What went WRONG (and right) in Celtics’ loss to Nets | You Got Boston w/ Noa Dalzell

What went WRONG (and right) in Celtics’ loss to Nets | You Got Boston w/ Noa Dalzell

What’s up everyone? This is Noah Dzelle and I’m here at TD Garden after the Celtics lose 113 105 for the Brooklyn Nets. We’re going to be breaking it all down and talking about yes, there were a few positive takeaways from this one. All that coming in just a moment. Brown with the flush the drive. Tatum the 18 is mission accomplished. Well, the Celtics were an above 500 team, but it only lasted a couple of days. And here we are. They’re back to 8 and8 500 once again. And there was a lot to hate about this game. I’ll I’ll start right there. First of all, if you watched Jaylen Brown’s press conference, which I do encourage you check out because I thought that it was a pretty unique one for his kind of vibe this season. He was frustrated with the effort. He was frustrated with the intensity. He was frustrated with guys not kind of bringing their best foot forward tonight. And that’s only happened I would I think just once this season. I think the Utah Jazz loss was the only other game so far where it felt like effort and intensity just weren’t there. And some some teams can afford to come out and be flat for a quarter or two. In fact, probably eight or nine teams in this league can. The Celtics certainly in my last couple years covering them have been one of those teams. But this Celtics team, their identity is being the harder playing team, being the team that wants it more, being the team that’s more ferocious on the glass. And they were not any of those things tonight. And in that case, even if they are playing an inferior opponent like the Brooklyn Nets who have only won two games entering this game, they’re going to lose a lot of the time. And I think you saw that come to a head in this one. And you’re going to continue to see that where if they come into a game and they’re not the aggressor, they’re not the team that is playing the more intense defense, they’re going to lose. And that’s the difference between the elite teams in the league and the teams that are middle of the pack. And the Celtics team is middle of the pack. But overall, I’ve been really impressed by their effort and their intensity and their commitment to doing the things that Joe Missoula has been preaching and the things that they are all kind of bought into and that’s playing this like scrappy aggressive defense that’s taking care of the ball. That’s crashing the offensive glass as much as they possibly can. And Freddy Simon said it after the game, but they beat them to 50/50 balls. And so, while this podcast is going to focus on a couple of positive things that I do think they can draw from this one, overall I think this was one of those dud losses, probably a bottom two loss for them so far this season because ultimately as soon as you’re talking about effort and 50/50 balls and intensity and like we just didn’t bring it, that’s a bad loss. And for a team that has already such a thin margin of error, that’s a really bad loss because you just can’t afford to have those. And there’s when you go back right now, they’re eight and eight. There’s a couple of losses that come down to lategame execution. Literally two of the losses are, you know, missed box outs. One Nish Kada against the Jazz and then one Jaylen Brown against the Philadelphia 76ers. So, two of those losses can be attributed to like one or two moments of poor execution. And then there’s a couple of these games where it’s just like, okay, their effort and intensity wasn’t there. And I think those are the ones that are I don’t want to say inexcusable because it happens and this is just the life of an NBA player. You’re not going to bring it every single night. But this team cannot afford to have many of those games. there has to be like this has to be a complete aberration and it has kind of felt that way. So, all that being said, tough loss. They’re going to have a chance to bounce back here on Sunday, you know, and then it gets tough. It’s a difficult stretch here. They played some poor opponents as far as just regular season records and and where they’re out in the standings and things are about to get a lot more difficult. So, they’re 500 right now. If they can do 500 in a couple of weeks, it’ll actually be an accomplishment because of the level of talent and competition that they’re about to face on a regular basis. The biggest thing that I took away from this one as far as a positive goes is I think you saw the way that Anthony Simons can impact this team at his best. And I’ve been a big proponent so far this season that Anthony Simons has been playing the appropriate amount of minutes. I didn’t think that he deserved to be a starter. I didn’t think that he was being overly, you know, Joe was being overly hard on him because objectively when I’ve gone back and rewatched these games, the defense just has not been good. And especially on a team that is really going to hang its hat on the defensive end. Like it just doesn’t make sense to say, “Okay, we’re going to play this guy over Derek, over Peyton, who I think has been better than him defensively, but not, you know, ridiculously good.” Um, but the margin has just been like, “Okay, he’s just not playing well enough to warrant being out there.” Tonight, I thought was one of his best defensive games of the year, and it wasn’t perfect, and he had some bad moments, but that’s just life. Um, but he scored the ball, especially when Jaylen went down. You know, Jaylen picks up five fouls midway through the third quarter and and sits out the rest of that quarter and early in the fourth. And during that stretch and Freddy Simons was one of their go-to scoring options because Derek White did not have it tonight. He finishes the game with six points. And Peyton Pritchard scored 11 early on but finished the game with 13. So, he was not really contributing much offensively for most of this game as well. So, they really needed Anthony Simons to kind of create his own shot and he was able to do that. And I do kind of tip my hat to him that he’s been able to just come in and when they’re like go, his scoring is such like a strong ability that it has such an innate ability that it’s like go and he just goes. And so that was impressive to me that he was able to kind of do that. Um, but again, the reason he played 33 minutes, which was the most that minutes that he’s played any game this season, is because he wasn’t this like massive liability on the other end the way that he has been at times. I even felt like, you know, everybody’s gonna think about that Orlando Magic game where he had that tw I think it was a 23-point first half. He went on an absolute heater. And I went back when I watched that game, I was like, he was making so many defensive mistakes that it was like he was basically negating his own heater was what he was doing on that end. And tonight was not the case. Tonight, I felt like he was as good defensively as anybody else was. And again, nobody’s ever perfect defensively. That’s what happens when you play NBA level talent. But that’s what they’re going to need from him for him to be on the court and to give you the kind of minutes and the kind of offense that he wants to give as well. So shout out to him. Joe Misoula said it post game. He played well tonight. That’s why he went with him. And certainly helped that Derrick was struggling immensely. I think this was one of Dererick’s worst games of the season. So it kind of it gave Anthony more opportunities. But he’s an expensive part of this team. He’s making $28 million. Whether they keep him, whether they trade him, whether they extend him, like I don’t know what’s going to happen to his future. I’d be lying if I said I did. They want to get more out of him than like 15 minutes a night because that’s, you know, that’s this is a guy that’s coming in being the leading scoreer for a franchise for the last two years. As I mentioned, he’s on an expensive contract and like you just want to get either trade value or value on the floor and so you got to figure out ways to get him going and I thought tonight what he did besides for the the you know the scoring was what was most impressive. He had a loose ball that led to a Jaylen Brown like pass to Jordan Walsh which was probably the play of the game. He got that steal, right? So that’s what you’re going to need from him. And again, I don’t think he’s ever going to be a great defender, but there’s a big spectrum of what he can be on the defensive end. And tonight, he was on the upper end of that spectrum. Another guy that stood out to me, and I think this is what you can kind of come to expect is Jordan Walsh, who did far from shut down Michael Porter Jr. In fact, Michael Porter Jr. was probably the reason why the Nets win this game. Seven of seven from the field in the fourth quarter, 15 points. He was awesome in this one. Um, you’re kind of seeing what the vision was for MPJ when he first came into the league before he’s been kind of inhibited by his back issues and was kind of more of a spot-up shooter in Denver. But really, just as an aside, really impressive game for Michael Porter Jr. That being said, fourth quarter, Jordan Walsh and Ugo played together for those first five minutes and it was an awesome stretch for the Celtics and I love those two guys playing together and I just can’t help but think this might be a duo that is here for the future for the Celtics where you put those two guys out if their offensive game can evolve a little bit which I think you’re already seeing flashes of that with Jordan Ugo not quite as much. this is a really potent duo that can play together. And if the Celtics had pulled off this win and had finished the comeback, I would have spent the whole time talking about Jordan Walsh because I thought that his energy, particularly in that fourth quarter, but really in various moments in this game, was what kept this team alive. And it’s funny, the other night Jordan uh two nights ago, Jaylen Brown was uh on on a Twitch stream with Jordan Walsh and we had just talked to him. He was at this bowling alley event and Jordan was saying, “I’m so excited to go on the stream with Jaylen.” And Jaylen was showing him like Marcus Mart defensive highlights on the stream. And we know that Jaylen’s been a big proponent of Jordan playing more. Jordan told us as such in New York. He said that, you know, Jaylen went to Joe Mazula and said to him, you know, I think he can be part of the solution here. And Jordan didn’t know if that conversation ever even happened. But Jaylen’s been instilling a lot of confidence and belief in him. Uh and I think you saw moments tonight where Jordan looked like a more empowered defender than he has been. He was diving on the floor. That was actually something that Jaylen said to him on the stream of like this is what the crowd loves to see is like diving on the floor, giving it that extra level of intensity. So, I think we’re just starting to see what this guy can do on the defensive end. And this actually wasn’t one of his like best defensive performances as far as like what he actually limited his opponent to. He’s had Tyres Maxi held him to like one of nine. He’s had some like really awesome defensive numbers. But again, I think you have a legit player here and when it’s all said and done, when you go back to look at the season, I think Jordan Walsh’s emergence, particularly with how the year started where three weeks ago he was getting DNPs and now here he is looking like a very legitimate option, one of the best rebounding defender uh rebounding wings of any rebound of any wing in the NBA right now. If you look at percentages, like he’s been a lead on that end. So I think that’s a big part of why he’s emerged in the starting lineup as well. And he’s continuing to start. That’s a four-ame streak for him. Josh had a nineame streak before this. So Jordan’s four games is not not super long yet, but he’s clearly developing some sort of rhythm, and I don’t think there’s any commitment to keeping Jordan in that spot. As Joe has shown us, he’s willing to kind of mix it up when he has to. Uh, and a quick shout out to our friends over at Prize Pick. This episode is brought to you by Prize Pix. You and I make decisions every day, but on Prize Picks, being right can get you paid. Don’t miss any of the excitement this basketball season on Prize Picks, where it’s good to be right. There are some players that have been going absolutely crazy. You look at a Luca Donuch. You look at a Steph Curry who has just been playing out of his mind. Kevin Durant, Austin Reeves, all these guys, you can pick more on them. Price picks is simple to play. Just pick more or less on at least two player stats. If you get your picks right, you could cash in. Price picks. Play prize picks to get action on basketball in more than 40 plus states, including California, Texas, and Georgia. On prize picks, how you play is up to you. If you want flexibility, choose Flex Play, where you can get paid even if one of your picks misses. And if you want the biggest payout, go for the power play. No matter your play, Prize Pix is a great way to put your takes to the test. Download the Prize Pix app today and use code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks. It’s good to be right. And the last thing I wanted to mention, and I I was going to talk about Jaylen. Jaylen had another like solid game, 50% from the field. The big thing for him was the two offensive re two offensive fouls and he gets in foul trouble which sends him to the bench and that’s something that he has to be wary of because they they really do need him out there. I don’t care what the plus minus says. I don’t care what the analytics tell you. They need Jaylen Brown to be on the floor. Um but he you know so it’s a mediocre game for him in the sense that he was limited. Um, but the thing that I do want to point out, Nimas Kada is getting more evolved offensively and he finishes this game with 16 points, seven of 12 from the field, and just in general, like I don’t think he’s going to get a ton of touches in, you know, in an offense where Jason Tatum’s back and they have better weapons out there. But right now, they don’t have a ton going on offensively. Derrick White has really struggled. He’s about 35% from the field for the season. Peyton has had good moments and bad moments. Um, but it’s felt like a lot of times it’s been Jaylen Brown just backpacking this offense. He has one of the highest usage rates in the NBA and he’s been efficient and he’s been effective. So, hasn’t really been a problem. But earlier this season, there were so many moments where I was like, “Okay, Kada’s open. Kada’s open. Find Kada. He’s open.” And a lot of people, I know a lot of commenters, a lot of people have me been messaging me that, a lot of Kada fans, a lot of people from Portugal have been saying, you know, watch how open Kada is. And it did kind of open my eyes to it. Um, and I think you’re seeing a little bit more twoman action with him, but still not as much as I think you can get to. But he’s shown an ability to finish around the basket. He had two tipins in the fourth quarter off offensive rebounds that were really impressive because they were trying to make a comeback and guys were missing easy looks and Kada was cleaning up and that’s that’s a really good sign. So, I still don’t know what Kada’s ceiling is. I don’t know if he’s a starting center in the NBA on a good team or if he’s more of a backup center, but he’s showing signs of growth consistently. game. This was another night where he had some errors early on. I didn’t think this was like the best Kada game, but ultimately has a ton of work on the offensive glass. Stayed really engaged and it was a scoring threat for them when they really need one. And so, I’m continuing to monitor like the dual themes of the season, right? Are they able to win? Are they able to make the playoffs? Can they make a little bit of a run here? Can Tatum come back? Like, who knows? And then the developmental piece. And on the developmental front, there’s going to be ups and downs with all of these guys. Um, and Josh, we a couple weeks ago, we were all on Josh, right? like I don’t want to overreact to one game here, one game there. With Kada, I’m looking at the big picture. Tonight wasn’t like an insane Kada game. It wasn’t like a disaster Kada game, but he showed moments and an ability to finish that I’m starting to really believe in. Um, and I think it’s only going to get better as he gets bigger opportunities. Everybody knows Kada started playing basketball much later than most. And so some of that is just like he is a little bit more raw than your average guy at his age. And I think you’re just starting to see him find a little bit of a rhythm, a little bit of a confidence around the basket. and they’re going to need like if they can get 15 points per game from him like that that really gives this team another layer offensively and I honestly don’t see why they can’t when you think about his ability to rebound on the offensive glass then also like can Peyton can Derrick can Jaylen really look for him and look for the alleyoop like he is a lob threat right we see that sometimes but not a whole lot so a lot of it is about positioning a lot of it is about whether like his teammates can see him and and not see him like two seconds late but right on the money um and so there were moments tonight where I was like I said I’m seeing seeing this come around and again it wasn’t enough. It I think there was a lot of things to hate about this game which I started off with but it was another kind of positive last year which I think that next year he can be a great backup center for this team if not a starting center if the game continues to evolve. So we’ll we’ll keep our eye on that. I don’t have the I don’t have a verdict yet on whether I think he is he can be a starting center on a really good basketball team. I think he’s shown in moments that he can be but it’s this league is all about consistency, right? So we’ll see if he’s able to kind of put that together in in a larger stretch. But I think for now, like you look at this game for what it was, it was a night where they just didn’t bring it the way that they need to. And you can’t have many more of these nights that this team is going to overachieve, which is obviously the goal. Um, but even in a night like tonight, a night that kind of sucked to watch, and there were so many stretches of this game where I was like, “Gh, this is just this is just the worst basketball. The Nets look way better than they ever have this season.” Um, even still, I think there were moments of like Anthony Simons putting together maybe his best two-way play of the season. and Jordan Walsh just establishing himself as this guy that can really defend at a high level. And then Kada I just I honestly did like the offensive involvement, the offensive rebounding down the stretch and gave them a chance. Um and so that’s it. They lose this game to a Nets team that they really can’t afford to lose to. But hey, it’s hard to win in the NBA even against bad teams. It’s hard to win two games in a row against anybody, especially when you’re a team like the Celtics that just don’t have all the talent. They have a thin margin of error. Everybody talked about that postgame. So we’ll see if they can kind of come back and bounce back on Sunday. Check out all the postgame press conferences. Joe Missoula, Jaylen Brown, and Fernie Simons from this one. We have privilege from practice all week. A lot of interesting stuff. Uh, you can check that out. I thought I think Jaylen’s press conference. He was very candid about the effort not being there. So, you can listen to him talk about that in his own words. That’s it for now. Thank you as always for watching. Let me know in the comments section what you thought about this game. I’m assuming it wasn’t positive. If there were some positives that I missed, let me know cuz I I couldn’t come up with many more.

Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell recaps the Celtics’ 113-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets – with an acknowledgement that this was one of the worst losses of the year. Still, there were a few positive takeaways from one of the more brutal losses of the season, including Anfernee Simon’s best two-way game, Jordan Walsh’s continued emergence as a defender, and Neemias Queta’s continued improvements.

00:00 Intro
00:30 Game Reaction
3:35 Anfernee Simons plays his best game of the season?
6:45 Jordan Walsh is becoming a legit defender
9:20 PrizePicks
10:45 Neemias Queta is finding a flow offensively

You Got Boston w/ Noa Dalzell on CLNS Media is Powered by:

💰 Prize Picks – Sign up at http://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS & Download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup!

Subscribe to CLNS’ Celtics 🍀 All Access Here:
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1 🔴

***************************************************

CLNS Media is Powered by:

💰 Prize Picks – Sign up at http:// prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS use code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup!

Join Our Discord Server: https://clnsmedia.com/discord

The CLNS Media Network is the leading provider for video/audio content. CLNS is a fully credentialed member of the media with access to all NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB teams & venues.
———————————————————————————

CLNS’ rebuilt their YouTube community in less than 12 months, during a pandemic that attacked sports. Wondering how? Find out here (and support our channel) – https://www.tubebuddy.com/clnsmedia

Visit the Official Home of CLNS Sports Coverage – https://clnsmedia.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/CLNSMedia
Celtics – https://twitter.com/celticsclns
Patriots – https://twitter.com/patriotsclns
Bruins – https://twitter.com/bruinsclns
Red Sox – https://twitter.com/redsoxclns
Non-Sports – https://twitter.com/northstation
Facebook – http://facebook.com/clnsmedia
INSTA – http://Instagram.com/clnsmedia
INSTA Celtics – http://Instagram.com/celticsclns
INSTA History – http://Instagram.com/nbahistoryclns