Is It Time to Reset Celtics’ Expectations? | NBA on Prime

Is It Time to Reset Celtics’ Expectations? | NBA on Prime

Let’s chat Celtics here. Listen, we just heard JB tell Cassidy before the year people already decided and look at what the Celtics have done. Won nine of their last 11 games. What did you see from them tonight, Blake? I I feel like a broken record, but Jordan Walsh, man, I just I love him. I love him so much. I mean, the Celtics are nine and two since he’s entered the starting lineup. Um, that says a lot. But JB needs to be talked about as well. He’s been unbelievable this season. I I think he’s just had so much poise and we’ve talked about it. He didn’t try to press, right? He didn’t try to make this all about, hey, no, no, I’m number one option. I’m going to show that I can do this. No, no, it’s the team game. Um, so between those two guys, all the bench guys, Peyton stepping up, uh, and Joe Mazula as well, I mean, he, you know, he was going to coach a team and he was going to coach them hard. They were going to have to come out and play great defense and do all the right things. And it it’s just fun to watch a team that a lot of people wrote off succeed. Listen, are are you not entertained? Like every Are you not entertained by what Jaylen Brown is doing right now? Cook New York, cooked Cleveland, took the night off, came back and cooked the night and and all the while he’s cooking his assist up. It’s not like he’s taking away from anybody else. He’s actually giving to everybody else. He’s actually making everybody else better by great percentages. Yeah. So, I mean, kudos to Jaylen Brown, man, because I was one of those guys. I wanted to see it. I I I heard about it. We think you can, but can you do it? We need to see it. And we’ve seen we’ve seen it. So, he’s him right now. I’m entertained. Yeah. I I’ll give it up for the Celtics for once. Nice to hear a Heat guy. Give it up to I will give it up to Jaylen Brown. All right. Did it hurt? It hurt a little bit. Listen, 30 31 assists on 46 made field goals. And I think that the Celtics are playing free on the offensive end, but what’s opening that up is on the defensive end. the extra hustle, the extra plays, and again, I do believe winning is a skill. It’s a skill. It’s a muscle that you develop. And once you know how to win, Jaylen Brown’s giving credit to his other guys, but he’s doing a great job of leading, setting the example. Again, he could have came out and tried to force shots, but he’s passing up good to get great. And to me, that is the difference. Putting the ball in his hands, him making sound decisions, being extremely efficient. I mean, Stan Van Gundy said it during the game. It’s not very often that a guy steps up his amount of shots that he’s taken and keeps his percentage where it is. And he’s shooting efficient from inside the arc, efficient from beyond the arc, and he’s getting to the free throw line. Yeah. The other thing, too, I mean, the the development of their young guys, you know, Jordan, we talked about Jordan Walsh, but Kada, uh, Manat, I mean, these guys like Hugo, like these guys are playing like real real basketball, not just like, oh, you’ll play sometimes here and there. They’re coming in and having an effect on games. Um, and all their all their net ratings are through the roof. And and I and I I just love Joe Mazula. Like I I I once again I have to take my hat off to Joe Mazula because as I look at Joe Misula and you can tell me more about it, but he seems like a coach who thrives in these type of situations. Jason Tatum being out. Let’s figure it out like in the mud type of situations. The the the challenges. I think Sp says this all the time. This is when I feel most alive when we had a couple guys out of the lineup. It’s a little bit of it’s a little bit of chaos in the locker room and we got to figure it out. So, I I I just love Joe Mazula in those type of situations cuz he seems like he welcomes those challenges as a coach. What is it about Joe Mazula? I was just about to say my favorite Joe Missoula thing is, you know, when I was with Boston, this is his first year, right? He’s just taken over. And I would come in early before practice, get my lift in, and the practice facility, the the weight rooms in the back, and there was kind of a dead space over in the side. I’m in there lifting one morning. Nobody else is in there. It’s me and the strength coach. And I hear like I’m like, “What is going on?” And our strength coach goes, “Oh, Joe’s back there practicing karate.” And I go, “What?” So I walk back there and Joe’s like, “Hey, what’s up, EG? It’s my sensei. Nice to meet you. Get back to work.” Did they bow? Did they bow? Did they bow? That’s like the Joe Mazula like the his press conferences, the way he talks, his sense of humor, that is all 100% genuine. And you know, you have to be guys will sniff out if you’re being a being a fake, being a phony, in a heartbeat that it’s just him and it carries over when you bring that type of intensity every single day to everything you do. and also do it with a sense of humor and not just being so locked in that you’re like, “Man, this guy’s, you know, it’s a little it’s it’s a little jarring, but it’s it’s it’s pretty amazing to watch somebody impose their personality onto a team.” And I think that’s what we’re seeing with this young group of guys right now. You see it, the multiple efforts, the multiple efforts in every possession. You don’t know how many efforts you’re going to have to give in a defensive possession. It can be two, it can be three, it can be four. They finish every possession. multiple efforts, pulling triggers, rotating, staying down, staying disciplined, making things tough on you. And if you make a shot, you make a shot, but you’re going to make a tough shot. It’s not going to be a easy one. No. Candace, I want to shift back to what we were talking about with Jaylen Brown because there has always been discussion about Jaylen Brown as a 1A. Can he do it? What exactly are we seeing? Because right now, he’s also excelling. Well, what a luxury to have, right? To be arguing over who’s one A and who’s one B when you have Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Um, I think the biggest thing is Jaylen Brown does it on both ends of the floor. So, when you talk about these other guys buying in, it’s a cultural thing and it’s also setting the tone with your leaders. Also, Jaylen Brown is one of those guys that is going to go out and be efficient. He’s going to do what he does. He’s going to get to his spots and he’s proven that time and time again. I can’t say enough. The the city of Boston wasn’t exactly excited when they drafted Jaylen Brown. So, he has that underdog mentality. He understands what it’s like to be not cheered for and to to to have, you know, that underdog mentality. And I think that that’s what’s added to the duo of a Jason Tatum. That’s what added to to the Boston Celtics. And I mean, he’s doing a great job leading in a place where a lot of people didn’t expect the Celtics to be where they’re at right now in the East. And listen, UD, you said it. They’ve gone out there and they’ve beat the dogs. Is it time to reset some expectations for the Celtics? I’m thinking about it. Gross. I’m considering I am consider and I’mma tell you why. Not just the Jaylen Brown, but I’m intrigu I’m intrigued by the the the evolution of the role players. Like I told you, every single time that we were in those battles with Boston, yes, you can account for Jason Tatum. Yes, you can account for Jaylen Brown. You know what they’re going to bring, but it was always those other guys that really, really made the plays that hurt us down the stretch. So, the fact that those role players are stepping up, I’m encouraged. And once again, I am a fan of Joe Mazula. If it comes down to coaching, I’m taking Joe except for spoke. But outside of that, if it come to coaching, I’m taking Joe. What about in a karate match? Who are you taking? But to your point, like the role players getting everything out of them. I think of those programs, those organizations. You think of Golden State, you’re going to get, you know, from your other guys because Steph Curry and all of that getting out of those. You think of Miami, you think of the role players that you all have had. You think of like Boston. you think of the so it’s just that’s a common denominator. I think it’s going to it’s going to help with them in what they want to accomplish next year when they get their their full lineup back. Yeah. Celtics have won nine of their last 11 games and they are rolling. I’m Taylor Rooks with NBA on Prime. Thanks so much for watching. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button to see interviews with your favorite players. Experience the most exciting moments from around the league and see what the NBA on Prime crew is up to all season long. And remember, you can hang out with us live each week during the NBA season, only on Prime.

NBA on Prime’s Blake Griffin, Udonis Haslem, Candace Parker, and Taylor Rooks react to the Boston Celtics 126-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, December 5. They discuss how Jaylen Brown has stepped up in Jayson Tatum’s absence, the evolution of Boston’s role players, and if it’s time to reevaluate their expectations for the rest of the season.

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