick Nurse there might make sense. Well they have those contracts they got from the Clippers.
Mike Quigley:I think you're not. I don't think Toronto is going to do Nick Nurse in Philadelphia any favors.
Jim Quigley:No, of course not.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, so I I'd be surprised if he goes anywhere. You know, I think he's going to. I think they want to build around him and Barnes, I think that's a strategy. I don't think it's a good one, but I think that's what they're thinking. So, yeah, yeah, um, hey, good, pod, hopefully we'll talk again this week. We should, because I think tonight's going to be I think there's going to be a lot to talk about after tonight's game.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, this schedule they was a Thursday, Friday, Sunday after tonight. Is that what it is?
Mike Quigley:I know they play Indiana a couple times in a row, or two out of three or something like that, but yeah.
Jim Quigley:I thought Utah was mixed in there too.
Mike Quigley:They might be yeah.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, yeah. So, uh, yeah, I do think I think they have another back to back coming up. So, yeah, man, tired legs. Um, celtics have a little bit of a rough schedule, so we'll see how they work with those legs. Look like tonight, it sounds like everybody on the injury report is, is, is not. It sounds like they have an empty injury report, so they should all be out there. So that's good.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, should be. I think both teams should be full strength, um, pretty well rested, you know, depending on how much drinking both of them did over New Year's Eve, I you know, I'm sure the boss closed early in O KC. So, oh, maybe they don't, you know, probably not. Yeah, so probably not. Um, all right, everyone I'll talk to. We'll talk to you again, hopefully real soon.