Mailbag: Kristaps Porzingis return, NBA vs. Boston Celtics, & media basketball

Mailbag: Kristaps Porzingis return, NBA vs. Boston Celtics, & media basketball

we’re doing a mailbag it’s been a while do we care who comes out of the Western Conference Finals is the NBA rooting against Boston we talk about Chris stops porzingis returning and me playing in a media pickup game right now on the lockdown Celtics podcast think a blockbuster Brad it’s holiday season drop Drew in the mix and three from KP no we not on the knck flushing competition like h on Yannis juicing big de still be Town’s finest been a going up in the rapor watching SE game and locked on after car on the breakdown CL like a TI from d on the break John on the mic documenting domination m p back B all SE Nation R J’s how started raising B how we finish locked on Celtics home of the winers hey there welcome back to the locked on Celtics podcast right here in the lockdown podcast Network where it’s your team every day and I got you covered every single day Monday through Friday plus bonus podcast on the weekends as warranted when they play or maybe something happened whatever it is I got you covered I’m John corales used to play a long time ago now I’m covering the Celtics for Boston Sports Journal I’m asking you to please subscribe get into that comment section on the YouTube page ring the bell there get notified when I drop new videos today I’m opening up the mailbag in this mailbag episode is sponsored by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get 100 $50 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 150 bucks with any winning $5 bet visit fanduel.com lockon to get started later on a video has come out of a few of the beat writers getting together in Indie to play basketball and I am not heavily featured in that video uh so yeah I’ll explain all of that stuff we’ll talk about Sam Hower we’ll talk about Chris thops porzingis talk about the NBA and it’s uh whether they’re rooting against the Boston Celtics but let’s get into our first question here about the the choices uh in the Western Conference Finals do we care how about the Celtics do the Celtics care do they hope it goes seven does the coaching staff hope is ends at a certain time does porzingis want to play against the Dallas Mavericks now I don’t know I’m sure porzingis would love although he hasn’t said anything and frankly he hasn’t been available to the media much so will you know I I I I had an opportunity if I had thought of it to ask but I was more interested when he he walked into the media dining area before game three of the Eastern Conference Finals in Indie so it’s game three we’re sitting there all of a sudden Kristof porzingis walks in we’re like what the hell and so I was more interested in cracking jokes like he sat down I’m like hey buddy you got to pay we all paid 11 bucks you gotta pay and he looks over he’s like oh yeah I paid I paid I paid uh so we’re like busting balls more than anything maybe I could have taken the opportunity to pull out the recorder and be like hey well since we got you here let’s ask you some questions but it was more of like a fun moment and uh interesting kind of that he was in there eating the the stuff that we had not the food’s not bad in India I’ll be honest with you it was pretty cool but I didn’t get a chance to ask him at that point if if uh he cares about playing the Dallas Mavericks I’m sure he does uh the coaching staff doesn’t care when it ends because there’s one coach that’s been preparing for the Dallas Mavericks there’s one coach that prepares for the Minnesota Timberwolves and when it’s official the the coach that has the winning Scout gets to present his Scout and the coach that had the losing team Scout uh Burns everything that they did doesn’t matter it’s all gone so they probably save it they probably have it saved somewhere and there there will always be use for it but uh one coach on the Celtic staff is a lot of work that will not be uh used for the NBA Finals so that’s how that works and do the Celtics care I don’t know that the Celtics care quite as much but I’m sure everybody wouldn’t mind if it goes seven games uh they’ll tell us we don’t care but and I don’t think that they’re actively rooting sitting there being like oh man I can’t believe Dallas Clos it out they’re the CICS are worried about themselves and hey if Dallas goes seven and they only get two days to prepare great but if they don’t who cares they’re not going to spend mental energy on that so the Celtics don’t care I can care I can be there like yeah go seven come on Timberwolves let’s go let’s push it uh and and I do I do hope it Go seven I do hope the Timberwolves put a scare into Dallas I don’t care honestly who comes out I’m approaching it as if it’s Dallas but uh as far as the Celtics go that that’s what I think uh oh that question comes from Andrew by the way Paulo ask uh about the uh the Mavs offense they’ve been kept to an average of 106 points through four games and he’s asks wouldn’t this be great for us aren’t they actually being uh being better than the Wolves defensively uh will they really be able to keep the Celtics from from scoring uh more than 10 one0 a game even with half of KP if the Mavs are it’s kind of similar to the the Pacers if you can hold the Mavs to if it’s 106 or less love the Celtics chances in this if this if the Mavs average 106 I’m willing to bet the Celtics win this easier than people will think so if the Mavs even if the Celtics can H hold the Mavs to 106 or less in this series this might be a five game series if I’m not saying they will and I’ve got to get into more analysis I got to get into more digging and um I obviously I think the souel are going to win I I really do feel like by the way that this could be a an easier than expected series but I don’t know I’m I’m not I’m not I’m not ready to go 100% there yet but if the Celtics can hold the Mavericks to 106 or less I don’t think the maver as well as their defense is playing I don’t think that they’re gonna hold Boston to less than 106 I don’t think the Boston offense against the Mavs defense uh again credit to the Mavs defense they’re playing well but with obvious places to attack I feel like the Celtics can I’ve said it on the podcast before I’ll say it again this is gonna be a very three-point heavy offense for the Celtics there gonna be a lot of driving kicks in corner three-pointers the Mavs are are are allowing almost 11 Corner three-pointers per game here against uh I think throughout the course of the playoffs so there’s gonna be a lot of opportunity for Boston to score you cannot give Boston 11 Corner threes because they’re going to hit like five or six of those and that that doesn’t even get to the above the break threes that they love to take and that they’re pretty good at so if you’re going to get if you’re gonna allow five or six Corner three-pointers then if Boston hits 12 13 14 uh above the break threes because they’re going to get a lot of those now now you’re you’re at Celtics scoring 120 something so it’s gonna be it’s gonna be tough for the Mavs if that’s how this goes Chris asks uh he said well here’s the setup he got an email from the NBA that said uh an Eastern Conference ravaged by injuries Celtics cruise to NBA Finals uh and now the the the setup to the question is this is the NBA the league is pushing this uh so he asks do you think the league itself is actively rooting against and campaigning against the Celtics so the short answer is no you have to understand that because the NBA umbrella has like various arms you know th this is a this is a marketing team this is a creative team this is not Adam Silver going make sure you disrespect the Celtics and and really highlight how easy their path was this this I think I I don’t honestly think that that’s an unfair headline you know the the Celtics did go through an Eastern Conference that was ravaged by injuries I don’t think that’s uh I don’t think that’s inaccurate and the Celtics cruise to the NBA finals that’s not inaccurate I don’t think any of that stuff is I don’t think there’s really anything wrong with that first of all you know like let’s there’s two things we got to understand there’s there’s the notion that they didn’t play anyone that’s not true that they didn’t play anyone you got to respect the opponent but also you do have to accept that well yeah certain things did make each series easier the no one’s denying that it made the the series easier it’s that who cares who cares if it made this the series easier yeah the would it been harder to beat Miami with Jimmy Butler yes would it been harder to beat the Cavs with a fully healthy Donovan Mitchell yes that would have been more difficult uh if Tyrese halberton uh if uh Benedict Maan was healthy but look the Celtics were also missing christops porzingis so it’s it’s okay it’s okay to be like yeah some of that was was easier congratulations Boston you you benefited from the luck I don’t see what what’s wrong with that now if the media Talking Heads want to take that and run with that that’s that’s up to them and it’s up to us to be like you know what I’m not paying attention to people taking the factual stuff that I just said and turning turning into something they hold against the Celtics like that’s the part like you shouldn’t hold it against the Celtics that’s where we cross the line but is the NBA actively rooting and campaigning against the Celtics no the Boston Celtics are a legacy Cornerstone franchise the Boston is the biggest TV Market left and Celtics fans exist everywhere the NBA would if you told the NBA either Boston or the Lakers are going to be in the finals like every year they’d be happy to have that they’d be they they want Boston in there do they prefer New York I mean yeah it’s a bigger TV Market do they prefer Boston over Indiana hell yes they do hell yes they do and so the the Celtics make the league money the Celtics make the NBA a lot of money so if we’ve learned anything from the NBA and how they work you mess with their money they get mad the Celtics make the NBA money so they’re happy when the Celtics are in in the playoffs and in the Conference Finals let’s talk about this specific matchup a question about uh specifically about the Mavs uh Sam Hower and Chris thops porzingis that is all coming up next Today’s Show is brought to you by FanDuel it’s America’s number one sports book because they are taking advantage of these NBA and NHL finals and they’re giving you a new customer a chance to get $150 in bonus bets all you have to do is place a five bet that wins so here’s what you do you go to fanduel.com lockon you sign up you make a bet for just $5 and when it wins you get $150 in bonus bets now you can bet that on anything you want spreads money lines player props it’s all right there at America’s number one sports book so go check it out there at fanduel.com lockon go ahead and place your bets use the tools they have those tools they’re readily available those pop up all the time set your limits they want you to gamble 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ball if the Celtics face the Mavericks how important is this how important is it for the Celtics defense to limit the corner threes well Luca is the best in the game at generating those Corner threes because he finds his way to the rim he’s an insane passer he finds guys where he’s supposed to find them and they generally do hit those shots so that is a a a big Focus for the Celtics it’s going to be a tough defensive assignment for the Celtics so it’s going to be you the the approach to limiting those Corner threes it’s going to be interesting because do you go into drop coverage and entice them to take mid-range shots do you just live with Luca and Kyrie making shots from the mid-range and not hitting three-pointers and not finding three-point shooters do you just do that and hope you can win the three for two math and say I don’t care if it goes seven we feel good about winning four out of seven games trying to get that three for two math and going against a Mavs team that doesn’t allow a lot at The Rim but does allow a lot at the at the three-point line the corner three-pointers so the Celtics could play that game limiting the the the Mavs Corner three-pointers just in general is a priority and the Celtics are the best in the league at that they are the best at limiting what the opponent can do from Beyond the three-point line it’s because they take away the corner threes they’re great at that and they push everything to above the break threes and they’re really good at funneling those three-point shots to players you feel comfortable taking those shots so that’s something that the Celtics are going to be kind of pushing for and if if Luca does find people in the corner you got to make sure that you’re you’re getting out there and you’re you’re forcing the swings up to maybe somebody who doesn’t want to take that shot and anybody who does take that shot’s got to be contested so that’s that’s a a big deal for for the Celtics no doubt Aiden asks uh about porzingis and he says even if he is still not 100% in the finals should they try it’s phrased Rush him back I don’t think it’s a rushing back thing now porzingis has been out there on social media and has said that he’s he’s making progress Joe Missoula on the radio said that he’s he’s doing work on the on the court so uh I don’t know that he’s scrimmaging yet but as soon as he does scrimmage then he’s he’s up there as far as probably questionable there there’s a lot of time here if he hasn’t started scrimmaging yet that means he’s not 100% the Celtics might just try a game one without him to see can they still do what they need to do and beat the Mavs without porzingis they might but I’ve been on record as saying when he’s 100% healthy he should play now if not 100% if he’s close this might be a situation where they’re like if if he’s let’s just pull a number out of thin air 90% And you say it’s just a calf strain there’s there is a risk we’ll put the kesio tape on it and we’ll we’ll do what we can he might be a little more limited but he’s going to be out there and he’s just not gonna get to 100 per. if they if they tell Missoula and Brad Stevens he’s not g to get to 100% he’s at about 90% you’re still a little soreness we can do what we can but this is the best he’s gonna be then maybe they throw him out there if if there is uh an assurance and if if porzingis is on board and they say hey look there is a risk of reinjury but like we we feel like we can kind of just keep it we’re just going to limit you we’ll tape it up do however we need to do it may maybe they do bring him back this is a little bit of a different story you just need four wins you just need him to get out there and hey you tell him if you feel any tug any pull any anything you just come right back out okay maybe maybe if he isn’t 100% that’s what they do I happen to believe that going to get to 100% but they’re not going to I don’t think they’re going to risk a long-term injury they’re certainly not going to risk an Achilles injury so it’s just kind of up to him and up to them and they’ll they’ll figure out if it if it’s not 100% how how far are they willing to go it’s possible before we go to the break Gabi asks about Sam Hower and they were wondering if Sam would get playoff minutes and he did did he’s but but but he’s not shooting well he’s what’s up with his three-point shooting it’s I mean I I’m shocked at how bad it’s been uh he he’s he hit one three-pointer in the entire Conference Finals now he did do some other things and so he was it wasn’t that he was unplayable but he has to do other things to be playable in that situation they need him to start hitting threes and you just got to trust that he’s going to the the thing about the Mavs is they don’t play quite as frantically and as fast as the Pacers so I I believe that the speed was just killing Sam Hauser and I don’t think he’s gotten the same whistle as everybody else so I think he’s frustrated by some of the calls he’s getting and I think that’s all kind of conspiring to mess with his three-point shot and I I feel like the Mavs play slower and and he he might not even if he gets picked on it might not be as as bad as the Pacers because the speed is going to be a little bit different now you don’t want Lucas switched onto him that could be a little bit of a different story I don’t know I feel like I feel like Sam Hower has a little bit of a breakout coming maybe I’m just it’s the gamblers fallacy that he’s du but he’s too good a shooter to be this cold for this long so if the speed of the game slows down a little bit and the Celtics can collapse the defense and drive and kick and he’s the guy getting the corner threes I feel like he’s going to start those so it’s when it comes to three-point shooting it’s just mental a lot of that is just mental and if your confidence is shot then that’s that’s a problem and I feel like his confidence is taking a hit and he’s just got to get back into it just got to hit a couple and trust it and he’ll be fine I do I do think there’s a a turnaround coming for him all right we’ll come back we’ll talk about the two-way players we’ll talk about celebrating Brown in a way that he hasn’t been celebrated yet and of course me playing pickup basketball with other members of the media that is all coming up next let’s get back to Todd here who asks do the two-way players Davidson and Peterson receive a championship ring and uh what are their chances either crack the lineup next year yes they get rings yes they do get rings and you know they’re there they’re on the sidelines they’re in the celebration they’re in the locker rooms uh they can’t sit on the bench so they sit they get seats like near the bench but that’s been nice they’re there they’re included in everything so very nice that the Celtics are including them and all that stuff so they will get rings do they crack the lineup next year Davidson uh I don’t know I’m not seeing it Peterson he’ll get a chance um he’ll get a chance to to prove himself um I’m gonna say like crack the rotations probably not but who knows I mean they brought him in for a reason and we’ll see we’ll see uh I think Davidson’s career with Boston has run its course I could be wrong but I think it’s run its course uh Peterson will will get a chance in training camp and then we’ll see where it goes from there Tim asks while we’re celebrating all things Jaylen Brown could you talk about the most underrated part of his game you have a fine beard I have an old beard but Jaylen has beard game that is streets ahead how does he get it looking so good inquiring minds want to know now I have not asked Jaylen Brown about his beard but that thing is glorious and very well-kept it’s not a a James Harden beard and I I honestly I don’t know how you play with a big beard like that uh feels like it would be a lot but it it looked I’m gonna just from having had a beard that was big and bushy there’s a lot of products you gota you got to care for that thing you know you maybe try a little conditioner there there are a number of products that you could put in there I can tell you from all the promotional pict pictures that I’ve seen of him like look at the promotional pictures of him in the playoffs and all that that beard is glistening it is wellsh shaped it is just well cared for when you sign the richest contract in NBA history you can afford some some pretty highlevel beard products but I agree that jaylen’s game jaylen’s beard game is is on point all right let’s get into the real fun here King Kahuna says do you still play you ask do do you still play pickup basketball heard the Celtics media guys and gals got together to play who’s the best media pickup player in your opinion uh he also asks if the Celtics win the championship are you planning on attending the parade and do you have a preference in the city getting to the NBA finals lots of questions uh I prefer Dallas I I’ve been to Dallas plenty nice city I’ve never been to Minneapolis uh but I’m I’m I’m not upset that I’m going to be going to Dallas presumably uh I do plan on attending the parade I will be covering the parade I don’t know if the Celtics will have a media parade boat the Patriots did and I’m just wondering if a boat at the end of the parade will just be like Boston Celtics media and we get to ride on the back and I think it would be first of all it’d be cool I would love to do it I’m I’m I will actively campaign on the podcast for a duckboat specifically for the beat writers uh we’ve been there we’ve been at you know most of these Road games and it’s I would love to do it I think it would be super cool secondly I think writing the story of the parade from the perspective of seeing what the players see is important like I think it would be cool to write the story and have parts of the podcast be from a duckboat so one way or the other I will be there covering the parade the question is how all right let’s get to the pickup stuff and I’ll fold in Zach’s question who says John I watched the Celtics beat pickup game they’re calling you John Tony Snell corales in the comment section because there wasn’t one stat shown what happened out there I refus to believe the big dog didn’t eat I’m happy to report that the big dog did eat uh it’s just that the the video started rolling I’ll the whole story is there there’s a group of the younger bloggers that are pushing for these media these media games and led by Noah doel uh she’s I’ve never met a more basketball obsessed person in my life she’s just obsessed with the game of basketball so she’s been pushing for these these games we played in Cleveland and we played uh luckily indor in Indie and so we played some three Onre and I was there uh one of the Celtics media relations people was there and Jay King was there and we played some three on three and in the early three on three I will say I had My best performances now when the camera showed up and the clns guys like Bobby Manning showed up that was the end and we started to go four on four and I had like two games where I had to guard Jay King in the perimeter now let me explain something to people I am almost 51 years old I am two I’ll say 260 pounds and that’s I might be I might be on the generous side there when I played basketball at this point 30 years ago I played at 220 so I am old and I am out of shape Jay King is in his mid-30s and he’s he’s he’s good he’s a good shooter he can take me off the dribble now I can’t I can’t deny that at this point in my life I I cannot guard Jay King on the perimeter effectively especially not after having played three or four games of half court three on three which is really not that strenuous but for me let me tell you something strenuous so to say my best basketball is behind me is is an understatement it’s it’s well well behind me there’s a reason why at the top of the show I say I played a long time ago because it was a long time ago I never ever claim that I’m still like still any great basketball player I used to be pretty good now I’m not very good at all because I’m fat and I’m 50 but I will say and look all of these people were there you can tweet at them and ask they were all Noah um uh Justin Turpin was there uh a couple both Bobbies were there you can see the video all Jay King tweet J King and ask him he’ll tell you I can still strap on the dancing sh shoes in the post every once in a while I can still cook a little bit in the post I just don’t have a whole lot of gas in the tank but I did cook before the cameras got there unfortunately for me the last thing I will say if you do Zach watch that video because I went and found the video I saw it don’t call me Tony Snell because I didn’t have any stats there is a jumper I hit a jumper in there and Justin gives me a pass in the post and then cuts down the middle I don’t see how did people not realize the pass that I made out of the post to a cutter coming coming down the middle that pass is a great pass so go look at that again and see the pass that I made out of the post because from that camera angle my back is to the camera and that ball just comes out of nowhere and it’s there for a layup and one that was a pass that I delivered out of the post one thing I can still do I even at 50 and even as a fat guy you give it to me in the post I will find you if you’re open I am still I can still pass the hell out of the ball that I can do I just can’t jump I can’t move can’t slide can’t do any of that stuff anymore if I’m if I’m not hitting fadeaway jumpers I’m trash at this point and that’s the reality of the of how it is you know but go tweet at them if you want to know the whole story but it was fun I enjoy the fact that they they asked me to go uh I don’t know if I’m going to be able to play play again cuz uh I got a whole lot of fluid in my right knee now so that’s what happens when you’re fat and 50 and you don’t play a whole lot of basketball fluid builds up in your knee when you play a little three onree basketball so that those th that’s probably done I don’t know if I’m gonna be picking up a basketball in Dallas I’ll just meet them for beers afterwards that’s going to be how it goes you don’t get up to 260 by not having a couple of beers after you play ball so thanks everybody for the questions I appreciate it John cares.com mailback I don’t know how many of these I’ll do but I I might squeeze one in uh one more maybe before the the playoffs uh the the the finals roll around because the finals are not till next Thursday so I can probably get one more mailbag in especially after we know if the Dallas Mavericks make it official or if it’s going to be the Timberwolves somehow miraculously uh but John cares.com mailbag to get your questions in and then I see if I can squeeze in one more mailbag and then they’ll become a regular thing in the postseason for sure so subscribe if you’re new to the show Welcome Aboard thank you uh if you are a regular listener I hope you’re subscribing to the YouTube page get in the comment section let me know what you’re thinking there and I would love it if you share the podcast spread the word tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the lockdown Celtics podcast right here in the lockdown podcast Network it’s your team every day

With so much time before the NBA Finals, we decided to open up the mailbag to answer a few of your questions. Those include the team’s preferences in the Western Conference Finals, Boston defense vs. Dallas’ offense, the NBA rooting against Boston, limiting Dallas’ corner 3-pointers, Sam Hauser’s 3-point shooting, Kristaps Porzingis returning, even if he’s not 100%, and two-way players getting rings. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal gets into all of that and then addresses the video of a media pick up game in Indianapolis.

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Locked On Celtics is a daily Boston Celtics podcast by Boston Sports Journal beat writer John Karalis. It’s an inside look at the C’s from a former professional basketball player who is at practices & games.

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