We're unpacking a Texas-sized analysis of their sweep against Houston and Dallas, showcasing the on-court chemistry between Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum, which could spell trouble for any team standing between them and the championship.
The Miami Heat's chessboard just got a new piece with Terry Rozier stepping in as point guard, and we're here to debate whether this move will ignite their offense. With the Heat's playoff position hanging in the balance, we scrutinize how Rozier's iso-play might impact the Celtics' defensive game plan.
We breakdown Doc to the Bucks.
We're unpacking a Texas-sized analysis of their sweep against Houston and Dallas, showcasing the on-court chemistry between Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum, which could spell trouble for any team standing between them and the championship.
The Miami Heat's chessboard just got a new piece with Terry Rozier stepping in as point guard, and we're here to debate whether this move will ignite their offense. With the Heat's playoff position hanging in the balance, we scrutinize how Rozier's iso-play might impact the Celtics' defensive game plan.
We breakdown Doc to the Bucks.
Hey, how follow listeners. We're going to get right to the pot in a second. Two bets for you tonight before we get going. One I like the Timbaloves giving four points against Brooklyn. Brooklyn's coming off a really tough loss against New York. They blew a big lead. That was about the best effort they've given in a while.
Speaker 1:I think the Timbaloves need to get on track. We're playing better basketball. I think there's going to be an emphasis on that. I know they're on it back to back, but I just feel like this is a game where talent's going to win out and you're going to have a supremely focused Timbaloves team that really hasn't played great basketball in a couple of games. The schedule has been tough. I know it's three or four for them. I still feel like this is going to be a Timbaloves game. The other bet I think you want to look at tonight the Celtics. The first half over has almost been a lock all season long. It's 59 and a half tonight against the Heat. The Heat are going to be ready to play, but if it's under 60 with the Celtics, I think it's a bet you're going to make. I wouldn't drop a ton of money on this, but this is a bet you have to make any time it's under 60 for the Celtics. So those are my two picks for tonight. Again, go with your gut, Don't listen to me.
Speaker 2:You're listening to. They're going to call it a hard sell.
Speaker 1:They're going to call it a hard sell.
Speaker 2:Offering in-depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics With your hosts Jim and Mike Wigley.
Speaker 1:Hey, here we are for another edition of Hot Foul. As always, I'm Jim Wigley with my brother, Mike Wigley. Mike, Celtics sweep in Texas the back-to-back against Houston and Dallas. What are your initial takeaways from those games and as we look ahead to Miami and some of the moves around the league, which we'll touch on in just a bit? But let's start in Texas and your thoughts.
Speaker 2:We definitely talked about the Houston game and I was so wrong when I said that I thought the Celtics were going to get blown out in Dallas. The effort level by the Celtics was just night and day, especially the second half of Houston to the entire game. What we saw in Dallas and I know the Jays were awesome and that's a big story in the Dallas game. But I want to focus on the first quarter defense of the Celtics played and the reason I want to focus on that is because they came out shooting one, for I know it was definitely one for eight, maybe it was two for 11.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it took that holiday, three from the corner which hit the side of the backboard and then went around the room and made it to get them going.
Speaker 2:They could have easily been down like 16 to three or something crazy like that to start the game, but their effort defensively was there. I mean they were just playing really hard and even on offense they were moving the ball. You could just see the pace, you could see the effort, you could see the concentration and I thought that's where they won the game, because they could have lost it. A lot of teams can lose the game if that's starting down by so much.
Speaker 2:And the other part of it too is that I took from that game is that if the Celtics play in isolation, run offense in the playoffs, that team doesn't have a chance against the Celtics, because that's where they thrive. They really thrive against teams that really just focus on not moving the ball and that ISO play with their star players, like the Cleveland Cavaliers do and like we saw with Dallas, where you have two extremely talented guys like Kairi Irving and Luca who are going to get their points. But the Celtics help, defense is just so good and they struggle against teams that move the ball well, but against like James Hot and run teams like the Clippers and Dallas. You see, they're straight, they're really good on ball defenders and they communicate well and I was really impressed with the defensive effort really for the entire game, even when Dallas was making their runs. I felt like it was tough. They had to work for everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, I mean Dallas, I thought was the perfect team for the Celtics to play under this situation where it's 11 games in 18 days or something like that. Another back to back on the road, you know, clearly looks sluggish against Houston and you know, maybe part of the reason they didn't shoot well at the end of the game in Denver is maybe there was. You know, their legs are feeling it a little bit, but what Dallas does is they just make it easy on you If you have guys that can guide you out. The only time the Celtics I thought got in trouble defensively is that game is when they helped off the corners and they you know green and folks like that got open. Keep, keep a little guy to open looks. You just don't need it.
Speaker 1:If you have the ability to not help against Kyrie and Luke and live with them making some shots, you got to be fine because the other players stop playing. As you saw in the fourth quarter, dallas roleplayers just stopped playing. You know they just sitting there waiting for the catch. Celtics got a rebound and they were struggling to score early in the fourth but they got a few runouts that led to layups that Dallas didn't get back on that. You know just kind of sailed the game. And then you know Jalen and Tatum just completely outplayed Luca and Kyrie and part of that is you know they got better teammates and the style of play that Jason and Jalen players and just solely ISO although that is what Brown did to Luke going up the stretch in the fourth quarter several times yeah.
Speaker 1:And you know you mentioned the Celtics are good against teams that might isolate in the playoffs. Yeah for sure. You know that's always been their history. Unfortunately, you don't see too many of those teams anymore. I think Dallas is a bit of an outlier, you know. Maybe Milwaukee will be a bit of that We'll see what happens with Doc going there. But the other thing they do is they've always done well is they find matchups on the defensive, on the when they're on offense, and if you have guys that can't guard their yard they will abuse you because the Celtics have so many guys that can attack that their entire start in five. So you know, I think Dallas you know four days off and you know being geared up ready to go against the team with the best record in the league wasn't enough for them, which really shows their deficiencies. But that said, you're right the Celtics came out with fight and I think that fight set the tone for the entire game.
Speaker 1:This could have easily been a scheduled loss. There's, you know, there's a lot of teams where there's stopped players, just what. It checked out of this thing early and you know it chalked it up to the grind of the NBA schedule. Celtics didn't do that, which they deserve credit for. 82 is hard, january and February is really hard. January for the Celtics has been spectacularly hard and they, you know they showed up. So it's good, which leads us into tonight in these moves. This is a game. I think anytime you played the heat, the shape, you probably had it circled, if you're a Celtics fan, it's Rose there playing.
Speaker 1:Right, what's that?
Speaker 2:It's Rose there playing.
Speaker 1:He played last night. So I said he played last night and let's, let's start right there, Mike, and then we can get into the matchup. Terry Rose there traded for Kyle Lowry and a pick two, Charlotte Rose there going to Miami. What are your initial thoughts on this move, how it affects the East, how it affects the heat and what it means for the Celtics?
Speaker 2:I thought it was no brainer for the heat. I think that they always needed another guy who can get his own shots outside of Jimmy Butler and bam. Here's a third option Well, fourth really with Tyler Harrow. But also that Kyle Lowry contract was just abysmal and he wasn't playing well this year and to be able to move that and just one first round pick and bring in the 25 points, a game scorer, quick, you know, on a good team he's probably not that, but a guy who can score, get his own shot. He's extremely athletic, he's extremely competitive, he tries on defense. He's not great, but yeah, I think Terry Rose there makes him a better team.
Speaker 2:It's interesting against the Boston Celtics, though, the heat have always relied and beat the Celtics with ball movement and the Celtics being a little late getting to three point shooters and the heat getting hot. You know, traditionally in the last three playoff series that's really where the Celtics have struggled. And then you know bam causing problems defensively and Jimmy causing problems defensively, and it could go on off. But I wonder if it makes it a little bit easier for the Celtics to cover the heat now of Terry Rose there as the starting point guard, because he's more of an Iso player. He's not a guy who moves the ball. The ball gets stuck with him. So I don't know, I think it makes the heat a better team, but maybe when we think about a series against Boston, maybe it makes it a little bit easier defensively with the way the Celtics play.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know about that Rose. There's a herky jerky. God, you know one of those guys. You know he's not on the level of Max here or anything, but it's kind of that similar style of play where he's constant movement. You know he's kind of unpredictable with the ball and the Celtics have just kind of struggled with those guys for years. They're guards of bigger, stronger guards that can guard their yard. But you know, have a little bit of trouble with herky jerky.
Speaker 1:Good foot speed guards, which Terry Rose there is, and you know Lowry has been just such a minus player and look the heat. We're able to accomplish it last year with ball movement and shooting, but they had a horseshoe up their ass Like that doesn't happen. It happened with them and all the credit in the world. They made their shots and some of that takes balls and guts and some of it's luck to shoot the way they did in the games that they want. That is not a way to live and you can't go into another playoffs thinking that's gonna happen again. So credit their front office for bringing in a guy that can score on his own, because you need that in the playoffs desperately and he's not a great defender, but I thought he was a better defender in Boston than he was in Charlotte and he has tremendous wingspan. Like he is long, like I think we see him as a point guard but his arms are just extraordinarily long, his hands are huge and he's got good feet and I think what he's locked in he can be a solid defender. A good defender I mean that was his MO coming out of college, if we remember coming out of Louisville. He really struggled offensively for the first couple of years. I think he's a great addition I just do and he's not a star. He shouldn't be the tipping point in the series, but I think he makes things more difficult.
Speaker 1:I think he makes them better and I think it's a move they had to make because, with Indiana bringing in Seacum, with the next making their move and really playing really, really good basketball, right now I think they're 10 and two of the last 12. Miami is in danger again of being in the playing Like and again that's just playing with fire. You could be gone with a rolled ankle. It's like I don't care how good you are, that's what you're risking when you play in that playing game. And they need to be in that. Four, five, six, and there's no guarantee that they're gonna be there right now.
Speaker 1:So this was a move they had to make and it makes them, you know, a team once again. You don't want to see them to play off. So, yeah, and what I think is going to, I think that best lineup now is, you know, roséa, duncan, butler, bam, and then you know whether it's Caleb Mott or Kevin Love, depending on the matchup. It's going to be interesting if they continue to start Hero or if they put him off the bench, which I think makes them better, and if he's going to be able to accept that. He certainly has a large ego and a high opinion of himself as a basketball player. I think they've been better without him in big moments in the playoffs and I just wonder how they're going to manage that, because if they're able to manage that and have him come off the bench and, you know, not necessarily part of their closing lineups and big games they'll be better off for it.
Speaker 2:So yeah, well, I think I think that's a good point, because his rookie year he came off the bench and he was just a microwave. I remember he was cooking the Celtics. Oh yeah, he had a 30 point game in the bubble and he's in conflict with the final.
Speaker 1:It's the second unit, so he'll go off, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And he's been forced to accept that role in the past. I don't know if he was open to it. I think it makes more sense just because of his reliability. Defensively, offensively, he is up there. He is a really talented scorer, he is. But you know, he can shoot from range, he can get to the hoop, he can pass, he does it, he has handles, he really does it all. That's the type of guy that he can get, not a physical offensive player though.
Speaker 2:No, no, but he's good. So if he can buy into that role, certainly I don't know what you get if he trains. I don't know if he's going to trade him. I don't know if you get the same value back to heat.
Speaker 1:No, you don't.
Speaker 2:I think they heated, desperate for some size. That killed them against Denver. It should have killed them against Celtics and it didn't, but it should have. That's a team that outside of BAM. What do they really have? They really don't have any power forwards that can defend. They don't have a lot of shop locking, they don't have guys who can score in the post. So maybe they look to move Tyler Harrow to bring that in. But if they don't, they have four guys on their team that can get really hot, which makes them a tough matchup. So I think it was a no brainer for them. For Charlotte, you need to get what you can get, I guess for Tyler Harrow's air.
Speaker 2:I would have hoped they would have gotten more, but hey, they're just bad franchise.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this better not be their last move. They should be looking to make others, including whether it's a buyout of Lowry, but try to trade them for us Hayward Bridges, whoever else they can get rid of there, because they're just trending in the same direction season after season. So we bring us to the Celtics Charlotte has a one of playoff series.
Speaker 2:I think it's since 2003.
Speaker 1:Random facts. You get on the Hot File podcast that you don't care about.
Speaker 2:And the thing with Miles Bridges. I can't stand that guy. If he gets to go play for a contender, that's going to fucking piss me off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So the Celtics heat tonight, the heat of Law Six and the Law Seven, since Jimmy Butler has come back. I think that's correct. Maybe it's not the hot spot, something like that. Yeah, since Jimmy, in the games Jimmy Butler has played where they were winning, like seven of eight, they really I mean Memphis played nobody last night and they're trying to lose games and they lost and Memphis controlled the game pretty much from second quarter to the final buzzer. Roséa played for the first game, so that could have something to do with it. You know you're trying to incorporate a guy and it can be a little bit difficult, but once again, this is an inconsistent regular season team, a team that plays down to their competition team that's playing with fire. The talent is much better than I think, the record and results, but they always rise to the occasion against the Celtics. I'm just going to blow out the head of that out. Oh boy, that was a big sneeze. Maybe we'll just keep it in, yeah well, we'll get that.
Speaker 1:Hopefully you didn't catch anything. But go ahead, Mike, with this matchup.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're getting the heat on the second night of a back to back, which is really helpful. The thing that concerns me is its last road game of a small road trip for the Celtics, so that can always be a sign of not great things to come with any NBA team. I expect, no matter what the circumstances, that the heat are going to try to make this game ugly. They're going to try to force Jalen Brown to go left and they're going to follow him and follow him and follow him and try to get away with it. They're going to do the same thing to Tainham. They're going to hope the refs don't call the fouls and they just hack our guys and get our guys frustrated. And that's the way the heat play. If the Celtics play at their pace and the Celtics move the ball well and stay focused and mentally tough, they should typically beat the heat pretty handily.
Speaker 2:But you never know what's going to happen against Miami and I'm also interested in the BAM out of bio and Porzingis matchup. Earlier this year Porzingis had a really hard time covering BAM, so maybe we see more of a holiday on BAM tonight and other matchups to assist with that. Maybe Porzingis just doesn't have the foot speed to handle what BAM brings, because BAM has nice ball handling skills, good footwork and that can be a really tough matchup for any center, especially somebody the size of Porzingis. That's tough to stay in front of a guy like BAM. So be interested to see how the Celtics defend BAM tonight.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it makes me really look back fondly on those healthy Rob Williams days that were few and far between, because I was the only guy I've ever seen BAM struggle against. You know it's just someone that could match his athleticism and move his feet and you know the length the Celtics really have struggled against BAM's Rob, where you know BAM really struggled against a healthy Rob Williams. So, yeah, no, that's an interesting matchup. I think you're going to get a wounded dog tonight. I think you're going to get a wounded animal coming at you. They have lost a bunch. They're coming off two bad losses. You know they're at home. They've already lost to you once they're dropping further in the standings. You always get their best effort. I think you're going to get more of that tonight. This is going to be a tough one. I think it's. If they had won last night a sleepy game against Memphis and you know all their status, played 28 plus minutes, I'd say the Celtics are a real good spot, I think. Even though they played all those minutes and it's back to back, I think you got a wounded dog. I think what's going to be important for the Celtics for tonight's game especially when Rosé, you got a new player in there and particularly where he's a God, it's going to be really important for the Celtics to take away their first action off their sets.
Speaker 1:Miami is a team that lives in the half court. It's kind of does Rosé know what to do within an offense when the first breaks down? Right now, you know he hasn't been there long so you could you have some chances to really create some confusion, confusion defensively, with the new guy in there that is playing point guard right, or at least playing the off guard, so central to what they want to do. They're not going to have him, they normally wouldn't have that position, just go hang out in the corner. So that that I think is important. And then you know Miami historically has come out after you with zones. It seems you know that have gone to zone against the Celtics. They're there, pay for it. You know the addition of puts in gets, I mean what do you do with him at the foul line? And then, if you know you move him off, the following just rotate him there. So in the cell, in the cutting of white in in holiday, I mean they're there as good as cutters as you have in the league Really has caused problems. So in the other thing, this, joe Missoula has done really good job of one teams go zone. It doesn't take long for him to get Sam Hauser in there, so I'd be interested to see if they do do that. I do think they have more guys with the addition of Rosé that can man up than they've had in the past.
Speaker 1:But always an interesting game you know, three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals is probably not a better rivalry in the NBA. The NBA really hasn't done a good job of building this rivalry up the way they should. You know, how often do you see three of the last four Conference Finals against, you know, two teams and two teams that are really always there. So I expect another good fight. It always is this game. You know the thing that scares me this game is way more important to Miami than it is to Celtics. As you mentioned last game of the home trip, celtics are playing relatively well. It's been a top schedule and they've gotten through it. Miami, on the other hand, it hasn't been a top schedule and they are, you know, not doing well. So this is, you know, huge importance for the heat, I think.
Speaker 2:I think so too.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the other part of it too. It's like January is not over yet. The Celtics have one more back to back to end this month against two playoff teams. But they're at home, they're at home, I know, but still it's been like it's kind of crazy, I can't circle this.
Speaker 1:I hear what you're saying In the games. They're playing good games teams at home, but I kind of circle this as the end of it, maybe the first game back. You know is always tough at home, but I just look at this as they're not saying they're going to sweep all the games and win them all but this is to me, this is the end of it, yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know, jim, the way the Pacers get up to play us now. That's the fifth time. Yeah, the.
Speaker 1:Pacers are going to be good. I know what you mean. My competition is good, like the Pelicans and the Clippers. I just won't look at it as when it comes to this team, because their talent is so good. It's. What does the schedule look like in terms of when you're playing and where you're playing, and now they get to be comfortable. They get to go back to their house, they get to eat when they want, they get to you know, and they're there for, like, isn't it a seven game homestand that they have coming up, or six game?
Speaker 2:It's extended. Yeah, they get to make us come in here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I so you know not to say that they don't screw up and blow a game or two there, but I don't see that as what they've been dealing with. I just you know the competition's really good, but the pace of the schedule is much, much different. Hey, mike, before we close Milwaukee, this was surprising bizarre, I think you know you got to look directly at Yanis here. They fire Adrian Griffin. They have the second best record in the East, even though they're not their record. I don't care what anyone says. They have not been 30 and 13 or whatever their record is, they are not that good. And they, you know, day later, hayat, doc Rivers, who was the premier color guy for ESPN, you know the big move they made this off season, abc, espn and he's not going to be coaching the Bucks. I have a few thoughts, but you go first. This whole thing was really frigging weird.
Speaker 2:Yeah, first off, the ESPN broadcast is going to suck. But then the second. My second thought is that, yeah, this is a bizarre situation and bringing in Doc Rivers probably helps you in the regular season, but I can't remember the last time this guy has coached a team that had an offensive identity other than Isoball. It'll really going back to even some of those Celtics teams in the way they blew with all that talent on offense in the playoffs and big moments where they, you know, lacked ball movement, they lacked any creativity. Same with the Clippers, same with Philadelphia last year and those last two games against Boston.
Speaker 2:I mean, his teams always show up defensively and they usually have good, solid defensive game plans, probably really good inbound plays, things like that but his teams has always followed power and offensively, no matter what the talent is, no matter what the mix of All-Star you know, mvp talented players are. I expect that the Bucks are going to run into a series where they match up against a tough defensive team and it's just going to be Damian Lillard dribbling the ball up to an Iso, either shooting or finding somebody in the same with Giannis, and there's going to be nothing. There's going to be no ball movement, no involvement of Brooke Lopez, no involvement of Chris Middleton, no involvement of their other shop shooters. It's just his MO. It's what I expect with him. He's not a good offensive coach in the NBA especially now.
Speaker 2:That's what teams need. So they'll play hard for him in the regular season. They'll win a bunch of games. They might even challenge the Celtics now for the one seed because that's like Doc's MO. They'll be a really good defensive team. I bet not great.
Speaker 1:But they'll be a lot better than they they'll be a lot better than they've been.
Speaker 2:Their talent dictates a lot of that. I would suspect they're going to try to make a trade with Pat Conantan and their backup point guard there to combine those contracts and maybe bring in another wing. But yeah, I just I think they'll play hard for him, but they're just not going to have an identity that's going to help them win.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you know this was the Giannis move. He wanted Griffin gone. I think Giannis had a foothold in getting rid of Budunholzer too, even though he pretended like that was his guy. You know Giannis has his brother there. I think you mentioned to me one of his other brothers signed before. But you know they didn't really give this guy, griffin, a chance. I feel like from the beginning of the year they talked about how poor of a job he was doing communicating with players.
Speaker 1:That's that and the other thing and I know, defensively they've been a horror show, but I'm not sure that's coaching. They don't have a single defensive wing or guard on that team. That scares you. If you have any type of penetrating guard, you can get whatever you want. If you have wings with skills, you're going to get whatever you want against these guys. They have a couple of good rim protectors, but what good are those If you can just drag them out and get to the hoop whatever you want? You can't switch because they don't have the players to do it. They're not really a good zone team because you can just shoot over the top of most of their guys. I don't. They'll get better defensively. I guess Not like dark defensive mastermind, but I feel like that's more of a Jimmy and Joe's problem than an X's and O's problem. That Milwaukee has there, and even if they get a little better during the regular season and the playoffs, that shit just gets exposed. There's talent, takes over and there's not really much you can do about that, unless you get a team that just settles and then that's on the other team and not really you. So in terms of making a trade and getting a wing, getting a wing is the hardest thing to do. So good luck. And they don't have guys to go get it and they don't have picks to go get a good wing. They just they're not available. You end up with guys like Jay Crowder who can't play anymore. I think that better bet is to try to find a defensive minded guard, because they have none of them right now.
Speaker 1:As far as doc, yeah, everything you said was true and we'll see he is. His teams have folded in really big moments and there is this belief that he is the guy to coach superstars. Well, the last two spots he's had, he's had problems with all stars. He had problems with Kline and Paul George and he had problems with Harding. So you want to say Yannis is a different type of cat and he's not those guys. But is he With what he's shown this season? You know, getting foot coaches fired, the whole, that's my ball thing against Indiana, demanding his brothers on the team, like? My view of Yannis is evolving and enough for the better and I just I wonder if Doc's the right guy.
Speaker 1:You know, and it's just clearly a desperation move. A desperation move for a team that you know, second best record in the East but, like I said, not nearly as good as their record. And you might get a bump. They may play better for a week, maybe even a month, but their warts you can't cover them with band-aids. They're too goddamn big. And you know, maybe I'll be proven wrong about this because you know the offensive tandem of Yannis and Dame really is spectacular and maybe I'm not giving that enough credit to overcome their deficiencies, but I just don't.
Speaker 1:They were this, you know odds on favorite before to win the NBA finals before the Celtics brought in holiday. Then they were number two. I don't have them in my top four right now and I'm not saying that is someone that's guaranteed a Celtics win. I think there are teams that can beat the Celtics. I think the Celtics are the most talented team, but I look at Philly, I look at Denver and I think gosh, in a series, I can envision ways Celtics don't prevail.
Speaker 1:I have a hard time closing my eyes and watching them against Milwaukee and not seeing a way that they don't prevail. I think Milwaukee struggles against any team with any type of fight right now and, like I said, maybe this is the answer. I don't think it is. That's my thought on the box. I'm starting to feel about them, mike, the way I used to feel about Philly. I just I do not like watching them. I don't think they play winning basketball and I think this is sailing on this team. That's, those are my thoughts on the box. I don't know if you have anything to add to close this pod before we go away and, you know, talk to people again soon.
Speaker 2:No, that's it, man. Good pod Go Celtics side against Miami. It'll be a good game.