On this episode of the Big 3 NBA Podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn and Kwani Lunis discuss all the biggest stories around the NBA. Will the Celtics benefit more from getting some rest rather than going to Vegas for the NBA Cup? And who on this Celtics roster needs this break the most? That, and much more!
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SportsTranscript
00:00The Big 3 NBA Podcast is powered by PrizePix, the exclusive daily fantasy partner of the
00:23CLNS Media Network.
00:25Hello everyone, welcome into this week's episode of The Big 3 NBA Podcast.
00:29I'm Kwanye Lunas, joined by H.R. Blakely and Gary Washburn, and we're going to start the
00:34show with some amazing news.
00:36Kwanye is so damn hyped y'all.
00:38You had like a bag full of Skittles or something, like you're just bouncing off the damn ceiling.
00:43I'm so excited.
00:45So we are one of the finalists for the Sports Podcast Awards, specifically in the Best Basketball
00:54Podcast category.
00:55Everyone's happy but Gary.
00:56Gary's so excited.
00:57We can't do nothing to get that dude excited.
00:58Come on, one day, it's going to happen.
01:06So what that means is though, we need your help, of course, because there is a voting
01:10process that's involved.
01:12If you actually watch the show on YouTube, yes, fans are the reason why the winner will
01:17be decided.
01:18And so if you actually go to the Sports Podcast Awards website, you could just head there
01:22and go to the Best Basketball Podcast category and then vote for us there.
01:27But we're going to also make sure to drop the link in our YouTube description for this
01:31episode.
01:33And also if you follow us on social, I'm going to post, I already posted, but I'll make sure
01:37that it's pinned somewhere.
01:38It's easy to find.
01:39They will do the same, I hope.
01:41But it's great news.
01:42But also we couldn't have done any of this without the people that listen and watch on
01:47a regular basis.
01:48So thank you all for helping us get to this point.
01:51I'm really excited.
01:52And Kehwani hasn't been this excited in a long ass time.
01:56Yes.
01:57I mean-
01:58She wasn't even this excited when she met Michael B. Jordan.
02:01Yes.
02:02She was not this excited when she met Michael B. Jordan.
02:04I knew the joke was coming.
02:06Yes.
02:07Honestly, Michael B. Jordan, you should vote for us as well because that would make it
02:11even more of a sweet victory.
02:13No, he might have some gripe with you.
02:18He could post on his story and then-
02:20That might be a quick, that might be a fail.
02:23He'd be like, take her off the list.
02:24He'd be like, nah.
02:25You'd be like, I see, I would have worked with you, but let's see what happened was.
02:29I was going to vote for you.
02:31But-
02:32But-
02:33You lack enthusiasm.
02:34Let's see what happened was.
02:37Why was you that enthusiastic about me?
02:39Oh my gosh.
02:40Oh God.
02:41I'm making lots of movies, you treat me like I'm chop steak or something.
02:45Man.
02:46Oh my goodness.
02:47But yes, that is, I'll give people the website just in case, the sportspodcastgroup.com,
02:52go on their website.
02:53You'll look for the shortlist category, and then you'll head to the best basketball podcast
02:57category, subcategory, and then vote for us, the big three NBA podcasts coming to you live.
03:03Yes.
03:04Yes.
03:05All right.
03:06So the reason why you listen though is because we talk about the Celtics.
03:08Let's get right into it.
03:09Celtics getting some downtime.
03:11They're going to be facing the Detroit Pistons, Sherrod's favorite team, this upcoming Thursday.
03:17That's their only game this week, but do you guys think that this lull in their schedule
03:22is coming at a good time?
03:23Let's just start off the bat with that.
03:25I think it is.
03:26I think the timing is good because they look like they could use a few days to just kind
03:31of recalibrate and just kind of really sharpen up a few things.
03:35I don't think they have been as crisp as they want to be and should be.
03:39And I think this time off, it comes at a perfect time.
03:42And again, they're reintegrating themselves on the court against a team that's going to
03:46make them work.
03:49This is not the Detroit Pistons of last year, a team that would win like their 10th game
03:54until damn near April Fool's Day or something like that.
03:58This team is way better than that.
04:01And they're going to give the Celtics a good run, and they typically do.
04:03They make the Celtics work.
04:05And for the Celtics, I think that's the perfect team for you to play when you have a week
04:10where you're not doing a whole lot, a team that's going to make you work and just become
04:13a little bit more crisp in what you do.
04:16And a team that, really, even if you're not at the top of your game, you still should
04:19win by 8, 10, 12 points.
04:22Yeah, I do think it's a good time for a break.
04:25I think they've been banged up.
04:26I think Jason Tatum has not quite been himself.
04:28Chris Stapps-Porzingis twisted his ankle against Memphis.
04:32He's not on the injury report for Celtic fans for Thursday, which means he's in.
04:37Same with Al Horford.
04:38You give your older guys some rest.
04:42I think this stretch is good.
04:43Then you get two days off, and you play Washington.
04:46Then I think you get another four days off, and you play Chicago.
04:49So a real, real nice break in the next week or so in the past few days for the Celtics.
04:56So, yeah, I just think they needed to lick some wounds, get over that game.
05:01You know, when your schedule has Milwaukee, and they're playing better, and you're able
05:06to eat that game out, and you come back the next day with Ja, and Ja and them,
05:12and the Memphis Grizzlies and Marcus Smart, that's a tough back-to-back for anybody.
05:17You know, and Memphis was ready for them.
05:19They were rested the day off.
05:21So they're coming in there wanting to make a point that they hadn't won at
05:23the Garden in 11 years.
05:26You know, they hadn't, you know, beaten the Celtics, I think, in six years.
05:31So I think that was, you know, a big game for Memphis, and then you're coming off
05:37that emotional win over Milwaukee.
05:39So I think it was good for them to get some three days off.
05:42They returned to practice on Wednesday, and then you got Shiraz guys tomorrow,
05:47the Detroit Pistons coming in, a couple more days off.
05:49Then you got at Washington, a team that's tanking.
05:53You should not lose that game.
05:55You should not have to try your hardest to win that game.
05:57That's basically a practice day.
05:59That's basically a practice day.
06:00Washington's trying to lose at this point.
06:02So that should be, if you think, two dubs, and then you go into a couple of games
06:07with Chicago, then Orlando, and then the Christmas Day game against Philadelphia.
06:14Let's get into a quick game of pick and roll.
06:16It sounds like I know your answers already, but I still want to hear
06:19whether or not that's correct.
06:21Getting rest now versus playing in the Emirates Cup.
06:25Pick one, and why are you rolling with it?
06:28Go ahead, Gary.
06:30I thought the Emirates Cup would have been good for them to get
06:32to that high-level competition, and they would have got a couple of days off.
06:37But I think they wanted to play in that big stage.
06:42Although rest is good, and for the long term, it really doesn't matter,
06:46because obviously the Lakers won the Cup last year, and they lost in the first
06:49round of the playoffs, but it's a separate honor for them to play,
06:54separate award.
06:56I think just it would have been good to see those guys in that spotlight
07:00facing up against some of the league's best.
07:02Like, who knows?
07:03I mean, if they would have been able to play Oklahoma City in the title game or
07:06something, that would have been a great game.
07:09Those two teams play early next, early January, so we'll get a little sneak,
07:13perhaps sneak preview of the NBA Finals.
07:15We'll see, but it's close.
07:18I mean, the rest is good, and they would have had to play a lot,
07:25because if they would have gone and the quarterfinals would have been Tuesday,
07:28and then again, going to Vegas on Saturday, they would have made it through.
07:35But I thought that would have been really useful, and
07:37it's something that they didn't want.
07:40As much as you can say, well, we don't really care, it doesn't matter.
07:44No, I think they really wanted to get there, and
07:46they are upset that that one point loss to Atlanta is what cost them.
07:52Gary, this was not close.
07:55They need to damn rest, Gary.
07:57At the end of the day, Gary, there's only one goal that matters.
08:00And there's a lot of, man, this will be nice moments, but
08:04there's only one goal that matters, and that's an NBA championship, bro.
08:08Getting rest brings you closer to making that happen.
08:11If you're going to be the last team standing, if you gotta play Oklahoma City,
08:15you play them when you need to play them.
08:16You play them when you have to play them.
08:19Beating them now means nothing.
08:21Beating Dallas now means nothing.
08:23Beating those teams that are near the top now means absolutely nothing.
08:27But if you can get some rest, and spray for your team as a whole, and
08:30continue to build on what you've already started this year.
08:33So that when you get to April, and then you get to May, and
08:36then next thing you know, you're playing it to June.
08:38Nobody's gonna remember what happened in that damn cup in Vegas.
08:41The Lakers showed us the blueprint of what a empty,
08:45hollow championship is about.
08:47That's what they got last year.
08:48And I'm hoping this year at the cup that somebody like Atlanta wins it,
08:53because they could use something like that.
08:54Because that is a franchise that has little to no significant basketball
08:59history or championship pedigree at all.
09:01And for them, you might get a parade down Peach Street,
09:04if they win the Emirate Cup Championship.
09:07Who's gonna be there, Outkast, Mooney's?
09:10Andre 3000.
09:11Usher, Usher baby.
09:14Usher.
09:15Ludacris.
09:16Yo, hey, that'd be kind of fun.
09:18Actually, what is the shade?
09:21Are you clowning?
09:24Okay, I'm making sure.
09:25I started this rip by dissing him, but-
09:28And then now you-
09:29Really now, that's a championship parade.
09:32I just might have to fly in an ATL to just to cheer them on for that.
09:36TI shoe.
09:38Damn.
09:40Let's do it.
09:40Yo, go Hawks.
09:42Let's go Hawks.
09:46No, the Celtics could use the rest though.
09:48I just think that at the end of the day, that is what's going to be
09:51the only thing I worry about them that will keep them from winning a championship
09:54is injuries.
09:55And I think anytime they can get off their feet and just work on the fundamentals
09:58and just sharpen up their game, that's a good thing.
10:02And I think about a guy like Derek White, for example,
10:04and some other guys on his team that I think have some kind of nicks,
10:08kind of bumps and bruises that they could use some downtime.
10:10And to me, the value in them getting rest is worth more
10:15than the value of them winning a mid-season championship.
10:17And again, it'd be nice if they got it,
10:20but Jason Taylor may lose no sleep or real bread
10:23if we keep it at 100 about not being there.
10:26And if you ask, yeah, I think most of these guys,
10:28would you take an opportunity to get some rest,
10:31which might better prepare you for a deep playoff run versus
10:34an extra game or two against quality teams?
10:37Because I mean, think about it.
10:38The NBA did the Celtics the solid of all solids
10:41after they didn't qualify for the cup.
10:43They didn't just give them like two opponents.
10:46They gave them a average to slightly below average opponent at home.
10:51We were just talking about how good Detroit is now.
10:53What you talking about, Sherrod?
10:54They average.
10:55Gary, Gary, they went from being trash to being slightly below average.
11:00My boys in the D, don't go back there no time soon, Sherrod.
11:04Gary.
11:04My boys in the D, they were looking for you to get off the plane.
11:07Even my boys in the D recognize they were trash last year.
11:11Now they're slightly below average.
11:13They're much better, much better.
11:14But they gave the Celtics that team to play at home.
11:18And then they gave them the team that is trying to be trash on the road.
11:22So the Celtics in terms of games played that they had to add to their schedule,
11:27they could not have possibly added two more weaker teams other than maybe
11:30take out Detroit and bring in Utah.
11:32That would have been, to me, that's about the only way you could have made this
11:35a easier two game stretch for them.
11:38And that's great for the Celtics because again, like I said earlier,
11:40you work on your fundamentals because you got a little more time to rest and
11:43relax and just practice.
11:45And you're not necessarily playing one of the top tier teams so
11:48that it's not like you got to be playing at your A or
11:51A minus the hell B plus game to beat these two teams.
11:55So that's a good thing for Boston as they kind of gradually get back into the swing
11:59of things and continue to keep that pressure on Cleveland for that top spot.
12:06Gary, all right, let's get into trade talks because they've already begun.
12:12What do you both think that the Celtics would want?
12:15And also, what would they be willing to part with in order to make those big
12:18moves, if any?
12:20See, the thing about the Celtics, I mean, when the season began and
12:23we all talked about this, there really wasn't a major, man,
12:27if they had this, they're over the top.
12:30Looking at the way the season has played up now,
12:32we're a little bit more than a quarter of a way through it.
12:34If there's one thing that I think they could probably benefit from,
12:39I think is another wing player, a legitimate wing player.
12:43Cuz I look at Jason Tatum, I look at Jalen Brown, Derrick White.
12:47It'd be nice if they had another guy that they could kind of throw in there,
12:52because Sam Houser has done a solid job.
12:54And that's just all you can expect out of Sam.
12:58He's gonna knock down shots, he's gonna do what he can defensively.
13:02But he's not necessarily a game changer, per se,
13:04unless he's really got a role from three point range, which is possible.
13:09But it'd be nice if they had another guy that could maybe throw in the mix from
13:12time to time.
13:13And as far as who they part with, I mean, I look at that bench.
13:16I mean, Springer is, to me,
13:18the most obvious guy that they would be willing to cut loose.
13:22It'd save them some money.
13:23And that's a roster spot that, at this point, isn't really getting much use.
13:27I mean, when you look at, for example, you look at Springer and
13:30you look at Peterson, who's on a two-way.
13:32If you didn't know better, you'd think that Tatum was on a two-way and
13:35Peterson was on kind of the end of the bench guaranteed deal.
13:39As far as how the confidence that those guys have from Joe Mizzou in terms of who
13:44plays and who doesn't.
13:45So I just don't think the Celtics have a lot of options that they're seriously
13:49considering parting with.
13:50Because again, you look at their top ten players, I don't know if you could find
13:54a better top ten players on any roster in the NBA from top to bottom in that regard.
13:59And when you're that deep, you're not really looking to make many moves,
14:03particularly when you have a bunch of players that you have signed to contracts
14:07that go above and beyond the current season we're in.
14:12Yeah, I think Springer's a guy that they could look to move
14:19if they really needed that.
14:20And Shara is right, they don't have any glaring weaknesses.
14:25You would like to see another wing, but
14:27you also maybe do you give Jordan Walsh a chance to fill that role?
14:32He's a guy who's had some moments this year, he's played some key minutes.
14:38There's some games he hasn't played, I know he had a quick stint last week in
14:42the G League, he went back down to Maine for a minute, but came back up.
14:46So I mean, he's a guy that they could maybe look at and say, okay,
14:50we wanna give him more playing time.
14:52Like you said, Shara, I don't think they have any glaring weaknesses.
14:57Not that they're gonna get out there in the trade market.
14:59Could they use a major shot blocking center?
15:02Of course, could they use another three point shooter?
15:05Of course, every team could use these things.
15:07But another versatile wing defender, maybe, or you're saying to yourself,
15:12okay, we're just gonna put more on Jordan Walsh's plate.
15:17We'll see, so I don't think, like you said,
15:19I don't think they have any glaring weaknesses.
15:21I don't know how active they would be in the trade deadline,
15:24unless it was somebody that is gonna make them unequivocally
15:28the favorite to win the championship.
15:30Like, this is a guy who's gonna put us over the top.
15:32And remember, with the second apron, they're limited in the moves they can make.
15:36Right.
15:37They can't buy it, they can't, if a guy gets bought out of his contract down
15:41the road, he has to make under the mid-level exception, which is 11 million.
15:44So they can't, if there's a really good player who's making 30 million and
15:49gets bought out the final year of his deal, Jimmy Butler.
15:52And I'm not saying that's gonna happen, but let's say Jimmy Butler,
15:55they have no shot at him, they couldn't do that.
15:58It has to be an expensive guy, so we'll see.
16:02And also, I think, in terms of what happens,
16:06the trade deadline's about two months away.
16:09Is there gonna be an injury that comes up that they need to fill a need?
16:13Or is there something glaring that's gonna eventually evolve?
16:16But right now, I don't see anything like, man, they need to get this person,
16:22or they need to get this position right now, or else I don't think they can win.
16:27I think they can win it with the team that they have.
16:30Yeah, there's definitely very few paths that the Celtics can take
16:36that you just don't, that you see don't result in them winning at all.
16:41So they're definitely positioned themselves,
16:43have positioned themselves to be big winners.
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18:27All right.
18:28Let's get into Sherrod's favorite team in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons.
18:36Slightly below average.
18:37Slightly below average.
18:39Oh, for gifts of Gary's reaction.
18:41And we need an archive of all of them.
18:44The Detroit Pistons, they're playing the Celtics on Thursday at the TD Garden.
18:51What concerns you most about that game?
18:55I'll start with Gary.
18:56Yeah.
18:56Well, honestly, they played well the last time.
19:02And they hit season-high 23-pointers.
19:07Tobias Harris played as well as I've seen him play in years against the Celtics.
19:11He's usually terrible against the Celtics.
19:13Terrible.
19:14He had 27 points.
19:15Cade Cunningham was rolling.
19:18They got some key contributions from their guys.
19:21Not a great game from Jaden Ivey, but he had his moments.
19:25Marcus Sasser came off the bench.
19:26So they've got a talented young team.
19:29They're not going to, you know, they might make a push for a play-in spot,
19:33but they're at that point where they're losing a lot of close games,
19:36or losing a lot of games that they're losing in the final.
19:39Like the Celtics, not, you know, they rallied against the Celtics to cut it
19:44to five late, but, you know, like the losing games in the last four minutes.
19:47That's the stage that they're at now, that they just,
19:50they're still trying to learn how to win ball games under a first-year coach
19:52of Pistons, J.D. Bickerstaff.
19:56But I just think they can bring, if you catch the Celtics,
20:00if they catch them off guard, remember, the Pistons wouldn't have won
20:04at New York against the Knicks last week.
20:06And Cade had a triple-double.
20:08Cade had a triple-double.
20:09Cade's playing really well.
20:11If they come and they hit shots, and they get some stops,
20:14it could be definitely an interesting game.
20:16The Celtics should win.
20:17They should coast.
20:19They should win easily, and especially well-rested,
20:22with all their weapons ready to go.
20:24But this is not a team that you sleep on and go, oh,
20:27the Pistons are just going to piss me.
20:29This is a new bunch, and I think that they're just right now learning how to win.
20:33But every now and then, like they did against the Knicks,
20:36they're going to win those games.
20:37They're going to win one of those games.
20:38They're going to play well enough to beat a team that's sleeping,
20:42that's off guard, that's a little erratic, they're not playing well.
20:46And so the Celtics have to make sure to make, although you got all these days
20:50off your western, you got to come back and be sharp.
20:52So a sharp Celtics team easily beats the Pistons.
20:56Yeah, they remind me a lot of Orlando from like two or three years ago,
21:00where you could just see the pieces starting to come together.
21:02They're playing better.
21:03The talent is there.
21:05But they just haven't quite got that experience to get over the hump and
21:10position themselves to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference,
21:13but they're coming.
21:15There's absolutely no doubt about that, that this Detroit team is coming.
21:19But when they arrive, it's going to be a minute before they get there,
21:23because they're just not quite ready to play at the level of the Celtics right
21:28now with any kind of consistency.
21:29They can knock them out every once in a while, and they certainly can beat them.
21:33But not surely based on talent.
21:36Many things have to go wrong for
21:38Boston that Detroit has little to no control over for Detroit to beat them.
21:43It happens all the time.
21:44We see it happen all the time in NBA and in other sports as well.
21:47So I'm looking forward to the game.
21:48But my big concern for the Celtics is just boredom,
21:51that they don't play with the kind of focus that they need to beat this team.
21:55Because as Gary pointed out, if you show up and think that because you just showed
22:00up and you won a championship back in June that they're just going to roll over and
22:04play dead for you, you might get that ass whooped by 10, 15 points.
22:08You might find yourself down by 20 in the first quarter.
22:11Detroit has guys who can play.
22:13And when you get like a damn near career type game from Tobias Harris,
22:18which he was pretty damn special last time they played,
22:22they become very difficult to beat.
22:24But that being said, Boston should win this game.
22:27They should win it comfortably.
22:28I think they will have some stretches, probably in the first half,
22:31more so in the second,
22:33where they're not going to be separating themselves the way they would want to.
22:36But I do think over the course of the game, the Celtics double digit lead should be
22:41pretty much able to be maintained for most, if not all, of the second half.
22:45And they get this win and just, again,
22:47pick up where they left off before they took this nice little siesta.
22:52The same could be said for the game on Sunday.
22:57That means rest, Gary, in case you, since you-
22:59Yeah, I think we all knew what that meant.
23:01That's what I mean.
23:02Gary needs the language translator, because clearly, clearly, clearly-
23:06Last week, you were talking about chimichangas for Thanksgiving.
23:09Now you're talking about a siesta.
23:10That was a great point.
23:11I forgot about that.
23:12What were you talking about, Shirai?
23:14Gay?
23:15Oh, my gosh.
23:16Gay poppy?
23:17No, I'm not even saying.
23:19I'm talking about you had burritos and enchiladas for Thanksgiving.
23:22I mean, Taco Tuesday on Thanksgiving.
23:26Feels like Taco Tuesday.
23:27Every day should be Taco Tuesday.
23:29I'm with you on that one.
23:30That is my politics.
23:31Those are my only politics.
23:33Sunday's game against Washington.
23:35What should be the takeaway against the team that is taking?
23:38That's Gary's team.
23:39Talk about your team, Gary.
23:40I was like, Gary's team.
23:41No, not my team.
23:43I mean, it's just not to lose.
23:45Just the Wizards are trying to take.
23:48They're not completely healthy.
23:49They have a bunch of young players.
23:51They're just trying to literally figure things out.
23:54So put them away early.
23:56Make it a blowout.
23:58The last game was competitive.
23:59Washington played probably one of its better games of the season.
24:03The Celtics had to pull away in the last few minutes to get the dub.
24:08I think they won by 12.
24:10So if you want to make things easier on yourself, put them away early.
24:14And then you just play.
24:14I mean, they're a team that's prone to get blown out.
24:18I think they have the worst point differential in the NBA.
24:22Their team is essentially tanking, folks.
24:25Like Washington, I know, it's like, well,
24:28geez, hasn't Washington tanked the last few years?
24:30Yes, it seems like they have, but they really haven't.
24:33But this is the year they're trying to go for Cooper Flatt.
24:36They're trying to get the number one pick.
24:38They're trying to get a franchise.
24:40They lose their games by an average of 16 points a game.
24:45That is by far the worst in the league.
24:48The next team is New Orleans at 11.7.
24:50This might even be a record.
24:52I looked this up.
24:53The worst point differential in NBA history.
24:56Like, they lose every game by 16 points.
25:00Historic.
25:01Really bad, right?
25:03Really bad.
25:05So the Celtics should not have any trouble.
25:08We're two days off.
25:10Go down to D.C., get your good dinner Saturday night or whatever you do.
25:14Get you some good tacos.
25:16Yeah, chimichangas.
25:19Yeah, that's right.
25:20With the margarita.
25:22Relax.
25:23Sugar on the rim.
25:25Yeah, so to me, that's what they should do.
25:31And then get a dub.
25:32Don't make it.
25:33Don't give them any hope.
25:35Take care of business.
25:36Get out of there with a dub.
25:37And then you get ready for a few more days off against Chicago.
25:41Yeah, that team, they're bad in every sense of the word.
25:44And you're right.
25:45It's like the reboot is a reboot of the reboot.
25:48With Washington, they're always rebooting.
25:51And they're just bad, man.
25:54I mean, I don't know how more we can lay it out to the people
25:57that this team is like incinerator trash.
26:00Like, you really want to burn this thing down.
26:02However, that being said, Jordan Poole can get going.
26:06And if you think back to when Washington has kept games relatively close,
26:10it's usually been a pool party.
26:11Him knocking down big shot after big shot after big shot.
26:15And then he goes into the witness protection program
26:18for at least two, three quarters, where he can't get a bucket
26:22because he ain't looking for a bucket.
26:24It's almost like he gets a message that, OK, look, you got your numbers.
26:28Chill.
26:29Chill.
26:30Just relax.
26:31You got your numbers.
26:32And he disappears.
26:35He's one of the few players that inexplicably
26:37can get you like 20 points in one quarter
26:39and get you two points for the next three.
26:41Makes no sense.
26:43But you're right, Gary.
26:44I mean, this team ain't trying to win.
26:45I mean, it's serious.
26:47I looked it up.
26:48The worst point differential in NBA history right now, OK?
26:53Minus 16.8, the 92-93 Mavericks, the year before,
26:58the couple years before they got Jason Kidd back in the day
27:03when they were tanking, 15.2.
27:06Shiraz's favorite team, the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats.
27:09I think they won seven games that year.
27:11That team was so trash.
27:14Uniforms, trash, players trash.
27:16Bobcats during the season.
27:17Another one of Shiraz's favorite teams when he was young,
27:21a little Shiraz, was a 72-73 Philadelphia 76ers.
27:26I think he went to the games as a little baby back then,
27:31a little baby Shiraz.
27:33Yeah, weeks old.
27:34Weeks old.
27:35Yeah, weeks old.
27:36I missed the season opener, though.
27:38Yeah, Shiraz was crying because they was losing every game
27:41by 12 points.
27:43I was sliding my mama's belly, so I missed the season opener.
27:47Shiraz was crying because the one game, they had family night,
27:54and little Shiraz went and just got their ass kicked.
27:58I hate this dude.
28:00This is so ridiculous.
28:01I hate him.
28:02They drove down from Syracuse to Philly
28:04in a little station wagon.
28:06Everybody had a Ford station wagon, went to the Spectrum
28:10to watch the damn Sixers get their ass kicked.
28:14So the Wizards could be the worst team of all time.
28:17We'll see about the victories.
28:19They've got three now, I think.
28:20They're 3-20, we see here.
28:23What are they?
28:243-19, OK?
28:26About to be 3-20.
28:27About to be 3-20.
28:28Yeah, about to be 3-20.
28:29But we'll see.
28:31But yeah, the Celtics should not lose this game.
28:34No.
28:35Yeah, the Celtics should not lose that game.
28:38And certainly, if you want to see them play,
28:42the tickets are going to be pretty damn cheap.
28:44And if you really want really inexpensive tickets,
28:47Game Time app is what you are looking for.
28:51For those of us who want to watch our favorite College
28:54of Pro Teams play and don't want to mortgage the family
28:57home to do so, Game Time has you covered
28:59with great ticket prices on all types of sporting events
29:01as well as concerts.
29:02When I'm thinking about going to a football game,
29:04the first place I go is Game Time.
29:06And all of us have football games,
29:08it looks like, in the bowl season.
29:11Gary, your Cal crew is going to, I think it's the LA Bowl.
29:14It's going to be in Englewood.
29:16Englewood?
29:17Englewood.
29:18And my crew, Syracuse, we are going to San Diego
29:22for the Holiday Bowl.
29:24And I think, BC, y'all got that pinstripe joint, right?
29:27Y'all going to Yankee Stadium.
29:29Going to New York.
29:30Going to New York.
29:32Again, the last time I was at the pinstripe,
29:34I turned around to go to the bathroom
29:37and our kicker missed a field goal.
29:39Never again, we lost that game.
29:41Very upset.
29:42And I brought my brother's tickets for that game, too.
29:44We were a little sibling outing.
29:47Man.
29:47No, but they're better than that.
29:49They are better than that.
29:50They are better than that.
29:51And you definitely should think about checking them out.
29:54Especially if you can get a good,
29:55especially through Game Time,
29:56where you can get a really good price on the tickets.
29:57And the other cool thing about Game Time app
29:59is the all-in pricing that shows you what you gotta pay
30:02before you get to the checkout.
30:03And again, you get a panoramic view of the seats
30:05at Yankee Stadium.
30:06If let's say you go into the pinstripe bowl
30:08and you can pick the seat that you choose
30:09and you can do that before you buy.
30:11So because of the panoramic view
30:13that you get before you buy,
30:14you have a pretty good idea of what your sight lines
30:16are gonna be like once you actually get to the arena.
30:19And to get in on this, all you gotta do
30:21is download the Game Time app,
30:23create an account and use code CLNS
30:26for $20 off your first purchase.
30:28Terms apply.
30:29Again, just download the app, create an account
30:31and use the code CLNS for $20 off.
30:34Terms apply.
30:35What time is it?
30:36Game Time.
30:37I got a little tip, Sherrod, a little tip.
30:39Oh, God.
30:40Speaking of that.
30:42Being an old guy, really, that's your reaction?
30:45Now, remember, folks,
30:48tomorrow's game was not on the original schedule.
30:51So tickets are cheaper for tomorrow's game
30:54than normal Celtic games.
30:56So if there's any tickets available, and I'm sure they are,
30:59and let's say Sherrod is saying Game Time,
31:03the tickets will be probably 50% less than they usually are
31:09because there was not an original game on the schedule.
31:11So if you're a Celtic fan in Washington,
31:14you wanna go see the Celtics play the Wizards in Washington,
31:17it's gonna be the same situation.
31:18Those two games, obviously, folks,
31:20were not part of the original schedule,
31:22so tickets were not available to a game that didn't exist.
31:25So the tickets have been available now a few days,
31:29and the tickets are cheaper
31:30because people, it's Christmas time,
31:32people are in the streets doing their thing,
31:35there's all kinds of stuff going on.
31:37So people are like, well, I'll just miss that game,
31:40or season ticket holders,
31:41I'm sure they have access to go to those games,
31:45but that's a Thursday, I'll just pass on that.
31:50So if you wanna get a discount
31:52or a more inexpensive ticket to an NBA game,
31:55if you're in the Washington area, wanna see the Celtics,
31:58or tomorrow's game against Detroit,
32:01jump on Game Time or jump on
32:04and try to see what you can do,
32:06and you might save some considerable money
32:08and go to a quality NBA game,
32:10because as Sherrod said,
32:11Detroit's not that trash anymore.
32:14So that's a sales pitch for the game, right?
32:16So go see the Celtics play.
32:18They're slightly below average, that was the pitch.
32:20Go see the Celtics play, they're slightly below average,
32:23Detroit Pistons, get your tickets now.
32:25And you can get them tickets, Gary,
32:27you can get them tickets for that game.
32:29What kind of sales pitch is that?
32:31You can get those tickets for as low as $28.
32:34When the hell could you get in the TD Garden for $28?
32:37Back in the old garden, that's people-
32:39Download the app, download the app, jump on it now.
32:42And if you wanna get like a Loge corner seat,
32:45that's like $60, which again, that's ridiculously low.
32:48So if you wanna get to this,
32:49if you wanna see the Celtics play,
32:51because let's be honest, you jump on that,
32:54I jump on it now, I mean, this is-
32:56Not tomorrow, but jump on it now, look at-
32:58This is real time, real time stats we got here.
33:02That, I mean, that's, yeah, that's a great pitch.
33:04Well, you gotta have me do a sales pitch on that one.
33:06No, honestly, because I got Gary now.
33:08Well, come on, Sherrod, you thumb up, you know,
33:11you thumb up a below average team,
33:13you gotta hype up the Pistons,
33:15so these people can make something worth their dollars.
33:19People come to see the Celtics,
33:20people come to see the Celtics, let's stop, let's stop.
33:23See, Gary, that's the problem with folks from Cal,
33:25they try to twist it and contort the facts.
33:30Yeah, contort the facts.
33:33The fact is, people are not coming to TD Garden
33:35to see the Detroit business,
33:36they're coming to see the Boston Celtics,
33:38and they can come tomorrow
33:39and see them for ridiculously cheap.
33:40Jump on it right now, after this podcast,
33:45don't sign off the podcast, of course.
33:47When we done, when we done, y'all,
33:48when we done, then y'all can do this.
33:50But buy my album first.
33:54No, you gotta get your own.
33:56Buy my album first, but get in, jump on it,
34:02because I said, those tickets are 50% less cheaper
34:06than they usually are,
34:08because the game was on an original schedule,
34:10so go catch a game, try to take your family,
34:13it's a good experience.
34:15That's a great idea, Gary.
34:17You mentioned Cooper Flagg,
34:18the projected 2025 number one pick,
34:21and I wanna quickly pivot off the rundown,
34:23because I should have mentioned this to you guys earlier,
34:25so there might be blindsiding you,
34:26but A.J. DeBunza, who's actually from Massachusetts,
34:29committed to BYU on Tuesday.
34:33And it's funny, because the first thing I thought of
34:35was like, why is he going to BYU?
34:37But then my green flags went up,
34:39I was like, Danny Ainge has to be involved in this.
34:42Lo and behold, I read an article,
34:43Danny Ainge was part of it.
34:45So Danny Ainge knew him when he was rising in the ranks,
34:48obviously here in Massachusetts
34:50before he ended up back in Utah,
34:52but I just wanted to get your thoughts on him going to BYU,
34:55but also obviously being projected as a top pick in 2026.
35:00I mean, does that end up,
35:01I mean, for him, I imagine he'd wanna end up back home,
35:04but what do you guys think the future looks like for A.J.?
35:07Well, first of all, A.J. is one and done,
35:09let's just get that out the way.
35:11He gonna do one semester,
35:12officially it's called one year,
35:14but he gonna do one semester at BYU
35:16and he's gonna be really good.
35:19This is an example of what happens
35:20when NIL money levels the playing field,
35:23because there is no way if NIL money
35:26wasn't a factor in all this, that he would go to BYU.
35:29Because with NIL, you can basically,
35:31whether you go to Brigham Young or Boston College
35:34or the backwoods of Tennessee,
35:38yeah, you're going to get paid, you're going to get paid.
35:41And that gives folks like A.J. more options.
35:45But this isn't the first time that Danny has tried to,
35:51Danny's presence has played a role,
35:53at least a player thinking about coming out BYU.
35:57Gary, his name is escaping me now.
35:59He's from Chicago, played for the Celtics for a hot minute.
36:04Yes, Jabari Parker, that was another one
36:06that Danny was very-
36:07Another local kid too, yeah.
36:10No, Jabari wasn't local.
36:11Oh, no, no, sorry, I was thinking about,
36:13I was thinking about Chris Dunn
36:14for some reason, disregard.
36:15No, forget about Chris Dunn.
36:16Nobody think about Chris Dunn right now.
36:17No, but when he was a Providence kid,
36:19everybody was like, oh, he wants to come to Boston.
36:20And I was like, mm, I don't know about all that.
36:23No, no.
36:23I don't know how I got those wires crossed, disregard.
36:26But Jabari Parker was another kid
36:28that BYU was very involved with
36:31that they just couldn't get the deal done.
36:33Which makes me think, if NIL would have been around
36:34back then, he probably would have went to BYU.
36:37Because he spoke very highly about that school
36:40after he, even after he made his decision to go to Duke.
36:43So, no, AJ is going to be fine.
36:44I mean, he's going to get paid
36:45in his one semester, one year at BYU.
36:47He's going to be a top pick when he comes out.
36:50And I'm happy for him because, to me,
36:53the thing that I like about NIL
36:55is that it gives players a certain amount of control
36:58over their destiny that they never had before.
37:00A lot of kids will go to like the Kentucky
37:03or to a Duke or to a Syracuse or somewhere like that
37:06because that program offered them the best opportunity
37:09to have their skills showcased.
37:11But now with the advent of, you know,
37:14so many different ways players have seen
37:16and conferences all over the country are now a bigger deal.
37:19And you don't have social media
37:22and you don't have the dynamic of,
37:24well, if I go to this school,
37:25I can probably get more non, you know,
37:27above board benefits where now everybody is cutting checks.
37:32So it's just a matter of whose check are you going to cash?
37:36And are you going to cash that check in Utah?
37:39Are you going to cash that in North Carolina
37:41or Florida or New York, wherever?
37:43So I love the fact that he is cashing in
37:46on this opportunity.
37:49And, you know, you better believe that
37:52in some way, shape or form, you know,
37:53Danny Ainge made it clear that if you come here,
37:56you're going to be taken care of.
37:58And that's a good thing.
37:59So, and there's nothing wrong with that.
38:01I think it's always great when alums make it clear
38:04that their schools are, you know,
38:07you should go to my school.
38:10Well, shout out to Brockton.
38:11I just wanted to make sure we gave him a little bit of love.
38:14We'll get back into the Celtics really quickly.
38:16Rotation station, talking about some of the Celtics.
38:21Of these three players, what's your rotation
38:24for who has benefited the most from the long layoff?
38:28Al Warford, Chris Stapps-Frazingus, and Derek White.
38:33I'm going to go first.
38:35I think the player who has benefited the most
38:38from this is Derek White.
38:39And I go with Derek because he's the one guy
38:42that there is no load management plan for.
38:44There's no way that he can strategically get rest
38:47during the season.
38:47So for him, this is it.
38:49This is pretty much the only planned time
38:52that he's going to get to rest his body.
38:54And when you look at the jobs,
38:55and that's plural, not singular,
38:58that they have him do,
39:00he's going to need as much rest as possible.
39:02I mean, they're asking him to be a playmaker,
39:04to be a shot maker, be an elite defender,
39:06be a shot blocker.
39:08And just roles that not everyone in this team
39:12is asked to do or expected to do.
39:14And yet he is, it's kind of been a given
39:17that he's going to fill those roles.
39:18So he would be the one guy I think has benefited the most.
39:21Behind him, I'd say Frazingus.
39:23Because Frazingus, you really want to minimize
39:27as best you can, if you're the Celtics,
39:29his time on the court to play when necessary.
39:32You don't want him to play a second more
39:33than he has to out there.
39:34Because he's, to me, he is going to be the difference
39:38in them winning or not winning a championship this year.
39:40I think last season, they got some breaks along the way
39:42that made his value not quite what it needed to be
39:46in order for them to win.
39:47I just don't think they're going to be that lucky this year.
39:49They're going to need him to be a difference maker
39:52come playoff time.
39:53And Al Horford, he's the last one on my list
39:55simply because Al has shown the ability
39:58to adjust and adapt to whatever role he's needed to play.
40:01If you need Al to go back-to-back games,
40:02he still can do that.
40:04If you need him to do the load management,
40:06he's cool with that.
40:07He does whatever this team needs to win.
40:09And him getting a little bit of extra rest,
40:11yeah, it's a great thing.
40:12But it's not something that he necessarily
40:14needs in order to continue to have a prominent role
40:17and be a significant contributor to this team's success.
40:21Yeah, I think benefits for Frazingus because
40:23of the sprint angle.
40:24Because just when you're bringing someone back
40:27and he's played in now kind of a flurry of games,
40:30get him a break.
40:31Get him a chance to get sharp with some good practices.
40:34Obviously, he practiced with the team
40:37before he was ready to come back.
40:38But it wasn't like he practiced a month with them.
40:41He practiced probably a week, if that, and then was ready to go.
40:45And then they threw him in there.
40:46So now you give him some practice time.
40:48You give him time to rest, get off of his feet,
40:51get that ankle rested, the surgically repaired ankle,
40:56and just get out there.
40:57And now, Thursday and Sunday, he's
41:00not missing a game because they don't play it back-to-back
41:03until after the New Year.
41:05So I think it benefits for Frazingus more just simply
41:08because of his body, his history.
41:10Al's always going to be Al.
41:12Al's going to be ready when they throw off
41:15the ball in center circle.
41:17He's going to be ready to play.
41:18Now, they're saving him from back-to-backs
41:21because, obviously, he's 38 years old.
41:23But I'm not as concerned with Al because Al's always
41:26trying to do what he can to impact the game.
41:28Chris Stapps was a guy that I'm worried about.
41:31Derek White's in a little shooting slump.
41:33Could that be fatigue?
41:34Perhaps.
41:36But you'd like for him to get back on that shooting
41:40and become more of an asset.
41:41I know he had some open looks against Memphis
41:44that didn't go down in the Nova game
41:46before that against Milwaukee.
41:48I know he hit a big one in the fourth quarter,
41:50but he had been cold before then.
41:53But I just think Porzingis is the one that benefits the most.
41:58That makes sense.
41:59All right, moving on.
42:02We'll quickly talk about the Cup real quick.
42:04Milwaukee edges out the banged up Orlando team.
42:09OKC defeated Dallas.
42:12Actually, the Cup overall, who do you think is going to win?
42:16I'm rooting for Atlanta.
42:17You are rooting for Atlanta, for that concert, of course.
42:20Well, here's the thing.
42:23In all seriousness, and what convinced me
42:25was the last podcast I did with Lauren Williams
42:28last week, who covers the Atlanta Hawks for AJC,
42:31Atlanta General Constitution.
42:33They, I think, finally figured out the right combination
42:37of players to put around Trey Young is one factor.
42:40The other thing is, and I don't think most people realize
42:43this, Trey is like 26, 27 years old.
42:46He still hasn't come into his own.
42:48I think he's playing with a different kind of maturity
42:51now than we've seen from him in the past.
42:53I mean, you look at his numbers.
42:55The dude is getting you like 25 and 12 every night.
42:57That is no small feat.
43:00And the irony is that the big knock on him
43:03is that he's too much of a shot chucker.
43:05You don't get 12 dives a night being a shot chucker.
43:08He's being much more intelligent about his playmaking.
43:11His defense is never going to be great.
43:13But to me, it just has to get to the level of being serviceable.
43:16And I think it's almost there.
43:18It's not quite there, but it's almost there.
43:20They're a team that could really cause you some problems.
43:23And they've got, you look at the guys like the Johnson kid,
43:26and you look, DeAndre Hunter, they finally
43:29have him coming off the bench.
43:30And they did that primarily because he was hurt,
43:32and they were bringing him back slowly.
43:34But they're realizing that, damn, he gives him
43:36some nice juice coming off that bench.
43:39And so he's playing with Bogdanovich.
43:42They have a very good rhythm about them now.
43:46And Trey Young, I think, has finally
43:48figured out how to continue to be an elite, top-caliber player
43:53and do so without being a polarizing figure
43:56in the process.
43:57I mean, if you notice, there really
43:58hasn't been a lot of Trey Young drama this year,
44:02flapping his gums, or people getting on him
44:05about not doing this, not doing that.
44:07And that's unusual for him.
44:10And I think it speaks to just his level of maturity
44:12and understanding that, at some point,
44:15when you see this coach getting fired
44:17and that coach getting fired and that coach getting fired,
44:20and you still around, and you the face of the franchise,
44:22at some point, they're going to be like, you know what?
44:25Maybe this isn't about the coach.
44:26Maybe we need to talk to them folks over in Utah.
44:29And maybe that's where you need to go.
44:30Or maybe we need to talk to them folks in Washington, DC,
44:33one of these really bad teams that you have absolutely
44:37no intentions and desire to play for because they're bad.
44:41So what are you going to do to fix that?
44:42What are you going to do to show your growth that you're
44:45ready to be a leader, not just a leader
44:47of this team, but a leader of a successful team?
44:50And so Atlanta, I could absolutely
44:53see them winning this thing.
44:54I really could.
44:56Sorry, New York.
44:58Concert or no concert.
45:00Well, they'll be playing New York,
45:01Trae Young versus Jalen Brunson.
45:03That will be a fun matchup to watch in general.
45:06But that's all we have for this week's episode.
45:09Oh, reminder, vote.
45:11Your vote matters.
45:13And I'm not talking about the United States politics.
45:16I'm talking about the sports podcast.
45:18We're talking about podcasts.
45:19Right.
45:20Sportspodcastgroup.com.
45:22Not the election.
45:23Not the election.
45:24We're talking about the podcast.
45:27Oh my god.
45:28We're talking about podcasts, right?
45:30I cannot.
45:30But please vote for us.
45:32That's all.
45:33I won't press the matter too much.
45:36Give them the address again one more time, Kwanye.
45:38Yes, sportspodcastgroup.com.
45:43You go on their website.
45:44It should be the first thing on their home page.
45:46Click on the podcast awards.
45:48Then click on the best basketball podcast.
45:50The convenient thing is that we're the very first one
45:53in the list, whether you're on mobile or on desktop.
45:56So you'll see the three of our little faces.
45:58So don't go too far.
45:59Don't go too far.
46:00It also looks annoying because you have to go in and answer
46:04questions.
46:04But there's only three pages of questions.
46:07But they're short, if that's any consolation.
46:09Because I know I was kind of annoyed when I had to click.
46:12And then it said next.
46:13And I was like, really?
46:14But it wasn't that long.
46:15It will take you at max two minutes to vote for us.
46:19If that.
46:20If that.
46:20If you might be mobily challenged.
46:23But all that to say, thank you guys all again
46:26for listening and watching.
46:28Once again, I want to make sure we give some more
46:30love to our partners.
46:32One, PrizePix, the exclusive daily frenzy partner
46:35of CLNS Media Network.
46:37Also, a shout out to our good friends at Game Time.
46:40Like Gary said, you can go on there,
46:42get yourself a cheap ticket.
46:44They take the guesswork out of buying last minute tickets.
46:46Do your favorite sporting events.
46:48All you have to do is download the Game Time app,
46:50create an account, and use that code that Sherrod mentioned.
46:53CLNS for the $20 off your first purchase.
46:57Terms apply.
46:58But that's all we have.
47:00Any final words before we wrap this thing up?
47:03I'm just excited to see that slightly below average team
47:06come to the TD Garden.
47:07Slightly below average teams.
47:09Hey, those are the best games usually.
47:12For H.R. Blakely and Gary Washburn,
47:14I'm Kwanye Lewis.
47:15We appreciate you listening to the Big 3 NBA podcast.
47:18Peace.