Should Celtics Have Made Bigger Move? w/ Chris Forsberg | Celtics Beat

Should Celtics Have Made Bigger Move? w/ Chris Forsberg | Celtics Beat

I I I think you can definitively say that the Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer highlight reels are more impressive than the theano Banton and Lamar Stevens won now like Lamar Stevens is a weird case like I I know you don’t want to talk too much about the guys

Going out but I thought for sure he’d get more of a run here and it just never happened um he was a starter for much of the year for a very good Cleveland team last year and brought like that defensive grit his offensive limitations kept him off the court so when you start

Looking at till and Springer I think you’d say well they’ve got some offensive limitations too will they necessarily be able to sort of carve out roles can you have non-shooters on the floor if you’re going to play in Joe missoula’s offense and yet undeniably you watch all the Highlight blocks and

You watch Tilman defend against Anthony Davis last year in the playoffs you watch Springer defend against Steph card and Luca dones this past week and there’s at least potential there Celtics B is brought to you by FanDuel they exclude exclusive wagering partner of the clnx media Network what’s up everyone welcome in i

I how do how do I start this thing maybe Jaden Jaden Jaden I feel like anyone with the last name Springer you just you need to go right to sort of that reality TV feel you know NBC Sports Boston recently had its Celtics trade deadline special obviously does it each and every

Year but uh I you know I didn’t watch I didn’t watch because I wanted this I wanted this to be the trade deadline special because we went to NBC Sports Boston we brought talk up your guest yeah we got Chris forsberg here with us s Valente Adam yeah he was this guy was

On TV yesterday but I didn’t watch it wasn’t worth my time go ahead sorry I I didn’t watch because I wanted all the thoughts here I’m just recycling everything I said yesterday but go ahead but that’s the beauty of it I wouldn’t know there you go I wouldn’t be any the

Wiser you could you could direct quote yourself you could you could plagiarize yourself like crazy it wouldn’t make any difference except to the people obviously that are out there listening or watching that tuned in for both you know what it is and I’ve used this term

With you a lot just playfully at at this point in time I use the term oversaturation I think it is the oversaturation of of of Celtic’s content now across the board like it I mean there are we talk about this probably what every couple months or so it it

Manages to come up with somebody there must be 3,500 Celtics podcasts just in market now yeah it feels right I you know um it’s just it is incredible like it’s just you you here I’ll tell you this this was the the crystallization this week for me um when Jaylen got announced

To the dunk contest I started thinking about like ways that he could pay homage to jro green and like you know go turn back the clock on on Dunk Contest I was like well we need to get Chris s to Indie and he’s going to do a cookies and

Cream dunk where like Chris STS holds a glass of milk and he dunks the Oreo and he dunks the ball and then uh Dan Greenberg from from bar stool had already used the same exact tweet and I was like there’s no more original ideas out there like if if we’re both thinking

Of of like how Preposterous of an idea for a dunk contest and that’s already been on Twitter then I’m just going to I I just need to to stay away from everything we all have the same ideas since that is official now by the way that Jaylen Brown is going to

Participate in the dunk contest I am curious as to your perspective because there are it seems like kind of a mix bag you know I’ve heard from people or I’ve seen on social media people saying you know ah it’s you know like this this is awesome this is this is exactly what

The dunk contest needs this could be the thing that brings it back because finally we have some star power attached to it in in in the sense and and that’s not even to say like Jaylen Brown is this Superstar I think he’s a star he’s

An All-Star I I wouldn’t put him in that Superstar category but certainly in terms of names what more do you need like all NBA what’s some respect yeah but I but I have a I have a ve it’s maybe it’s a me problem like I I have a

Very you got to be like a top 10 player in the league to be considered you know a superstar in my mind like I get where you’re going so I would say census top 10 player but putting that aside he’s certainly the highest paid player you know that there’s real money attached to

The to the dunk contest now with Jaylen coming in and that is for the league a big deal I have though heard the opposite side which is Jaylen is making going to embarrass himself because he’s just not an electric dunker he’s obviously had some great posters in his

Career but in terms of you know sort of overall athleticism and creativity and doing some things out there that like you know the Zack Lavin and the Blake you know the the Aaron Gordon or or Blake griffins or whoever else can do like jaylen’s just not that guy yeah he

He has not dunked over AA during a game right so which would be difficult but no the hood of AA very important distinction uh yeah 12 uh 12y old forsberg would have loved this right like the adding some legitimate star power to the dunk contest I do yearn for

The days of Dominique and Michael Jordan but I also understand that 20 something years later 30 years later we are we’ve run out of dunks there’s just only so much we do even as guys jump higher and further and such but um I’m okay with it

I’m I’m not going to sit here and like worry about injury and stuff like that you know they do silly dunks and practice every day um hopefully he gets creative with it that’s all I hope uh you know uh I think the the entire All-Star Saturday night used to be a

Moment when I was a kid and now it doesn’t feel like it’s much of a moment at all I’m going to Allstar and I will be leaving before Allstar Saturday night so um I I don’t know and and I won’t be torn up about it so I hope that they

Find a way to he’s got I hope he puts it in the work beforehand I hope that he makes his dunks on the first tries because like when they do it 94 times it gets repetitive um but I’m all for it because when you look at the the list

And no disrespect to MC Mong and the other top and brother um but I guess some disrespect to MC mclung and the other Topp and brother because like I don’t know it just doesn’t get me excited to to watch the event we need some we need guys that have recognition

And star power to that point though it’s sort of like what this could mean do you think this you know if if things go well for Jaylen I don’t even mean win I just mean like he goes and like you’re saying is fine doesn’t embarrass himself has a

Good time with it maybe brings in a guest star like a porzingis or or whoever else do you think this opens the door you know for future years of of getting some more name recognition in the tournament I would be fascinated I don’t know I don’t know if guys are that in

Someone has to to to rekindle it and let’s hope Jaylen let’s hope Jaylen performs well enough that others say hey that’s cool I want to do that and I you know I don’t know like who are the super high Anthony Edwards um I’m trying to think of like

Uping coming guys like going towards the top 10 that I want to see in a d contest I don’t know I guess I would just take anybody at this point who can can BR sure could be a great way to to rehab to to rehab the the reputation too right

Like when after you go through what he did so yeah I’d be all for it like every every event needs a little I don’t know rebirth or whatever to to get it back I don’t know maybe just have Larry Bird come in and torch everybody in a warm-up coat and the

Three-Point Contest and bring back the uh bring back how much we love all those your issue is like most of the guys that are really good at dunking like the artists the dunk artists like they’re not Allstars we you missed your opportunity like trying to make Aaron Gordon an

All-Star he would have done it if he was named under the all-star team and you know Zack LaVine you know just not going to see that guy anymore like M mclung can really dunk like I’m not trying to sit here and say like MC mclung isn’t awesome at dunking the guy’s awesome F

Last year dun unfortunately he’s just a nobody in terms of the NBA he’s not even in the NBA but like think about it this way right the Zack LaVine Aaron Gordon dunk off which was the best dunk contest these eyes have ever seen those two guys are like relatively like in you know

They weren’t really like Superstars yet like neither guys really a superstar but they weren’t really huge names outside of the the draft junkies that that follow it like what was Zack LaVine most famous for before that dunk contest his face at the draft when he got drafted by the Timberwolves

Like he was like oh dang I gotta go to Minnesota that’s not great like Aaron Gordon like now now he would like kill to be in in Minnesota right right hell it be like the Anthony Edwards pick is an interesting one because like that’s a guy who’s super athletic and could

Probably do some some fun stuff in the air um Jaws a great another one that guy get to jump out of the gym but like most of the time your All-Star guys like aren’t guys like that and and so you’re having to to to find Solutions in other

Places I do give Jay a lot of credit for being like hey like I’m an Allstar I’m a star I’m an all NBA player you know I’m going to do this because he’s the first one it feels like in a long time that’s done it but a lot of times the best

Dunkers aren’t those guys like they work on other parts of their game like Jason Tatum like I think somebody asked Tatum at the end of the last game if he was going to do the dunk contest ever he’s like nah I’m all set like he’s working

On other stuff like you don’t he doesn’t need to do that so it’s hard I give j a lot of credit he’s not going to win this I’d be impress if he did um I think it’s gonna be a kind of show I think Mack will do great I heard highe Hawk heads

Can jump I’ve been told by sources uh that haime can can can jump and uh um and we’ll see with Jacob toppen and see if it’s hereditary or not we’ll find out but you know it’s just the the the best dunkers you don’t find out are great dunkers

Until the cont like nobody knew mck McClung was going to be awesome until he did his like first dunk you’re like oh okay this guy’s awesome you know so it’s gonna take it’s gonna take some time it just stinks that there’s no star power anymore that way there it’s it’s the

Deconomy of the thing at this point in time that gets hammered home each and every year to where the judges of the contest are so much bigger in name stature reputation than the participants you know you would like that to be kind of level I mean yeah you’re going to

Have Legends of the game that participate as judges that is an annual expectation but how about maybe some it we we don’t have to pull a guy up from the g-league to participate the NBA dunk contest who also happens to be the reigning champ that would be a success

If you want to attempt to bring this thing back we’re just so to be fair I did not fight when Craig Hodes had returned for the Three-Point Contest when the Bulls had already cut him so like I get defending your title and all

That I was a big Craig I was a big Craig Hodes guy so don’t don’t don’t don’t uh I will not throw bricks at glass houses or whatever might be so uh that’s our brief little I guess Allstar related discussion I guess as we get just a

Little bit closer here we’ll have more time to discuss that and certainly react to jaylen’s Performance when that comes along later this month but the reason I didn’t begin guys with the trade deadline is in large part because it wasn’t overly eventful for the Celtics yes a lot of you know players changed

Homes across the league most of the bigger names that had already happened like there was no one of let’s say Pascal siakam’s level that moved on Deadline day you know a couple of the biggest names like Gordon Hayward but he’s injured and he’s always injured he

Goes to OKC I think if he gets right can stay on the floor he could be a good fit there you know buddy hee is is an interesting one but these are kind of the biggest names you know it was a lot of backend middle of the rotation kind

Of guys and the Celtics no exception the big difference is a lot of those teams need more star power the Celtics obviously were looking for those types of guys so they bring in a couple days ago Xavier Tilman they follow that up with the guy I mentioned before Jaden

Springer and effectively they’re coming in to hopefully just be better versions of Lamar Stevens and Delano Banton and I like it I mean I don’t see how you could argue against the moves the Celtics didn’t give up anything of con quence you know no players went out the door

Who are actually you know nightly participants for this team no first round picks or anything like that just some second rounders that’s why you’ve got them and so now it’s it’s depth and it’s judging how these guys are are going to fit in ultimately and EV I

Think what you brought up before in terms of you know we we were talking about uh I I can’t remember at this point in time this was right before we started since the show began but we were talking about Brad Stevens and how he is

As an executive and fit and I think if there’s one thing Chris and and you’ve been around this team for you know a long time for various outlets at this point in time you have covered multiple regimes obviously but I I think if there is one kind of clear distinction between

Brad Stevens the president of basketball operations versus Danny a in that role who was excellent by the way this is not Danny slander this is just talking about a difference I think Danny was always a little more fixated on the name and you know the the

Splash the the Full Throttle of it all to uh to reference Tom Warner whereas Brad is really just kind of trying to put a puzzle together and he’s looking for the best fit to complement the rest of the team and these two guys who you know Tillman’s got more of an offensive

Upside than Springer certainly but they’re both just really strong Defenders and this team looking to lean into its defense here recognizing how important that is for a stretch run certainly for the playoffs I I’m just I’m I’m impressed I’m impressed by the job that Brad has done continues to do the way he

Telegraphs his moves and yet simultaneously works in the shadows is fascinating to me and uh I I like what he did I think it was an effective trade deadline and they still have the open roster spot for when the buyout Market comes along yeah and so we’ll see like I

I I think you can definitively say that the Tillman and Jaden Springer highlight reels are more impressive than the Delano Banton and Lamar Stevens won now like Lamar Stevens is a weird case like I I know you don’t want to talk too much about the guy’s going out but I thought

For sure he’d get more of a run here and it just never happened um he was a starter for much of the year for a very good Cleveland team last year and brought like that defensive grit his offensive limitations kept him off the court so when you start looking at

Tillman and Springer I think you’d say well they’ve got some offensive limitations too will they necessarily be able to sort of carve out roles can you have non-shooters on the floor if you’re going to play in Joe missoula’s offense and yet undeniably you watch all the Highlight blocks and you watch Tillman

Defend against Anthony Davis last year in the playoffs you watch Springer defend against Steph Cur and Luca dones this past week and there’s at least potential there and one thing me uh I remember even from I think it was two years ago when when they got Derek white

Uh Brad stressing afterward was as the Celtic start building this monster payroll they have yearned to have sort of this influx of young talent and let’s face it like you’ve had to sacrifice a lot of first round picks in order to do that well you just added you know at

Least in Springer’s case a former first round pick who you’re hoping will develop he’s still only 21 there’s still a lot of time to tap into what he’s got now it’s on the Celtics to develop that and supplement their expensive core so you know we’ll see I think it it does

Add a little bit of intrigue to the final 31 games here uh if Tillman gets out there once he’s fully healthy and can give you a little something uh especially on nights that Al rest or Kristof porzingis rest could be fun but I don’t know you know like I I don’t

Think you should Factor them in heavily to what might happen this season uh but I each one will be here potentially long I don’t think you make the trade for tman if you’re not pretty convinced that you can use his bird rights to retain him and Springer has another year but

After that you’ll be able to think about retaining him as well so just it’s on it’s on the development staff here to to get them to a place where they’re they’re more definitive role players than necessarily maybe on the surface of a team that is is g to really lean on

Their top eight right now yeah and you look at like okay why couldn’t Lamar Stevens you know touch the floor well you have Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown also playing this position Sam Hower provides something different he’s an excellent three-point shooter ball mover and defensively he holds up

More than he does it I I I love watching Sam move his feet he does a great job body positioning he he’s better than people think he is Lamar Stevens unless you’re shooting the basketball really well is fighting with O’Shea brassette and what we’ve seen with OA brassette

Over the past couple weeks is bring him into the game and he changes the energy to the game you know sometimes you need a guy like that and brassette is an automatic energy flipper regardless of whether he’s shooting well defending well he’s always rebounding the basketball well on both well he’s giving

The effort you know whe if he might not get them all but he’s going to jump after it against four guys that are wearing the other team’s Jersey he’s going to get in there and I and and that’s valuable um making the most of his time right you know it’s not like

Lamar Stevens didn’t get a little bit of a shot he did the leash was short as it is with a lot of those guys and brassette popped a little more than Lamar did and that’s why they’re out the door right uh you bring in Tillman Tillman is obviously big insurance for

Al and Chris DS and even cornette who’s been a little banged up to this year but also a little bit different than cornette um you know in terms of big insurance right he’s going to be someone that you can throw out there against the bigger guys the giannis’s you know if

They get to play uh joic or some other big name them he’s gonna be a at least make it difficult for them the Springer one is a little bit more interesting just because the fact that again his age the fact that he’s been in a Pro system

For two years and yet would still be one of the youngest guys drafted in this upcoming draft class which I think is extremely valuable something I didn’t think about and listening to Brad talk about it’s clearly they thought about hey you know he’s essentially the same

Age as the guys getting drafted come up this year but he’s been at least you know a professional for two years that’s valuable we should look into that tap into that um but again the defensive upside is is pretty clear here and he provides you something different than

Pton Pritchard I think the the elephant in the room so to speak over the past couple weeks is against some of these better teams you look at that Clippers game as a great example Denver another one you know towards the end of that Denver game pritchard’s out there Al’s

Not and it’s like ah they’re getting killed they got to make this swap eventually and then Joe of course calls in Al for Pritchard and things a little bit easier they need a guy that can come off the bench and defend guards you know you can’t just have Drew and and Derek

Go out there and do it all for 48 minutes you’re gonna need somebody else and it’s it’s valuable to have that in the back pocket right they’re not gonna they get to the playoffs six seven guys are playing like I don’t know if I don’t

Know if Hower is going to get off the bench when they really need it I don’t know I would prefer he did but you know there’s sick there we’ll see with Pritchard and we’ll see with Springer like I don’t know but it’s at least a little bit of insurance there but he

Provides something different than Pritchard does pritchard’s a great offensive player he’s been spectacular this year I love the way he he’s just confident with a shot he’s moving the basketball he’s driv getting into the paint but he can’t defend that well because he’s short and it’s not because

He’s not trying he’s trying his ass off but he’s just not tall enough spinger gives you a little more you know a little more length a little more height a little more girth he’s excellent so it’s it’s just going to be why not why not try it they don’t have a guy like

That uh and it costs them nothing that’s the CRA that’s the crazy it costs them nothing really and when you’re working on the margins like like the Celtics are you there’s not like oh I could make an eight for one trade with the way the

CBA is set up like you just can’t the CICS are very handicapped by the salary cap in the second apron that they’re in so they can only do so much I I Brad is nothing but nothing but impressive his his shorts in his GM he’s been spectacular we’ll get right back to

Forsberg Quick break though because uh listen Super Bowl’s coming I know you can bet on basketball and and we’ll have plenty of basketball betting conversation in the weeks and months to come but right now it’s all about betting football so EV let’s shout out FanDuel we only really get one more

Shout out at Kaufman so make a count everybody this is our Super Bowl as betters yes it’s right it’s everybody’s it’s not just Super Bowl it’s Super Bowl gambling too happy Super Bowl to all who celebrate from FanDuel America’s number one Sportsbook if you’re like me if

You’re like Kaufman Super Bowl Sunday is all about scoring the best seat on the couch grabbing your favorite football snacks and placing some super bets and FanDuel has so many ways for you to end the season with a W or two or three depending on how many you want to lay

Down but not only can you bet who will win Super Bowl 58 but Fu also is bets for which players will score a touchdown combined yards rushing receiving how many points will be scored the everything the color of the Gatorade how many times Taylor SW I mean everything

So much more but caufman we’re going to keep it simple on the one just before the Super Bowl and we’re going to keep it easy I think personally best value bet on the market right now is actually a parlay oh there’s value in a parlay I’m listening okay I thought about this all

Week thought about two weeks okay I think K is gonna win this game flat out I I don’t like it but go ahead I understand I just don’t like it um you you just it’s just a rare opportunity in life where you’re going to get the

Chance to bet on Pat Mahomes as an underdog in any game at all whatsoever never mind it being the actual Super Bowl all right right now on FanDuel I’m looking at it Chiefs are plus two and a half to win plus two and a half you know is the

Spread plus 110 money line if you’re like me and you have just belief Chiefs are going to win this game so I think about how the Chiefs are going to win this game Chiefs are going to win this game if this game is very low scoring

174 1710 you look at that Ravens game two weeks ago that’s the formula long drives defense don’t turn it over score when you can but limit the opposition very similar to Tom Brady’s first three Super Bowls right Chiefs to Wi on the money line parlayed with the under a 47

And a half caufman plus 264 how do we feel I mean I don’t feel good about it only because I don’t believe that the Chiefs are going to win I’m I’m back in the ners but if I were to back Kansas City then yeah it makes sense I I I feel

It I’m I’m with you I I don’t think if they here’s my point if they win the game it’s not going to be a high scoring game just all right if the if the chief the Niners can win a multitude of ways I think in this game but I think if the

Chiefs are going to win they’re not going to score 40 points just not going to happen I don’t think they’ll score more than 25 so what I’m hedging is the Chiefs winning this game and not a lot of people scoring a lot of points and that’s why the under is very appealing

To me plus juice tends to be on the over anyway like people tend to want that CU it’s much more fun to see all the points that’s why I like the under but with that in mind the plus 264 that I’m looking at I think is just fantastic I

Know you’re on the other side which makes me feel even better about my picks considering how your luck has gone this year um so with that being said again that’s my let’s keep it short and simple bet for the Super Bowl new customers join today you get 200 bucks in bonus

Bets if you make your first bet of $5 or more and that wins okay so if you’re listening to this right before the Celtics game somehow uh benel to beat this Wizards okay in just a couple of minutes and then take those $200 of bonus bits you got because the season

One put them on the Super Bowl okay just visit fanduel.com to sign up that’s fanduel.com Boston make every moment more with FanDuel the official Sportsbook partner of the NFL so ultimately forsberg would you characterize this as a successful trade deadline for for Boston all of that in

Mind that we’ve all been talking about so I think the the only thing that that um I thought more and more about as we got closer to the deadline was just you never promised to be in this spot and it’s very rare that you get through 60%

Of a season you say yeah you’re probably definitively the best team in basketball you know there’s not that that that you can’t say that Denver and the Clippers and there’s a couple other like title threats out there but it’s clear like the Celtics are just kind of on that top

Tier and and sure they’ve had moments like that Laker game was terrible and you know they’ve had some more so lately than obviously at the start of the Year where it’s been they’re not quite the Juggernaut they were and yet you sometimes just feel like that’s just how

It goes in January when you’re kind of navigating the schedule and so what the one thing I came away with is always there have been years where the title favorite makes a move adds one more piece and you’re like man like they got that guy too like how are we gonna beat

This team and so even though the healics were a little bit hamstrung by their the the the assets they had available and certainly you know like as EV said you can’t just Cobble together a six for one trade but they could have got creative in instances and um I wondered if there was

Another move out there we could just add it you know if you’re someone on the fence about whether Pritchard and H were going to be definitive playoff guys that you can lean on could you have gotten someone else and I’m not disappointed that they didn’t I just think you have

To do that due diligence and um you know we’ll never know for sure because they’re not going to come out and be like oh yeah we definitely weren’t confident in Sam and Payton uh I think they are confident in them and I think they’re hopeful that they hold up well

But I also think you know you got to look around and the one thing that takes some sting out of the fact that they didn’t do anything was that no one else did and so that also suggests that there just wasn’t moves out there like Lord

Knows what the Bulls are doing uh I don’t know what like golden state is doing there’s like seven teams in the league that I’m just like what in the hell are you doing and the teams that did make trades didn’t always make great ones like hey Dallas what are you doing

So um at least the Celtics feel a little bit better about their depth and no one else made you feel like o they got they got that much better so yeah I’m I I think it’s a win and I think it’ll be harder to judge you got you know can we

Can we revisit in two three years when when Springer 24 and and we have a better idea if he evolved into anything if Tillman was able to play a rotation role this season or next like we’ll know better then but uh I really love the idea of throwing Tilman into an

Ecosystem that already has Al Horford I love the idea of Springer you know coming to play with Drew alongside and Derek and like two really good defending guards like I feel like there’s a real chance for them to to learn on the job and then maybe emerge as something I was

Surprised you know you’re talking about Dallas to uh see there there was an ESPN report was it Tim McMahon uh McMahon was was talking about the Grant Williams deal and said that they couldn’t wait to get rid of him that apparently Grant was rubbing some people the wrong way in in

The organization and look I you know Grant on a more of a personal at least professional level I’ve probably had one conversation with him ever so I wouldn’t sit here to claim to know him he seems so beloved with the Celtics and you know I’ve heard people like our guy John

Xanis here refer to Grant as you know yeah we know Grant’s an acquired taste that sort of thing but he always kind of was describ or or or came off as the like the annoying younger brother who doesn’t shut up kind of yeah I was say do you

Have siblings Kaufman yeah no you ever want to take a pillow and just smother them for a little bit like right but there’s a but there’s a big difference between that and and like rubbing people the wrong way yeah but I think TR this guy I just think that’s that’s how it is

In the league it’s just you know like Kyrie gets sick of everybody and you know I think if you’re Luca you’re you probably have high expectations this was your big splash this offseason and Grant started really good and then just couldn’t make a shot and so I think I

Think that’s what frustrates you is that that combination of he’s not playing to the level that the contract you gave him and he’s allow personality so it’s like man how about this guy does something before he he’s yapping like this and so yeah like I think when you know it and

When you’ve proven it like here in Boston probably easier to to to deal with the Grant Williams experience um I think we all knew that he was going into a pretty hostile situation and or volatile at the very best and um I didn’t think he’d be the first one to

Get booted out of it um but you know I don’t I don’t profess to know exactly what Dallas is doing because they’ve now paid a lot of assets and money to uh I don’t know if they improved like I like PJ Washington and there was we always

Had a lot of Grant PJ Washington talk on our Network and but at least I know Grant can do it in a playoff series and so PJ Washington hasn’t played a whole lot of big games in his career and I’d be interested to see how it plays out I

Like Gafford I think that’s really good for them um but I don’t know they did they move the needle at all you know like not not in the west right you know they’re still what seven seed eight seed in the west so yeah I don’t know like again that

That as I look around the league and I say like well how many teams improved at the deadline say maybe the Knicks I was gonna say Knicks are Knicks probably at the best day you know bringing in if you want to include free draft de the deadline deals

Then I would throw the the heat in there I would probably throw Indiana in there and yet like nothing that made you think that the teams in what I would call tier two in the East are any closer than they were like they’re you know you’re looking in your rearview mirror and

Maybe you see the Knicks a little closer but you know they gritty but they don’t have the star power so yeah I think that just tempers everything with the deadline in terms of um there just wasn’t out a lot out there to do and if you were going to Tinker on

The fringes I feel like the Celtics did about as as good as they could have done and like the jury will be out for a little bit on it so to that point I’m I’m curious how you feel about this it’s it’s more of a big picture conversation

But this a more of a big picture show coming at you you know once twice a week I before we started taping here I was I was watching Pat McAfee and they had sham chirania on which just the media politics of that always sort of makes me

Chuckle a little bit but putting that aside uh Shams was on and and they were talking about the trade deadline they were talking about the Celtics and you know a lot of the stuff that we’re saying this is you know this is the team and a lot of people going back to the

Regular season want to have that title or bus conversation and how do you determine whether or not the Year’s been a success and all of that and uh certainly there’s a school of It’s a lazy narrative it’s stupid it requires Nuance in that conversation which point

You know like if if Jason Tatum heaven forbid suffers a season ending injury next week then yeah it’s it’s hard to classify this year as title or bust so you’re projecting Health obviously whenever you’re having that conversation but where Shams was going with this which I just hadn’t really heard people

Leap to this yet you know they’ve they’ve already paid a a boatload to Brown they’re going to Tatum they gave porzingis the extension holidays up for one you’d think they’d like to pay him obviously you know you’re talking about bird rights for Tillman that Derek white

Wants a contract you’d like to pay him they paid Pritchard all these guys like they you expect ownership to spend and keep this core together and try and Chase titles and Shams was basically saying if they don’t win this year they’re going to have to have some really difficult conversations they’re

Going to have to you know there are some real decisions that are going to have to be made if this year somehow doesn’t result in Banner 18 and that wasn’t even you know you could go to the the tit the title round and lose it whatever you

Don’t win they have decisions to make to what degree do you agree with that well so I would flip it and say if they win they have tough decisions to make like they get a easier right like you have this banner and all of a sudden the

Decision the pay Drew holiday long term is probably a little bit easier to make but like you’re still going to have tough decisions about how to how this roster goes forward I think when they added porzingis we all said it’s like eventually they’re gonna have to pick

What’s the new core you know and if you’re lucky and the salaries all kind of line up maybe you’re lucky to bring this forward for a couple more seasons um but yeah like so I think if they don’t win there’s a hard conversation about like why isn’t this working like

Why why hasn’t this core gotten to the finish line and maybe there’ll be something extenda that just says you know Kristof had been a little bit healthier if if Drew had done this whatever the case may be and maybe just run it back with what you’ve got because

Even though it gets slightly more prohibitive next year as jaylen’s deal kicks in um there’ll be some easing right like you know some some some of the variables change and so um yeah I they’ve just got T I just think in general they have tough decisions and um I’ll be

Fascinated to see how it plays out like Drews I think April 1 is the day six months you know so before the playoffs you might have to decide you know you you’d probably love to tell them hey you know don’t let’s not make this a distraction let’s just

Get through the playoffs I don’t know if you’ll have that luxury but the fact that he has a $37 million option or whatever it is is is you know he he’s got a pretty good safety net if if he doesn’t get a new extension um but certainly as you’re trying to figure out

How you’re gonna cram Derek in there and what jaylen’s contract set to explode you just gota just kind kind of gotta start looking ahead to that and um credit to ownership because I remember sitting here and thinking man they they got Jaylen and Jason now it’s gonna be

Almost impossible to add they’re gon have to kind of keep this core and they were like no let’s add christop let’s add Drew so they’ve been willing to pay and it’s going to get really difficult next year when when roster construction gets so tough you know not being able to

Send out money no aggregation in trades like it just gets really restrictive so that’s why you’re making moves now because you you need some parts around this core and you got to figure it out with this core but I I don’t think it’s like oh my gosh if they don’t win all of

A sudden now it’s just like exponentially more difficult now the these conversations are coming one way or another yeah and that’s and that’s the beauty that we’ve been having like this conversation about ownership for I don’t know years coffin to this point like I’ll believe Wick when when the time

Happens and you they have to make tough decisions he’s always said he’ll pay for a contender and this is it like this is this is the time um I am curious to see how it all shakes out the one thing I’ll say though this is the piggyback off a

Quote that you got earlier forsberg about just like the way this team Vibes and gels and the chemistry with this team it’s OB obvious this team loves playing with each other it’s like this is a real this this is a group of guys that loves R up to work every day loves

Going to battle with each other every single day you know and and and all the minutia that comes with being on a team you know sometimes that 82 game schedule can be a grind especially when you have guys that are awesome in your CL in your in your Clubhouse or your locker room

Whatever you want to call it right you know Grant Williams might wear some guys out okay Marcus Smart might wear some guys out now we love both those guys here in Boston because they bring other things to the table and we can look past some certain things but this team really

I mean just feels like their best buds all the time The Vibes in the bench are as we all say Immaculate right they’re you know the cookies and cream thing took one second for them to like come up with it’s it’s you know there’s camaraderie real camaraderie on this

Team and so as you look towards the future of what this might look like as long as I think having Jaylen Jason Christ apps in one of the white Drew pieces I think it’s going to be white over Drew because of the age and all that other you know and that stuff I

Think they’re going to be all right it just seems like guys that are easy to play with and when it comes from the top because it’s coming from the top it’s coming from Jason it’s coming from jayen it’s coming from it’s easier for everybody else to fall in line there’s

Structure now right getting rid of certain guys throughout the years Chris I think has made this easier for everyone now to kind of fall in line behind the two J and when everybody’s falling in line it’s like it’s beautiful this is amazing you know I think it

Comes down to Jason and Jaylen just I think theyve hit the point of their career like everyone has the same trajectory right like you come into the league oh I want to be an Allstar and then you want you want all NBA you want to be superstar you want to be in that

Mvp conversation all that stuff like they’ve hit a lot of the individual accolades and now it’s clear like all they want to do is win they came in early got into training camp set the tone of hey we just want to work we’re going to figure this out they know all

The scrutiny that they face goes away as soon as they win and now they’re going to have to deal with it they deal with it every time like when they don’t get you know hit the winning shot or make the right play at the end then we all

Say like hey why can’t they can’t they get there um but I think they’ve set the tone of like it’s all that matters is winning and the fact that they’ both sacrificed scoring wise the fact that they’ve just embraced the new pieces and and been okay with like the roles that

Those guys play has just made it easy for everybody to fall into line and I think that’s why Brad loves this group is that from Al on the first day being like yo I’ll go play on the bench and just kind of everything slotted in the

Place you had no no one’s rocking the boat it’s very rare you have a team that where it feels legitimately like everybody is pulling in the same direction and this one feels like it and that’s why when I you know sat down with Brad today I understood like you know a

Lot of people said to me oh they I I didn’t think they were trading any of the top six but I did think you could add a piece you know that’s going back to the big move idea people like oh I could disrupt the chemistry

And I get it right like you bring in someone who is more focused on themselves than the the team yeah that could have gone gone wrong so it was clear Brad put a premium on like Tillman comes in he’s saying all the right things I’m sure Jaden Springer when we

Talk to him will say the same things and as long as that’s the case that’s fine it’s funny to me though because like s Muk uh one of the quietest guys we’ve ever had on media day doesn’t say a lot you know didn’t joke around just kind of

Dry and every time I look over like Jason Tatum’s hanging out with him on the bench and I think Jaylen and and uh porzingis took him to Miami with O’Shea during one of the off days I’m like man even the quiet dude on the team they

Just love like they’re like fe’s our guy and they’re just taking him everywhere so I don’t know like yeah the uh the whole Vibes thing is legit over there that everyone understands what’s at play here and I think a lot of those end of the bench guys think the same thing too

Like yeah it sucks not to play but you’re on a championship level team would you rather be in Detroit would you rather be going out to Portland with with with Delano Banton shout out Rob I miss you uh the fact that they gave out number 44 is a little bit hurtful um but

I’ll get through this and uh yeah like I I just think it it does matter all that stuff matters and uh you know I somehow we got way away from your question about you know future decisions but um the fact of the matter is they’re a championship level team now and you

Figure all that stuff out as you go but I feel a lot better about it than I did in like 2019 when Al was like I’m sick of this I’m out of here and you know things things came unglued pretty quickly well and there’s an element of

Life comes at you fast right what was it 2017 2018 when Jaylen you know high top Jaylen at the time did that interview with Taylor Rooks and said they were going to win like five out of the next six titles or something like he might have been bragging a little bit a little

Bit in that that segment yeah maybe it was a little bit of trying to impress her I was gonna say I can get why could understand why I get it no look in in in his shoes understood but uh you know they the fact is they haven’t won yet

And so you know yes there have been individual accolades there have been some team achievements there have certainly been some big payday but they don’t have the banner and as Tatum has said a number of times Brown is alluded to it as well smart when he was here certainly knew it you

Know to to be considered I know we had this conversation with wasburn when he was on with us last week we were talking all about guys who could or should have their numbers and you know up in the rafters but but to be considered a Celtics all-time great you need the ring

Man like you you need the banner and uh obviously you know that in and of itself doesn’t Define that uh that level of prestige but it goes like you have to at least tick that box to be in the conversation right yeah like I mean I

Don’t even know how it’s it’s it’s a non-starter if you don’t have a ring I don’t you know I don’t even know like what the I lovek I love markets as much as anybody I just can’t like I just I was kind of wild like to to the by the

Suggestion I like I get it he meant a lot to Boston to everybody we can love marus smart it’s a lot of jerseys up there I don’t know if uh if if Marcus Smart the majority of them have rings attached to him that’s your problem and

I jokingly and I I don’t because I don’t I don’t want this to come off as a as a slight on Smart because but um because again I’m as high of a marus smart fan as as you could get during his time here and I love the moment and being able to

Celebrate that but are we putting Luke cornette up there he’s been to like three Eastern Conference Finals he was in the finals right you know was he was he not important you also CH the game with the cornette contest so exactly so you know and uh I but yeah I just think

We have to have some baselines for guys that go up there and so when smart comes back as part of the five or six titles the selters are GNA win as Jaylen Brown said right um then then we can get into whether he deserves a spot up there but

Um look I think I Jason Jaylen I think they’re going up there but they got some work to do so you know let’s uh we we we’ll judge at the end of end of all this when you know when Brad’s up there when Joe’s up there when Danny a is up

There like we got some work that’s the thing like that stuff isn’t automatic like if if you know obviously like es especially because of the contracts they you know either have or will sign like we project Jaylen Brown Jason Tatum we’d love to see them here for for 15 years

And yeah you’re going to get a lot of numbers along the way but if Jason Tatum were just you know done as a Celtic today he hasn’t done enough to be up there someone had a uh I I brought this up on our postgame show after the what

Game was it it must have been the Grizzlies game there’s a guy behind the bench he had had a sign it said zero greater than 33 and then he flipped it over and it said like eventually and all right like like where your head’s at get what you’re saying

May don’t bring Larry Bird into this qu yet like I’m not ready to go there yeah like well-intentioned definitely an eye-catching sign probably could have just been like really like you Jason Tatum God we are just prisoners of the moment uh all right so we’ve got you a

Couple more minutes uh because I know you get stuff to do but what um you know I think there’s going to be a lot of discussion in the weeks to come regarding that open roster spot oh man do people love open roster spots I mean we we hear I don’t know why I

Bothered asking about Tillman or anybody today I should have just been all like all buyout guy all the time even though I don’t know who who do you think you’ll be targeting on that buyout Market you know and the best way to is you know I

Don’t need to tell you this but the best way to ask Brad those those questions to where he might actually answer them is not obviously what guy do you want it’s you know Brad’s a big type Guy Brad so what type of guy would you like to see

Fill out that that last roster spot in the buyout Market should said individual become available and then he might give you a little something Brad has I think I said is there still a position of need that you might be kind of like eyeing just trying to get a hint on what they

Might do and I’m pretty sure he was just like yeah we’re not gonna be in a rush we’re just gonna because I think they do want to look at it so okay tman comes in if tman comes in he’s great depth and now you’ve got Tillman and Luke and

Kayada like do you really need another big man probably not so that probably takes a a good amount of the people you might be targeting off the board if Springer comes in and is ready and you and and can give you at least a little bit maybe you don’t need another big

Guard like if if if tman can be versatile do you need so I think they want to get a look at it you can always Elevate kayada and just take him into the playoffs with you um so that you don’t run into the the two-way restrictions um and you also reward a

Player and so like I think it would also be good because then you can say to any future two-way signing like look Sam Hower nimish kada both were two-way guys we brought them up because they did enough in the early days that we were like we need them on our roster and so

Now you’re giving motivation to those guys to come join you in Maine and I don’t think that’s the worst path because I don’t know if necessarily there’s someone out there now the names that are invariably going to come up and maybe we’ll all be bought out and signed

Before this you know you even get this edited and put online but um I I will say I’ll start with Danilo galinari I thought it was hilarious someone had a tweet last night I forget it was Shams or W or whoever but like they were like uh Danilo ginari is getting bought out

And he will start his free agent visits I was like who is welcoming Danilo Gallinari at age like 38 and being like let us tell you why you would be a perfect fit for this program um I don’t know if that’s the perfect fit for the

Celtics either it would uh it’d be nice to see him go full Cody rhods and finish the story but I do not know if uh if that is going to be something that the Celtics are interested in um the guy I would probably want in among the names

Is utto Porter Jr I thought that was someone they should have like been kind of eyeing out of Toronto at the trade deadline he obviously goes to Utah if Danny a does does you a favor and set put sets him free um guy with championship experience still younger

Than you think versatile forward can play multiple positions like I think that’s what you’re looking for someone that in an emergency can get you some minutes um after that I don’t know like this Dad Young end up bought out people say SEI Osman I don’t know if like se’s

Going to get set free like he might just want his bird rights and they’re rided out in San Antonio so um your problem though with all these guys like other teams are to offer them more playing time that’s your problem with the Celtic why ultimately I think it’s probably gonna be kayada just

Because you look at all the guys you mentioned was Gallow or whether was Otto or what like none of those guys are going to really play like is otor going to get more playing time than Sam who’s been here for two years like I just don’t think so like I just don’t think

He adds anything like is he a better movement shooter than Hower not from what I’ve been watching like how’s been unreal this year and and think about what that does to the team morale we keep coming back to this team morale thinking how the chemistry is really

Great I think an underrated part of what you just said is you can show this to Future two-way guys like hey play your ass off like it got Sam Hower a roster spot and eventually a rotation spot it got kayada a roster spot we looked to

Him and then you know see what happens at the end of this thing I would much rather have that because like again I don’t think if let’s say the Nicks I don’t know what the Knicks roster situation is so I’m not going to sit here and say like I know everything

However the Knicks are a team if I were like Otto Porter Jr and they had an open roster spot I be like oh I can go make a real big impact on that team which could get me another contract after this you’re not getting us another the the

Idea you maybe with Gallow would make sense because he’s so much he’s older and it’s like just get a rank buddy let’s you want to get out of here and off of the sunset you go do Spaghetti Westerns back in Italy and and have a great time you know like that’s maybe

That’s maybe the Saving Grace there but I I just don’t see the problem the scks have is the rotation pretty set and now they added two guys mainly one in tman who could really carve his way into that rotation Springer’s gonna be a eh you know whatever so now it’s even harder

Because there’s one more body in there that’s gonna be fighting for pling time like I like I just don’t I just don’t see it I just don’t see it and I it’s just a testament to how well Brad and and Mike and and Austin have done in

Building this team this team is pretty sound from player one to player 14 I think do you do you have a championship Chaser that that that that you want um I have to I have to wait for them all to get bought out I because it’s tough

In the moment I’ll tell you like we were trying to do it last night on the is I I well the the only one that I I mentioned to wasburn last week is I I wonder if they’ll attempt to go full PJ brown with Blake Griffin yeah I I thought that for

Much of the year and every time every time I I was told to not hold my breath so yeah I think he is I think his his back would not allow him to play basketball much of last year’s playoffs and I just think now you’re out for a

Year I I do think that’s like the ideal prototype of what you needed to fill those kind of roles selfless guy who’s been through it guy who actually was a positive when he was out there could defend Blake all that there’s there’s not a lot of them out there what is shmy

Ojay up to can he still give us like seven minutes of defense is he still lifting weights and ibody at least a little bit of a somebody on jannis just for a few minutes a game by the way and we do have to go we

We did not get an opportunity to uh talk about the disaster in Milwaukee since since doc took over and that doesn’t mean they’re not going to figure it out obviously Doc is himself trying to figure it out but my God they’ve got problems there and I I am gleefully

Hoping for the second round playoff exit I’m sure it won’t happen they’ll still be in the Conference Finals but man I would just love to watch this team come up short it was uh I had to do a like a a top five East Rivals that I’m most

Scared of coming out of the deadline and I wrestled with it I wanted to put New York number one but it felt like it was recency biased and because they had the most sexy deadline in adding Burks and bogdanovich but I put the Bucks there

Because I know it’s a mess right now and we’re laughing at it like do it now because they still got Giannis and Lillard still is crazy and I don’t think Pat Beverly is gonna move the needle that much but man Beggars can’t be choosers so they’re they’re GNA get a

Little bit better defensively and Doc is gonna have some time and I like I feel like he’s got to have some sort of tangible impact on that I know he he can’t go out there himself and play defense but while I’m still Leary of of the Buck’s complete ability to navigate this

Because of their po poor defense uh I can’t write off Giannis and Dame and so I will continue to be weirdly frightened by them um and I will be like the Knicks I look at them and say don’t have the the star power to necessarily make me

Scared either and we’ll see what happens with the Sixers buddy hee fully targetable when he’s on the court whatever he gives you scoring wise it’s it’s not going to change the change it there so I still feel really good about where the Celtics are in the East um and

Yeah I guess I’ll be F bucks are fascinating super fascinating to me Adrian and Griffin must be loving them going one in five with with Doc and like see was not me they’re the problem the players are the problem listen there’s until further notice and it might be years there is no

Team that I’m going to fear more in the East than the Miami Heat it’s just the one it’s you PTSD for Miami year in year out until at least until this team you know gets over the hump and and wins its first title since we get that on Sunday

Baby let’s see Super Bowl appetizer oh geeez uh yeah you know what we’re uh let’s let’s go with that uh what’s what’s your well we we’ve done ours what’s your official Super Bowl pick oh so well I mean I have to go to KC Amina Amina Smith our our uh Studio host her

Husband plays for the Chiefs and so um yeah uh whatever what gets it’s it’s funny I even told her I said um you know it’s it’s hard because people here in in Boston are somewhat conflicted about the Chiefs right because like Mahomes is getting a lot of oh he’s on Brady’s

Level and we all know that’s not true but it’s still it’s an annoying narrative uh so it’s not that I root against them it’s just that I don’t like that the conversation gets a little bit pricker to to have but yeah go ahead Chiefs go go get one I I root against

Them but I also don’t work with am Mina so can Chris forsberg from NBC Sports Boston we always love having you my friend uh you know go uh do do your TV stuff I promise we will be watching we just like to Raz you a little bit but

We’ll have you back on again real soon I appreciate you all all right for Chris for Evan I am Adam enjoy the Celtics these couple of days we’ll be back at you again next week after the football season has officially come to an end it’s all about basketball at that point

In time we’ll see you Str

Chris Forsberg is a Celtics sideline reporter and in-studio host for NBC Sports Boston. Chris joins the show to discuss Jaylen Brown’s upcoming dunk contest appearance, the arrivals of Xavier TIllman and Jaden Springer, and Brad Stevens’ team-building strategy. Twitter: @ChrisForsberg_

0:00 Jaylen entering the dunk contest is good for basketball

13:25 Tillman, Springer fit the bigger part of Celtics puzzle

25:31 Should C’s have made a bigger move?

36:21 Jaylen and Jayson have given the Celtics structure

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