Shams Charania says it is Championship or Bust for the Boston Celtics!

Shams Charania says it is Championship or Bust for the Boston Celtics!

Shams how we doing Adam Megan Christian appreciate you guys having me on of course so we’re we’re very interested about a lot of what’s gone down throughout the league and I want to get to the trade deadline and what went down and what didn’t go down specifically with the Celtics but I

Do want to start with your view on the Celtics and how they stack up with the rest of the league it it seems to me that there’s a large gap certainly between Boston and the rest of the Eastern Conference I’d argue there’s a gap between the Celtics and the rest of

The league uh how do you feel about how they Stack Up with the rest of the NBA from the talent and continuity perspective I mean they’re right in position to be the favorites arguably in the whole NBA there’s no question and then when you look in the East Milwaukee

The issues that they’ve been dealing with and then you look at the issues that Philadelphia has now from a roster perspective with joelan beat out at least the next one to two months there’s no doubt I mean you can look at the Eastern Conference and say they should

Be they are the favorites in the in the East um but again this is a team that’s been been playoff tested for the last several years they their Championship robust at this point in in Boston I don’t think there’s a question about that and all the pressure all the expectations will be

There for them come playoff time and it’s going to be a summer of decision as well you have drew holidays as a free agent uh potentially uh and then Derek white is a free agent as well so they’ll have to deal with that in the summer but

I think the Celtics their roster when you think about six seven uh man beat I mean probably one of the more talented six first six players that you can come up with um so this is this is a top heavy group that come playoff time when short when shorten rotations happen the

Celtics team will be right there and I think getting getting Xavier tomman at the deadline was a solid Insurance pickup for Brad Stevens in the Celtic so you say Championship are bust and and we’ve seen the other side of that with teams like OKC teams like the Clippers

Who were very very talented but never ultimately made it to a fi to to a championship so I’m or winning a championship when you say that it could go the other way what do you think that would look like for the Celtics in your experience covering all these different teams what

Would we expect if they don’t get the championship this year well I think what Brad Stevens did last year when when the team lost in the Conference Finals it’s a lot of just inward reflection how to continue to tweak the the roster and when they traded away Marcus Smart to get Chris Al

Porzingis in I think there was a lot of questions coose defensively on the perimeter but then a lot of those got answered when you bring in a guy like J holiday who’s been a champion in Milwaukee part of all defensive teams we know about his abilities on both ends of the floor so

They they they really got got a great gift in that Damen Lillard trade it helped them out significantly by getting Drew out so late in the offseason before training camp so uh I think it’ll it it would be in you have to always look inward but from a roster component you

Want to keep Jaylen Jason Tatum together you want to keep the continuity that they’ve had um but this team what what they did last year bring in Chris Al porzingis uh getting Drew holiday they’ve been primed they’ve been prepped they’ve been ready they’ve been playing for this second half in this playoff run

Uh that’s that’s going to be upon them in a couple months Shams you are obviously very busy this week it was a busy busy trade deadline would you say it was a good trade deadline you know I’ve been asked that a lot I think there we’re not any Landmark

Players think about the last two trade deadlines you had James hard Ben Simmons traded a couple years ago you had Kevin Durant Kyrie Irving traded last year so this year there were a lot of needs being filled around the league when you think about New York what they did

Getting Buon bogdanovich Alec Burks I think for them this year and moving forward they have talent they have some depth they have flexibility they have their eight person on draft Pi they can trade in this summer they’re going to be a factor for a potential star down the

Line there’s no question about that but then you look at at Philadelphia with Jan beid out the next one to two months bring in buddy heeld as a scorer as a shooter that helped them out I think tremendously Oklahoma City youngest team in the league one of the youngest teams

In the league one of the best teams in the league record-wise uh has one of the MVP leaders in Shay gills Alexander and getting Gordon Hayward in I think that was a big get obviously you guys are very familiar with him I think that was

A big time pickup for them in terms of having that flexibility coming off the bench and in that move guys they also opened up $30 million in cash space for the summer that’s kind of gone a little under the radar so I think the Thunder tried to pos position themselves now and

In the future with that trade for him we’re talking to Sham Shir he’s the senior lead NBA Insider for the athletic and Stadium uh a lot of people are confused about how to feel about Joe moula here in Boston like some days I feel good about him other days I feel

Like he’s a poor fit how does the league view Joe moula and his fit with this Celtics group and his readiness to bring a championship to an NBA team well you never know until you know right but I I think clearly Brad Stevens has has a great deal of respect for him

Admiration for him around the league he’s been known as someone that has obviously paid the dues and has been been working and grinding at it for several years now so I don’t I I haven’t heard much else besides the hardworking this and all that but at the end day

When you have a championship quality teams you’re always going to be judged off production always going to be judged off how far and deep you advance and I think those are still unanswered questions that the Celtics team has and them as a whole have until they get

Through and until they break through as as an entire organization do you see Jason Tatum as a top five player he’s been and I know there’s Joel embiid’s injury now but there have been a couple weeks here and there where he’s sixth on the uh KIA KIA NBA ladder for

MVP I I definitely think you can make the case that he should be one of the MVP candidates this year I mean when you think about they’re the best record in the East they’re team that obviously is going to be one of the Front Runners to potentially win a championship um but I

Think when you look around you have Shay gills Alexander I think MVP wise you have to look at Nicole jic you have to look at um you know can Kawhi Leonard because the Clipper success can he get in there but I think Jason Tatum I mean

He’s the year in year out MVP candidate for sure so you think those guys are better than Jason Tatum I I just said they’re candidates for MVP along with him but I I listen I I think it’s hard for me to give rankings uh these things at any given

Moment I mean he’s capable to be the best player you know in the league at any given moment and I think that’s what makes you know the the the parody around the league there’s you know I think probably 10 players that have the 10 12 players in the league right now that

Have the ability to be the best player in the league on any given night Shams you’re a young guy you a slam dunk contest guy like is that something you grew up with something you care about definitely I I think there definitely you know back when when I was

Growing up watching Allstar Saturday night it was about the dunk contest now I feel like it’s gravitated a lot toward the Three-Point Contest but I think you can definitely feel a certain level of energy when the dunk contest has has its has has its moment has its shine Zack

LaVine Aaron Gordon several years ago I think put on a show Mt McClung I think did a great job last year I mean he had 50s on every dunk didn’t miss any duns so that’s obviously going to be Jaylen Brown’s major competition well that’s that’s my next question Jaylen Brown and

Allstar getting back into it I mean what what do you think that could do for the contest if he does have a good show if he goes out there and sucks then it’s not going to matter but if he goes out there and it’s a real big show could

That could that bring the contest back do you think I I do think you you you have a successful Dunk Contest possibly win it for sure could have an impact on future stars and how they might view it and how they might view Jaylen moving forward but Lou Williams who’s who’s on

The running back show with me he said it best bringing back star power bringing being a guy that’s willing to put yourself out there that’s so important and Jaylen Brown is a guy that obviously is very confident in himself he’s already accomplished a lot in the league

When you think about all NBA All Stars has been to the finals been to comish finals I think you know winning a championship for sure is on his list and this is something that he’s obviously doing and and wanting to be Trailblazer of sorts we haven’t seen Allstar since

2017 participa in the dunk contest Shams what happens if the Celtics don’t win you said you know they’re they’re ready they’re poised to do it I do feel there’s a gap if they don’t win what what could we be looking at for you know changes here in Boston and again I I

Hone in on the coach I wonder what his security would be and what they would do I I think you always have to look inward if you’re the Celtics for sure they they did last year and and I think there’s it’s clear I mean if you don’t

Get to your goals and what you Aspire for have to look at you know have to look Inward and we saw Brad stens do that last year making a trade for Mar trading out Marcus Smart getting in chrisos porzingis so this summer they’re gonna have decisions to make players

Will have decisions to make Drew Hy has a player option he’s extension eligible the second half of the NBA season uh you you have Derek white for agency obviously as well so they’re going to have to make roster decisions either way this goes Shams do you ever

Steal sources from W do you ever like get anyone to change allegiances and then you text them and you’re like he he or she is mine now um you know I I think every everyone I speak to I think is mine so you never know you know that’s how that’s how your

Mentality should be so you don’t lose any to him you don’t have like one who got away I I always treat every individual I speak to the same way I I would I don’t that’s not that I mean just in life I think you always try to treat everyone

The same way and try not to have any preconceived notions so you report on everybody obviously so where did the like you started really blowing up in like 2016 2017 right like the Isaiah Thomas Kyrie Irving years here with the Celtics so where would you sort of put

Them when it comes to reporting on the NBA where did the Celtics kind of rank on like the drama scale The Narrative scale we’re really close to it so we assume that everything the Celtics do is a big deal but where do you as a national guy sort of see them over the

Years they’re obviously one of the bigger Market teams they’re obviously one of the bigger uh name teams especially when you have guys like Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the team before that yet like you said the guys like it Kyrie Irving Gordon Hayward when they had him so they’ve always been a

Market that’s been able to attract players attract star players uh have max players so I think that alone will bring a level of of you know eyeball scrutiny attention praise uh you know every every end of the spectrum have you ever been more terrified than when K Adams grabbed your

Phone I I I I think I think that was up there for sure mostly because you know you you never want your phone no you know to to be to be seen uh on on a camera but amazing show to be on I think

Up and Adams is is one of the best shows out there and I think being being a part of a show and doing anything with K Adams you guys you guys know K Adams she’s I think she does an amazing job I think she uh you know brings a great

Energy and spirit definitely one of the more unique shows I’ve I’ve ever been on and uh I’m I’m just you know I’m grateful to to be a part of the FanDuel TV family okay well speaking of FanDuel TV uh check out run it back it is weekdays at 10: a.m. FanDuel TV FanDuel

TV plus Shams is a part of it along with Michelle Beetle Lou Williams and Chandler Parson Shams we appreciate the time thanks so much appreciate you all thank you thank you sham shanz all our guest joins us on the Harbor one hotline

Shams Charania joins WEEI to discuss the future of the Boston Celtics!
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