How Ben Simmons COULD WORK for the Boston Celtics | Can He REINVENT Himself?

How Ben Simmons COULD WORK for the Boston Celtics | Can He REINVENT Himself?

Could Ben Simmons work in Boston? I have one very specific scenario where yes, he could. It’s right now on the Locked On Celtics podcast. Uh-huh. Be ready. It’s the season. Who else could it be? What they going to say now? Screaming like JT Cares. We kept the madness every game, every practice. Prime time Deon T White on the sideline rece how we started raising business how we finish locked on Celtics pod home of the winners. Hey there. Welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics podcast right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network where it is your team every day and your team is the Boston Celtics and I talk about the Celtics right now. Monday, Wednesday, Friday might sneak in a bonus podcast here or there if a good topic comes up. So 3 days a week, four days a week, 5 days a week at least for the next month. Then uh second week of September, back to 5 days a week. Just subscribe to the show so you get all of them dropped to your favorite device. You can watch the show on YouTube. Get into the comment section. Share your thoughts with me, John Carales, beat writer covering the Celtics for Boston Sports Journal. I’ve been doing a version of this job for about 20 years now. I’ve also written a couple of books about the Celtics. Today’s show is brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. Uh we’re going to talk about Ben Simmons. There’s a rumor out there that the Celtics have been interested. He is still unsigned. This is where we all in unison say no Ben Simmons. But I have one specific, call it unlikely, call it whatever you want, but it is a scenario that exists and I’m going to talk about that scenario with our buddy, our good friend Tom Westerhome. Tom, what’s going on, buddy? What up? How’s it going, man? I’m doing good, man. Just trying to keep my head afloat in this sea of everinccreasing podcast. Uh just Derek White got we got to get this out of the way here. Derek White has joined. Look, I I don’t want to call myself an inspiration, but in the what three years since Derek White has joined the team, he has shaved his head and started a podcast. I wonder where he gets that from. Yeah. You know what I mean? Hang around me for a little bit and then you you’re just I What do you want me to say? I mean, look, one plus one equals two. I it’s it’s the math adds up. The math adds up. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, add his add him to, you know, yet another athlete doing a podcast who will not be nearly as funny as Jeff Teague. Like I just, you know, I mean, good for him. I I’m sure I’ll I’ll listen from time to time. I’ll I’ll tune in, you know, from time to time. But, uh, listen, we’ll we’ll tune in. Sure. But go ahead. Finish your point. No, that’s it. I I’ll tune in. The point the point is the athletes have like how many how many more how many more can we get? Um you know I mean it’s funny right because it’s like there there will be some like behind the scenes stuff. there’ll be some like nice little stories, you know, that you think he was think he was saying like, you know, hey, Pop said he wouldn’t screw me. Um, so send him to to Boston instead of, you know, it’s like fun little Sure. I love the story of him playing dominoes and getting drunk being like, I can’t believe they traded me. And then Will Hardy’s like, hey yo, we got you some tickets. Get get here. You’re playing tomorrow. Like, oh no. So he was hung over in game one of his Celtics career. So that’s a fun little tidbit. And sure. Yeah. I mean like and and that that’s the thing. The thing about being an athlete is like and doing a podcast is it only works if you are able to be so honest about things that you are self-deprecating. That’s why Jeff Teague’s podcast works is because I mean he goes he goes too far the other direction. He like acts like he was a trash player and it’s like no like you were pretty good for lengthy stretches. But like that level of self-deprecation is very necessary if you’re an athlete doing a podcast. So I mean if anybody was going to do it well on the Celtics, it’s probably Derek White, right? Like like I don’t I can’t think that there’s anybody else on the team who I would be interested in listening to for extended periods, right? Like un who’s gonna who is going to be that open, right? is J. I don’t think Jason’s going to be that open. I think Jaylen’s gonna be that. I would listen to more Jason just because he he he is funny when he talks a little bit more openly and it would be it would be fun to hear him like it’s hard to not be a little bit more open on a like, you know, if you’re doing like 45 minutes or whatever, it’s like some of your personality is going to come out. And he’s funny. It would be it would be funny to hear him a little bit. So, I would listen. Yeah. I mean, look, I’m I’m going to listen anyway because if they say something like I want to know everything that they’re saying, Right. Right. Because then I’m going to ask him about something that that came up in, you know, if at some point in an interview, any little tidbit of information that they drop in a podcast, I’m like filing that away because when I get a sit down with this guy, I’m be like, “Hey, remember when you said blah blah blah, you know, like what?” Yes. But the real question is, are you a true sicko? And did you listen to all or did you watch all of O’Shea Brousett’s YouTube? I did not watch all of O’Shea Brassett’s So where’s the cut off I guess then right is like is it do you have to be a starter you know would you if Pton Pritchard had a podcast would you I would listen to Pton Pritchard’s podcast whole thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I because he’s a psycho and I I kind of want to hear like some of the psycho things that he said because I thought it was interesting like like for example Derek said like I gotta get in my my uh you know Pritchard Pton Pritchard bag you know like one of the So now it’s like you get to ask Pton Pritchard about like hey you know over the summer in his podcast Derek White said he wants to like be you as a ball handler you know and it just kind of opens up that like that line of questioning. Uh, right. So, that’s that’s Derek White talking on Derek White’s podcast. Do you think Pton Pritchard is gonna say anything uh interesting on on on a podcast? I I I I don’t know. It depends. It’s I mean like the He was on some podcast where he revealed that he pays old pro like other pros to come in and work out with him. I don’t know. Like you you can sit there and be like, “Yeah, I understand exactly what your point is on on Payton.” Like a lot of these guys are guard. Payton is Yeah. when we get Payton for like a pregame or a postgame, it’s like it you’re not getting anything. So, so just so people know a little behind the scenes, when I’m working with a story, the way I do it is a very TV way to do it is I I use the quotes, I kind of my writing is very much a like bridge between the quotes. So, I line up what people are saying and sometimes you just need a player like a generic kind of, you know, we oh no, we were playing really hard. I thought I thought we really got after it in the second half. Like if I’m if I’m making a a point in a column or a a more focused story about how they turned it on in the second half and my first part of my piece was, “Oh, they look like crap and blah blah blah blah blah. Payton is always good for that generic quote that helps me get to the next point in my story. Like he Yeah. He’ll kind of repeat your question back to you a little bit so that and then like which which is kind of what you need, right? Because if you ask the right question, it’s like if he repeats it back to you and kind of says, “Yeah, we do X.” It’s like perfect. Thank you very much. That’s exactly what I needed you to say. I needed a player to say like sometimes I’ll ask a question and like like to Joe Mazula and he he’d be like after I’ve gotten this kind of like interaction with him before be like you know this I’d be like yeah but I need you to say it. I need you to say this stuff. Even if it’s something that I know, I need you to say it because instead of me writing three paragraphs of my own words, now I’ve got a paragraph of my words, Joe Mazula is saying the thing that I was going to say anyway and then my words because it just flows better. People kind of like your brains aren’t just like, “Oh, more words, words, words. Oh, Joe, blah, blah, blah.” when Joe Mazula says it, it’s the the Boston Celtics saying it and it’s like, okay, do you guys see I’m right. Yeah. Right, right, right, right. So, um, but as far as podcasts go, it’s so it’s so interesting like some of these guys can be great podcast guests, but I don’t know about hosting their own thing. I’m very curious to see how D’s thing goes. He is on his own funny when he’s in the media. He does a lot of um and then goes into his cliche stuff. I want him to be if he’s locker room D White, then we can get some good stuff. So, uh, but you know, welcome to welcome to the, you know, the podcast space, Derek White. Uh, happy to have you on board. We’ll see how this goes during this podcaster who’s better at basketball than we are. It’s It’s tough. It’s tough. It’s tough. You know, it’s so funny like one of the side effects of the pandemic has just been this flood of Yeah. players and like entertainment podcasts. Like every time you turn around is another famous person with a podcast and you’re like, “Oh, everyone everyone kind of figured out the little secret, you know, like if if the pandemic had never happened, aside from all of the serious reasons, you know, things would be different.” We also wouldn’t have celebrity and basketball player podcast the way we do now. Um, all right. So, that was all right. So, we talked about Derek White’s new podcast. It was fun. He’s good. Um, all right. Let let’s let’s get into Ben Simmons. Uh we will we will spend the next two segments talking about Ben Simmons. Could he work? Is there even a reason to try it in Boston? We’ll get into that conversation next. Today’s show is brought to you by Monarch Money. I know that uh getting your finances organized is just one step towards getting where you need to be financially. You need more than a budgeting app. You need Monarch Money. 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Money is always a stress in a relationship and kind of control that, alleviate that, and you get onto the same page. So, it’s a really kind of helpful tool to help you take control of your finances. You can do that with Monarch Money. Use the code lockdown NBA at monarchmoney.com. You’ll get 50% off your first year. That’s monarchmoney.com. Code lockdown NBA for half off your first year. Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Go check out Lockdown NBA. We got two feeds on the Lockdown NBA feed. Two podcasts on the feed. One feed, two podcasts. That’s what I’m trying to say. Locked on NBA lockdown NBA game night. uh covering the whole league in in every way possible. So you start your day with locked on Celtics. Maybe at lunch you pop on locked on NBA and then at on your way home you got locked on NBA game night. So check that out wherever you get your podcast. All right. Ben Simmons is rumored to be a target for the Boston Celtics. They just waved JD Davidson. Haven’t talked about that. Um which look inevitable I thought. I mean, yeah. You anything any any thoughts on JD Davidson before you move forward on this? Uh, just I like I Yeah, it’s tough, right? I like him. I like his game. I I like the I like the potential there. But it’s just it’s interesting, right? Because when he was drafted, I remember Brad Stevens saying basically like, “Yeah, we want to be the place where JD Davidson can kind of start his career.” You know what I mean? like it was it was pretty clear that it was like we think that this guy could be pretty good and we would like we like to be involved with people who are pretty good but there’s not a lot of space here for this guy and like there never was and you know it’s just I think that we’ve talked about how he’s he’s always kind of been that he’s like the poster child for like guys who like hey maybe the right situation hey like guys who are who are good enough to be NBA players but You know, at a certain level, at a certain level of NBA player, you have to have everything go right for you. There’s so much luck involved. Luck is never involved with Jason Tatum being a great basketball player. He’ll be a great basketball player no matter where he is. But like a guy like JD Davidson, luck does come into play. And you know, I mean, look, he he he proved that he’s a like a great basketball player full stop in Boston. I don’t know. or in in Maine really. I I don’t know. Um like I don’t know. I I like him. I like his game. It just it it was never going to work in Boston, I think. And I think moving on from him now, it’s like well the there’s no point in kind of continuing your project with something that you know isn’t going to happen. Right. Right. And I I just think on either side it and I think it’s telling that it it was going to work. Even with the Celtics in transition, they could use somebody. They could use some help at, you know, any help anywhere. Yeah. And they they still to me it’s like they still were like, nah. And and maybe it’s like, hey, you had the non-g guaranteed contract and we kind of need that space and we kind of needed to still make ourselves get under the second apron. Like that’s like some of that is part of it. And but you know, he goes to Houston, but it’s on a two-way. So he’s in his fourth year. He’s on a two-way. or two ways. It’s It’s Look, I’ve said this before, I’ll repeat it. He’s one of the 700 best players. Yeah. In the world, probably. Easy. Yeah, for sure. Even Even if for some reason you want to extend it out to a thousand, the top 1,000 players is such a small, tiny, minuscule fraction of who is great at this game. Wherever you rank him, he’s one of the best players in the world. That doesn’t mean you get to be an NBA guy, right? Four two-way contracts in your first four years. Something could still pan out for him, but man, that’s like very unlikely for me to see a scenario where he’s he’s a regular contributor. Yeah, for sure. But it just to I it feels very much like a guy who is in his fifth senior year. You know what I mean? Where it’s like Yes. Yes. Yes. I mean, you know. Yeah. He could be he could be like a Brad Waker. He could be like a guy like you you’ve given it a shot here. You go overseas, you come back a couple of like useful years. Maybe you go back maybe go back and forth a little bit. But I don’t think he’s never going to play in the NBA again. Yeah. I just I just don’t think he’s a consistent guy in the NBA, which we’ll see. We’ll see. But I I but I wish him the best. I take no joy in saying this about a player. You know, I he has a dream and I I hope that he finds something that he can live to some degree of that dream, which making $500,000 a year to play basketball is still pretty damn good. So, you know, he’s doing okay. Just whatever. But anyway, Ben Simmons is on the other side of this. He was like the big mega star and now he’s it’s the end of July and he hasn’t he’s unsigned. No one really wants Ben Simmons. Do and I don’t want Ben Simmons. Let me be clear about this. I am not advocating for Ben Simmons, but I’m going to throw the one scenario out here that I say, “Okay, let’s give it a shot.” And that’s the same scenario that other teams have said. This is not an original thought, but if he agrees to play center, then I think it’s worth a shot. if he agrees. Think about Ben Simmons doing everything Luke Cornet did. Yeah. Okay. Including not shooting threes. Yeah. You know what I mean? But think about him just take Luke Cornett’s game, select all, copy, paste onto Ben Simmons with Ben Simmons continued attributes for ball handling and passing and speed and all that athleticism, but everything he does is Luke Cornett’s game. I think he could be a valuable signing for the Celtics. Now, he’s not going to be the rim protector because he doesn’t have the height or the instincts necessarily, but I’m looking at him. I’m saying, “Okay, set a pick, short roll, Ben Simmons in the short roll at the free throw line with a live dribble and floor spacers.” That’s that’s a guy who can finish at the rim and if they collapse because everybody collapses on a guy in the paint you he’s going to find the guys Ben Simmons um I don’t know catching a lob grabbing a rebound and going and leading a fast break instead of outletting like those things I’m like huh if he can do that then okay I’m Yeah. I mean, look, you you you’ve just outlined the scenario for Ben Simmons to be an NBA player, right? Like like you you said this at the start, right? Yes. Of course. These are all these are all ways that he could succeed in the NBA. Like these have all been ways that he could succeed in the NBA for some time. And look, I mean, I think that there’s some value if you’re the Celtics in saying maybe we could be the team, you know, to your point, right, you were just talking about JDavidson, he goes overseas, you know, he he comes like maybe maybe he comes back, maybe he’s an NBA player when he comes back, you you get older, you have a little more perspective, you know, maybe maybe that’s it’s it’s for sure worth a shot because the thing is, right, if Ben Simmons starts playing the g the way that like would potentially keep him in the league. At that point, you might have a guy who not only is useful this year, who could be useful down the road as well, right? Like a Ben Simmons who plays center is a like and who who who like embraces it and really takes it to heart and says like, “Okay, you know what? Yeah, I have all these attributes. Think of what a mismatch I would be.” You know, you talk about like all doing all the things Luke Cornett can do. I I mean, how about like Ben Simmons like switching on defense? How about, you know, guarding bunch of different positions and being so mobile and so um just active and athletic. I mean, these are things that Luke Cornett could not do, you know. I mean, Cornett’s bigger and, you know, longer or taller and longer, but like Ben Simmons can move in ways that Luke Cornet could not move. Uh forward, backward, side to side, up and down, all of it. He he can move in ways that Luke Cornet can’t move. Like that’s a guy who could be useful down the road as well. It’s just I mean the the and and certainly like you would say this as well. Um I’ll just believe it when I see it, you know. Yes. Like Sure. Sure. All these things are certainly possible. And if you are the Celtics, that’s why you take that’s the kind of shot that you take a se in a season like this, right? Just Yeah. Take a swing. Who cares? Like say no. Good. Like if he if he’s trash. Okay. Yeah. Like, okay. All right. Well, you know, I mean, presumably, you’re not signing this guy to a multi-year deal. Like, yeah, give him a prove it year. It’s the perfect time for a prove it year with a guy who could if he’s ready to play in a useful way. If he’s ready to do that, what a steal. What a way to spend your gap year. Like, I think that’s I think it’s a you know, yeah, I I think it’s worth a shot. Um, but I I but also like if it happens, I for one would be telling Celtics fans not to don’t like don’t get your hopes too high. Like we’ve seen what this is. We’ve seen what this has been for years. And again, I’ll just I’ll believe it when I see it. All right, we’ll we’ll continue this because yes, I think there’s an appeal to be made to Ben Simmons directly that I think I think we’re on to it. Yeah, I think I think he needs to be convinced is is where we are at this point. And we will try to do the convincing when we when we get and then Brad Stevens will pay us money. That’s the goal. 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Again, uh 3 days a week is the plan for the rest of this month, August, and into the beginning of September, but there’s always a possibility of an extra show here or there. So, make sure you are subscribed wherever you get your podcast. This show is available to everybody everywhere. Thank you everybody, all the everydayers who are with me three days a week, five days a week, whatever it is. Uh very happy to uh have you all on board. All right, Tom, we’re going to make our appeal. Can I make the first appeal here based on that? Ben Simmons, if you come to Boston and you promise to play center and do a really good, we’ll do a bonus pod for you. We’ll do a bonus podcast. No, we’ll do I’ll do multiple bonus podcasts. If Ben Simmons plays center and plays it well. Um, look, he is 29 years old, okay? He is turning a corner. still in his prime. Still 29. Uh, however, Ben Simmons is 29. I know. Just turned 29. Just turned 29. Okay. July 20th. So, it’s it’s not like over for Ben Simmons, but he he is also too young to be at the bottom of the free agency scrap heap. Mhm. Okay. There is no reason, all things considered, for Ben Simmons to be fighting for a minimum deal and Luke Cornet to be signing a $40 million deal. Yeah. It’s bizarre how that has because because the other thing that’s weird about it, right, is it’s like an like you think about other number one picks, right? And it’s like Anthony Bennett, for example, it’s like after a couple years it was like pretty clear that like Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But that’s not the case with Ben Simmons. That’s right. There was a stretch there where Ben Simmons was looking like that guy. Like he was looking Yeah. Yeah. It was Ben and Joelle and they had something in Philly. They they did have a holy terror sometimes when he was out there. Yeah. And so here we are and there’s there’s you basically have two choices here. Ben, I’m just gonna talk directly to Ben. Yeah. I mean, the the one choice you have is to like start shooting with your right hand and give in and like may maybe start hitting some shots, taking some threes, and making them. Uh, you know, there’s there’s opportunity there, but he’s he’s wholly refused that. Luke Cornette just made $40 million. Luke Cornet, Mr. Two-way guy, Mr. bouncing around the guy that played for the Knicks, but the security people didn’t recognize, you know, he had to Google himself to prove that he was on the team. Westchester’s own, you know, like, you know what I mean? And so he got himself to a place where he just signed a $40 million deal. There’s money to be made in I am saying like play it playing exactly like Luke Cornet with Ben Simmons basketball abilities and physical abilities. And so the style of play plus all that physical greatness that he still has could make him an incredible small ball center. Yes. For somebody potentially the Boston Celtics. So, I’m appealing directly to Ben Simmons, even if it’s not with the Boston Celtics. Understand that the you’re a professional basketball player, right? I I’m always pro player, you know, in 99.9% of the these discussions. Yes. You only have a certain amount of time to make your money, man. And here’s an avenue. The money playing the way you played. And I know that he wants to say, “This is how I play basketball, and I’m going to live or die with that.” And he’s made a lot of money anyway. Yeah. But also, that river has dried. It is done. No one is paying you to do this. However, at 29 years old, you have a solid five years plus maybe to play this new way and make potentially 40 $50 million on top of everything that you’ve made because you have to make all the money for your entire life for the most part in, you know, before you hit 40. So, be clear. Now, to be clear, Ben Simmons has made $200 million. So, well, that’s fine. That’s fine. That’s He’s made a lot of money. He doesn’t need the money. But, but $50 million more. I mean, come on. If it were me, if it was me, I’d be like, “Hey, wait a minute. If I did this and somebody’s going to pay me that Luke Cornet money, which is is still wild to say, but it’s like it’s still $40 million. if you’re gonna get that by playing this way and probably more because I fully believe that if Ben Simmons truly committed to this, which I have zero confidence that he will. Yes. But if he did, he he’d be incredibly good at this. Yes. So, and incredibly valuable and and exactly the kind of thing that people are looking for. Yes. Right. Yeah. No, I agree completely. Not even and not even like oh you got to shoot threes just stuff defend all the defensive stuff that you said like he would be an incredible the Celtics are going to be an awful defensive team next year. They’re going to be one of their their defensive rating is going to be way at the bottom. There just no no saving them. Sorry Jaylen and and Derek who are two really good defenders and at their best two of the best defenders. Yeah. Uh, you’re not enough to save how bad this team is going to be defensively with Anthony Simons, uh, potentially George Nyang and Luca Garza as the other three guys in the starting lineup. That is going to be a god awful. If it’s not Garza, it’s still not good. It’s still not good. I don’t know who else they’re going to put in there, but it’s not good. Ben Simmons could make it better if he was in that mix because listen. Yeah. I mean, look, Ben Simmons in that mix with Derek White and Jaylen Brown. And it’s like that’s that’s a lot of switching. Like you got you you got two guys who are liabilities, but like and who will certainly be targets and all that stuff, but like you could switch. You could do a lot of switching with those three guys. You got a lot of options, a lot of versatility with those three guys. perimeter switchability at that level kind of helps negate the lack of rim protection helps not completely but it doesn’t it helps it you could be like okay our front court is awful defensively but those are three incredibly good highle switchable defenders all of whom can block a shot by the way and like if there’s somebody who gets beat on one side there’s help that can slide down there there are ways it can work. Mhm. But it has to be a full-on commitment. I wish there could be a contract, a side contract in writing. I, Ben Simmons, agree to play like Luke Cornett and not be the other guy, you know, like because you can you can run a dribble. Think about think about Ben Simmons with a fake dribble handoff. Yeah. You know what I mean? I was like, you know, the comparison I wanted to make was like it’s it’s it obviously there’s a million holes in this comparison, but it’s like imagine him playing like like a like a poor man’s jokic, right? Imagine playing like up there. Run stuff through that. Let him let him pass out of that. Let him if if they’re going to give you all that time and all that space, take the time. Take it. Make the space. Make the pass. Fine. you know, but also, yeah, somebody comes around you, fake a dribble, two steps, bang, big dunk. Like, there’s it. I don’t know, man. I think it’s I think it’s weird. It’s got to be weird. Like, it’s extra weird for guys like us who are who, you know, played the game and loved the game and would like would do anything for some of the the gifts that Ben Simmons has been given. Like there are things that Ben Simmons has experienced and gone through that just don’t and like now thinks that don’t make any sense to us because when we’re looking at it as two guys who will you know I mean I look I can’t speak to your financial situation but who will probably never make $200 million uh you know it baffles the mind a little bit that he wouldn’t hop on an opportunity like this but I don’t know I I know NBA players I don’t care how much any of these NBA players make, an extra couple million, they’re in. Like, they’re in. You know what I mean? Like, there’s So, I don’t know. Somebody Somebody around Ben Simmons in his sphere has to be like, “Hey, there’s money to be made here. Let’s explore it.” And a lot of minutes to be had in Boston. Yes. You know, again, I I do not I do not anticipate it. I don’t think it’s going to happen. Yeah. Uh I’m not going to be surprised. I’m not saying it’s im any of that stuff. Right. Right. Right. I do I and and I 34 in the podcast when everybody no one’s listen but no I I again like I said at the top I don’t want Ben Simmons unless he says yes I am in I’m going to do this. Yeah I agree. So one very specific situation where it could work. In every other way it won’t. Um so we’ll see. And I know the first 30 comments are going to be like before we even get to the second point we were making about Ben Simmons. All right. Well, whatever. That’s fine. Uh, next podcast I’m anticipating a flashcard Friday. So, uh, stick around. This is a fun fun concept. And yeah, we’re we’re going to get ourselves through this summer three days at a time, maybe more depending on the story. So Tom, looking forward to having you around for the majority of the shows now since we’re Yeah, man. It’s going to be fun. Thanks, Tom. Appreciate Tom. I appreciate all of you, the listeners, the viewers, the everydayers. You’re all you’re all great. And uh thanks to everybody uh for subscribing and all of that stuff. The show is free. It’s always free. It’s available everywhere. So, make sure you’re subscribed, watch a show in YouTube, get into the comments section, go ahead, share your thoughts, let me know what you’re thinking, and uh hopefully you’re sharing your thoughts at the end of the podcast. So, please do that. And then I would love you if you shared the podcast. Tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast. Here on the Lockdown Podcast Network, it’s your team every day.

CELTICS EYEING BEN SIMMONS? Potential game-changing move sparks debate.

John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal breaks down the buzz surrounding Ben Simmons potentially joining the Boston Celtics. Could the former All-Star revitalize his career in green? The discussion covers Simmons’ fit as a center, financial implications, and how he might mesh with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tom Westerholm offers insights on Simmons’ past success and future potential.

Key topics include Derrick White’s new podcast venture, J.D. Davison’s waiver, and the challenges NBA players face when hosting shows.

Tune in for an in-depth analysis of how Simmons could reshape the Celtics’ roster and impact their championship aspirations

1:30 Intro: Derrick White’s new podcast
10:20 Discussing J.D. Davison’s waiver and future
14:50 The one scenario where Ben Simmons fits
21:39 Taking a chance on Simmons as center
27:52 Appeal to Ben Simmons: Consider playing center
34:06 Wrapping up the Ben Simmons discussion

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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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