WEBVTT - 2024 Conference Finals Preview | Celtics-Pacers & Wolves-Mavericks 0:00:04.120 --> 0:00:09.480 Hymn this tuesdays. 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:15.200 I'd see thozlerd alert. 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:25.120 It's Tuesday. 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:29.960 Every time I think about Tuesday, I go, oh, yeah, 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:30.720 what do you do? 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:31.600 Mmmm? 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:36.600 That's right? And never get old. It's alway, isn't it? 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:47.800 Good morning sweel then, welcome to the No Dunks Podcast 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.680 on the Athletic Network. It's Tuesday, May twenty one, twenty 0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:53.920 twenty four. I'm Jake here in the Classic Factory and 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:56.120 alongside me as always tas Mellis. 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:58.600 I swear that person has fixed my car down here. 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:01.080 But on the Tuesday he fixed my card. He said. 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:05.400 It's Tuesday, different every different. 0:01:05.520 --> 0:01:07.400 Next to him, it's the bearded woman, Touchha, hot boy, 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:10.800 Trey Kirby, hey Jo, and last but not least making 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:12.600 the magic happen, super producer JD. 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:13.920 Hello, there he is here. 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:16.080 We are shout out to the stream team. Joining us 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.280 live right now on YouTube. Hit the like button, subscribe 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:21.440 podcast listeners, five stars, ratings and reviews. We got a 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.040 fun one here because we will get into the rookie teams. 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:27.399 Trey Kirby's got tweeted the night. But we are doing 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:31.000 our conference finals previews here for our two series that 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 get underway tonight in the Eastern Conference. Let's begin there. 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:40.600 The Pacers qualified for their first East Finals since twenty fourteen. 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:44.479 They began the playoffs as the number six seed. They 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:48.279 beat Milwaukee with no Jannis, they beat the banged up Knicks, 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:51.520 and now they face the conference's top contender here in 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:55.000 the Celtics, who entered their sixth East Finals appearance in 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:59.360 the past eight seasons. If you care, the Celtics won 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:03.120 the season series with Indiana three to two. They played 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.800 five times thanks to that in season tournament only. The 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:10.040 last game saw Pascal Siakam in a Pacers jersey, So 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:12.919 you know what, check it out, throw it out, none 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:13.639 of it matters. 0:02:13.800 --> 0:02:16.760 Horor Pascalley played the Celtics a lot of time, including 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:18.679 the Raptors, right, That's right, they lost a lot. 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:21.200 He's got some experience against them. So yeah, the number 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:24.399 one seeded Celtics versus the number six seeded Pacers, let's 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:26.320 break it down. We'll get to our predictions. But what's 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:28.280 one thing you're watching for in this series? 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:32.320 Test pace. I know we always talk about the pace 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:34.359 with the Pacers. That is their name, though, we got 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:36.520 to talk about it. They are the fastest team in 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:39.360 the playoffs. The Celtics are the slowest team in the playoffs. 0:02:39.520 --> 0:02:43.160 Will the Celtics make shots enough to slow the Pacers 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:45.160 down a little bit, because we know the Pacers like 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.720 to speed up their versatile they are randomized. They do 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:51.680 everything in their offense. They're gonna go through absolutely everyone. 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:55.639 But but, but the Celtics are the best defense that 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:58.359 the Pacers have played so far in the postseason. They've 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:01.440 got that length and listen, sometimes they calm down. We 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:05.359 may see a shootout Celtics, Pacers just let's just shoot 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:07.800 it out and have a great fun game for the 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:10.880 rest of us. And also, the Pacers are not faced 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:13.639 as good as an offense as the Celtics team has been. 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:17.920 They have been stacked. I know you you excluded Giannis 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:22.400 from their their opponents this year's this playoffs and you said, hey, 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:24.639 the Knicks are banged up. This is all true. The 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:27.560 Celtics are just healthy and ready to go. 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.240 And we Christis is not going to play the first 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:30.680 two games. 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:31.280 This is one hundred. 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:33.600 Probably still have enough firepower them, but. 0:03:33.560 --> 0:03:37.000 They have many many fower firepowers. And I will well, 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.160 I do want to see Tyres Haliburton, uh and who 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:44.040 he's going to guard on on most likely Drew Holiday 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:47.280 matchup because you can't hide him anywhere. The Celtics are 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:51.520 just so versatile. They do have all these weapons well, 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:55.680 whether Christops Porzingis is playing or not. So just just 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:57.119 the fun pace of it all. 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:00.560 Love a pace, love the pace, Love the the Pacers 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:02.120 made it this far because you get to see the 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:05.400 n season tournament mentioned in every single preview, right, you know, 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:08.120 these are the two healthiest teams in the Eastern Conference. 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:10.240 No surprise, they actually made it this far. And I 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:13.160 think you're onto something. I think Halliburton should absolutely guard 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:15.320 Drew Holliday because I think that could maybe trick the 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:18.520 Celtics into going to Drew Holliday. If you're the Pacers, 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.000 you're living with a bunch of Drew Holiday post ups 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:23.560 on Tyrese Halliburton. That takes the Celtics out of their 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:25.720 drive and kick game. We know they like to get 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:27.880 three pointers up. That's a huge thing for them. So 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:30.760 the Pacers have been pretty good in this playoffs and 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:33.279 during the season taking away three pointers. You can score 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:35.520 inside on them, though, but we know the Celtics want 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:37.520 to get three pointers up. That's how they have become 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:39.599 the second best offense in the playoffs their first and 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.240 three point rate. I wonder how the Pacers are able 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:45.680 to keep oh pace with them from the three point line. 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:48.000 A lot of that comes down to Tyreese Halliburton, I 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:51.480 do believe, because he's gonna need to score in this series. 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:55.000 He's the best offensive player on the perimeter for the Pacers. 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:57.080 But the Celtics have a lot of guys they can 0:04:57.080 --> 0:04:59.440 throw at him. It's like Drew Holliday and Derek White, 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:01.520 you can take two. We could go with Jason Tatum 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:03.640 if we're feeling crazy. We need some size on him. 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:05.600 Jalen Brown I think will be kind of like the 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:08.720 third option. There as a kind of in between size 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:12.240 and speed there. It'll be interesting to see how Haliburton 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:14.480 attacks those guys. They're gonna try and send them left. 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:16.680 They're gonna do everything they can to make anybody else 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:21.200 beat them besides Halliburton. So getting three point attempts, getting 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:23.560 into the lane, getting the driving kick game going, that's 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:25.320 gonna be huge for Halliburton, but they need him to 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:26.440 score efficiently as well. 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:28.360 Yeah, he needs to have the series of his life 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:30.800 for this to be competitive, or to even pull off 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.680 the upset. Halliburton's production dipped in the four games he 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:36.080 played against Boston. It makes sense. They're playing a lot 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:39.320 of defensive minded guys, all defensive candidates, and Drew and 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:43.159 Derek White just sixteen points per game. I'm even rounding 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.680 up there a little bit forty one percent shooting for Halliburton. 0:05:46.760 --> 0:05:49.159 But he's got to be aggressive. You're gonna be happy 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:51.000 if the three's fallen for him, but he needs to 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:53.400 touch paint and probably get that floater going. They're gonna 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:55.640 do drop coverage, you know, if it's al If Porzingis 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:57.839 comes back in the series. That's how they've played them before. 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:00.160 There's gonna be room there in the middle if you 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:02.359 can get by those elite defensive guys on the wings. 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.000 Got to hit that little floater. I think he's got 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:06.880 to shoot it with some confidence and probably shoot it 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:09.640 often because they don't need to. I'm gonna be throwing 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:11.840 doubles at him. They're happy with guys playing one on 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:13.919 one because they have so many elite defenders. But yeah, 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:15.560 can they just stop them? Is the other point you 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:18.840 said in your Boston is like incredible, that's going to the ball. 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:20.680 They scored one hundred and twenty six points per one 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:23.760 hundred possessions against Indiana the season. I was a little 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:26.440 inflated because of that one hundred and fifty five point 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:28.560 game I guess they had early in the year, but 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.160 still some other high octane games. So just can they 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:34.119 slow them down, because we even saw the Pacers against 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:35.919 the Knicks there in some of those games it was 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:39.240 high scoring affairs and we're stopping them for a majority 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:42.440 of it. And Boston's even better offensively, so can they 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:43.080 get enough stops? 0:06:43.120 --> 0:06:45.680 Yeah, these are the top two offenses in the playoffs. 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:50.279 The Celtics can do it. As Trey brought up, the 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.559 time that the Celtics find a problem with their offense 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:55.880 is when they're trying to do one particular thing, and 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.680 that's it could be in this case, Dale trying to 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:02.760 give it to tyres Sealiburn because they excel like the 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:04.880 Pacers do when they give it to everybody. Yeh, when 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:06.800 they make it all happen when they move it, when 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.400 all five guys are getting into it. So it's really 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:11.840 if the Celtics just kind of go back to their 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:16.160 old ways and have a bad stretch. But they have 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:20.760 been resting and ready for this series. They are absolutely fresh. 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:23.120 They just give game twos away. That's what they do. 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:24.840 They gave game two away in each of their first 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:27.480 two series. So it's highly likely the Celtics will win 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:30.240 game one. It's that game two mystery that if the 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:32.280 Pacers can go into Boston and steal one. 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:34.640 I wonder if the Celtics will play drop, especially with 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:38.040 Porzingis out. Al Horford's a better switch defender than Porzingis is, 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:39.840 and I think he's a little bit more comfortable there. 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:43.080 You also saw in that Game five against the Cavaliers, 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:45.640 the Celtics were saying, you're not taking three pointers, live 0:07:46.040 --> 0:07:47.800 in the lane if you want to. That's how Evan 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:49.800 Mobley had a huge game, took twenty four shots in 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:52.240 that one. So I think that's probably what the Celtics 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:54.440 will do. They're gonna switch everything. Makes it even tougher 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:56.080 for the Pacers to get three pointers up. 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.600 Yeah, And on the other side, does Al let a 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:01.240 few rip from three point line because Miles Turner will 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:04.000 want to be in the lane to help out on defense. 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.720 And these numbers sometimes don't mean anything, but he did 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:11.160 shoot six of eleven from three against the Boston or 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:15.240 the Indian Pacers, excuse me from three, so they will 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:17.400 try and get Miles as far away from the rim 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:19.480 as possible because he is there to turn. 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:23.200 Do you think you're not concerned? You said really at 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:25.360 all that Porzenkis is not going to start this series 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:29.040 in all likelihoods, maybe misses game one and two, and 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:31.520 then we move forward there and maybe we see him Indiana, 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.960 but Al Horford starts, Luke Cornette backup minutes. Do we 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:38.240 see Tillman, do we see even Oshae Brissett? Does he 0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:40.720 get a chance here in a more athletic type of 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:42.400 series and you're not going to be punished, but the 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:44.160 size of Indiana probably What do you. 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.520 Think I don't think so. No, To be quite honest, 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:48.720 I think they want Christopsportzings back in this series to 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.640 get him ready for the NBA Finals potentially right, and 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:56.079 Game three would give him twenty five days off for 0:08:56.280 --> 0:09:00.240 the injury. Kelly Dwyer loves a good calendar, and I 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:04.079 got that date from him, twenty five days off to 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:06.800 help the bum CAF get ready for the NBA Finals. 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:09.000 I don't think it's a problem. Does anybody else really 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:12.760 think it's a problem that al Horford, who has been 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:15.800 primed for these playoff minutes because he didn't play a ton. 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.079 He did be played in the regular season, obviously, but 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:19.720 they didn't have to go to him a lot. Plus 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.040 they are arresting in the fact that they had two 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:24.480 shorter series. Yeah, so I don't think it's problem. 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:26.600 Yeah, I definitely don't think it's a problem. I don't 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:28.880 really think Tillman or Persette is going to factor into 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:31.520 this series at all. I think Tilman's played like twenty 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:34.920 five minutest hasn't touched the floor yet in the playoffs. 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.319 But the Pacers did a pretty good job against the 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:40.000 Knicks on the offensive glass, so you're gonna want a 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:42.960 big out there at the very least. Though, I imagine the Celtics, 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:46.560 if the Pacers are really really running, they could try 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:48.480 five out play Tatum at the five if they really 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.160 wanted to, and then who knows who comes in as 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:53.040 the guard, probably Pritchard or something like that. But I 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:56.360 don't think that Porzingis is necessary for the Celtics to 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:57.200 win this series, right. 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.640 And Missoula has been pretty hesitant to want to go 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:02.120 to him as sort of a small ball center five. 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:04.040 He likes the size there, so that's why we see 0:10:04.080 --> 0:10:06.080 Luke and stuff like that. And obviously Al Horford who 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:09.040 has played great as the series went on. Against the Cavs. 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:11.080 He was not hitting anything to start that series, but 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:13.160 then sort of caught fire and you know, sort of 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:15.480 found his rhythm, so he could be instrumental. Here. Is 0:10:15.480 --> 0:10:17.520 there anything else to watch for in this one? And 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:19.679 you want to pivot to straight up X factors? We 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:20.720 could do both teams if. 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.120 You want, Yeah, let's do the five. Let's pivot. 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:24.480 What do you got for an X factor? 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:29.360 The two pests TJ McConnell versus Peyton Pritchard. I think 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:33.920 that will be interesting because TJ McConnell was monstrous last series. 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:37.120 He was so key against the New York Knicks and 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:39.840 according to the stats he was eighteen of thirty three 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:43.960 from the floor against these Boston Celtics. But Peyton Pritchard 0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:47.160 will have fun against him, so that matchup is going 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:49.640 to be important. I think if there's anything that the 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:53.679 Pacers do benefit from, it is their depth, and at 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:57.000 times TJ McConnell was what was really huge. I mean 0:10:57.040 --> 0:11:00.760 he created turnovers in the backcourt in both of these series, 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:03.920 so that's really important, and Payne Pritchard I think will 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.679 be up for the challenge when he looks into the 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:08.440 mirror and he sees TJ mcconalll. I know they play 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:10.959 a little differently, but they're going to be in that 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:15.000 same role. So just that matchup is interesting. Pritchard really 0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:19.600 has to be up in TJ McConnell because TJ mcconnald 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:21.760 can cause it a big problem. So that matchup will 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:23.280 be fun for me and it is key, I think 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:26.440 for Indiana to win that thing to win this series. 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:30.920 Indiana's bench was phenomenal against the Knicks really throughout the postseason, 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:32.559 he said McConnell. I mean, he's been one of the 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:34.760 biggest stories from the postseason. Eleven points per game in 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:37.280 the playoffs. He had forty two assists to just ten 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:40.840 turnovers in that Knick series. Obie Toppins averaged eleven points 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:43.720 per game in the playoffs. He hit a decent number 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:45.840 of threes against the Knicks, seven to sixteen, so not 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:48.800 a huge volume, but knocked him down. Ben Sheppard been 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:51.360 rebounding really well for a shooting guard when his opportunity. 0:11:51.440 --> 0:11:53.760 He's shooting forty seven percent from deep in the playoffs. 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.120 And then Isaiah Jackson, who's played the less of those guys, 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:58.680 the fewestmount of winnets. Excuse me, but a hustle guy 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:00.520 maybe gives you ten minutes per game. Maybe we see 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:02.080 him a little bit more about block shots. He's been 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:04.040 a positive in almost all his games against the Knicks. 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:06.480 So like, yeah, the X factor for the Pacers to 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:08.920 make this interesting. Halliburton's got to be a star. But 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:10.760 these guys got to continue to play at this elite 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:13.600 level because it might be might be one one tiny 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:16.600 advantage when you do the old columns between the two teams, 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.520 but can they keep it up against a much better 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:19.440 Celtics team. 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:21.199 That was my X factor as well. Who's going to 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.720 be the best white guy in this series? McConnell or Pritchard. 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:25.960 That's kind of what it comes down to, because the Pacers, 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:28.720 their bench was a major advantage against the Knicks. Of course, 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:31.320 the Knicks bench didn't get a whole lot of run there, 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.320 and you know, was depleted by the end. But I 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.920 still think that the Pacers can probably run against this 0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:39.559 Boston Celtics bench, though you know they'll be blended lineups 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:41.439 that kind of stuff. So a little further down on 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:42.800 the X factor list, I think is going to be 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.040 Drew Holliday's offense because it would be smart of the 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:48.720 Pacers to make him beat you. Because there are good 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:50.719 games from Drew Holliday. We've seen a lot of good games. 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:52.400 We've also seen a lot of games where he's forcing 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:54.480 it a lot of turnovers, can't really get into his 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:58.000 offense efficiently. I think he's going to be getting a 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:01.079 large part of the Halliburton Assignment defense lay, so he's 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:04.400 probably putting a lot of effort there. If the Pacers 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:06.240 can trick the Celtics into a one on one game, 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:09.120 that definitely favors them because a mishot there going the 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:11.200 other way. That's how the Pacers want to play. 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:13.560 Speaking of white guys who can help, Sam Houser can 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.840 help the Boston Celtics because Indiana hasn't really faced a 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:19.480 guy like this off the bench in their two series 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:24.000 here against the Knicks and Milwaukee. Sam Hauser would be 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:27.280 the best shooter out of all between both those teams 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.440 coming off this bench, and he can let it rip, 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:32.880 so that is something they have to guard. He can 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:36.480 literally fill it so that there is that you're right 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:39.160 about the advantage for the Indiana Pacers has to be 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:40.960 their bench. It really has to be. So they have 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:42.720 to watch Sam Hauser for those open threes. 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:46.120 Are you excited to watch Nie Smith do his best 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:49.000 to slow down A Tatum. I assume that will be 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:51.600 majority of his assignment, maybe some Jail and Brown. But 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:54.080 you know, Tatum and Brown had great numbers against the 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:56.760 Pacers in the regular season in terms of scoring the ball, 0:13:57.040 --> 0:13:58.719 and you know, we barely even talked about them here. 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:00.320 It's just like we're sort of just put them in 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:03.480 Pennett feels like for their numbers exactly. You know, the 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:05.360 only thing bad thing is Tatum can't hit a three 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:07.240 to save his life. Right now, if you're a Pacers fan, 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:10.040 you're hoping that continues. But speak to that matchup there 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.600 and Nie Smith. You know the revenge series here, it's 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:14.160 a team that's sort of a cut him and let 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:14.920 him go and all that. 0:14:15.160 --> 0:14:17.720 I think Aaron Nesmith is the Patrick Beverly of the wing. 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.840 He's tricking, y'all. He just tries really really hard. Yeah, 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:22.840 and he's guarding on the ball. He gets lost on 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:25.520 backdoor cuts. He's not really an offensive player unless he's 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:28.360 hitting threes, which is up and down for him. So 0:14:28.400 --> 0:14:31.600 I think he needs to be effective offensively for the 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:34.960 Pacers and then hopefully slow down one of either Tatum 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:37.240 or Brown, which is a tough spot for him because 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.320 guess what, there's another guy who could go off. You know, 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:42.600 like we barely even get to Jason Tatum and Jalen 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:44.680 Brown until we're at the end of the X Factor series. 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:47.120 These guys are averaging basically thirty a game, yeah, throughout 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:51.680 the playoffs, so they could use a second Niemith honestly, Yeah, 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:53.280 there's so many Yakam. I guess has got to be 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:55.160 a good defender as well. We haven't mentioned him yet. 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:58.040 Yeah, for sure. I mean, yeah, they're obviously they have guys. 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:00.400 They have size, at least in theory on pay to 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.440 slow them down. But like Jalen Brown's completely overlooked throughout 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:05.640 the entire postseason. We barely talked about the Celtics, for 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:07.920 being honest, because they've taken care of business outside of 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:09.680 these weird games they have in Game two and they're 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:11.240 suddenly like, oh my god, we got a one one 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:13.440 series and then they dominate from there on out. I'm 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:15.400 interested to watch and this is by way of Schumann. 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:19.720 You know, the Celtics have played basically no clutch time 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:23.280 in this postseason. I think it's seventy nine seconds where 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.360 the score was within five points in the last five 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:27.640 minutes of the fourth quarter. So nine of their ten games, 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:31.040 including both of their losses, they're double digits. Like, they're 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:35.040 not close games. Now, I'm not like worry some or 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:36.920 worried that if they get in that like, oh, they'll 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:38.280 just panic and don't know what to do. I mean, 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:41.080 you have great star players, but they just haven't had 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:42.680 to play. Any of the Pacers have played I think 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.120 four clutch games already and I think they split those. 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:48.000 Just so I hope we get close games. I just 0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:51.120 don't know if we will continue with the Boston Celtics 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:53.120 here in just these blowout varieties. 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:54.960 I think one thing we do overlook when we look 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.240 at the Pacers versus Celtics in the regular season or 0:15:57.280 --> 0:15:59.520 just the Pacers overall, is that their defense has gotten 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:01.960 better as the season has gone along and in this postseason. 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.240 And so yeah, Tatum and Brown are good against them, 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:07.560 but they do have four really good defenders besides Halliburton, 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:09.800 the other four guys that they play in Nie Smith 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:12.840 and them Hart and Turner and Siakam are good defenders 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:15.080 to start, and then there's more off the bench. Yeah, 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:19.800 and so for sure, absolutely they changed defensive team. Yeah, 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:21.880 and they put they put Ni Smith and them Hart 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:25.600 into the starting lineup to be pests. So there's that. 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:29.080 But the Celtics are just damn talented and they fire 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.800 away from three. They've average averaged thirty eight threes per 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.320 game here in the first two rounds. And you just 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:41.040 think that they are more talented offensively than the Inana Pacers, 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.640 which is odd to say because the Pacers are so 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:46.680 damn good offensively, But then the Celtics do have the 0:16:46.720 --> 0:16:49.120 good defense as well. So yeah, it's a very well 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:51.360 rounded team. There's no doubt, do you think. 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:53.160 I mean, we talked about the Pacers obviously getting a 0:16:53.160 --> 0:16:54.880 little injury luck here against the teams they play, and 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:57.600 there's no doubt with the Giannis and then obviously Nicks. 0:16:57.600 --> 0:16:59.480 But do you think the Pacers are better than the 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:03.800 two thousand twenty one Hawks comparable much worse like these 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.200 teams that make sort of surprise runs to the conference finals. 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:09.080 Where do you like have this Pacers team and sort 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:11.520 of the hierarchy there equal. 0:17:11.800 --> 0:17:14.199 Yeah, yeah, I mean I don't I don't think that. 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:16.520 I think the Knicks would have beat him if they're healthy, 0:17:16.520 --> 0:17:17.920 and I think Buck would have beat him they're healthy, 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.760 right right, right, So I mean that kind of falls 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:22.720 along the same lines as the Hawks, where it's like 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:24.880 Ben Simmons had a mountdown Joelle and beiid couldn't hang 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:26.800 onto the ball in Game six and seven. They went 0:17:26.840 --> 0:17:29.359 to the conference finals. But that's kind of how it 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:31.400 goes in the playoffs. A lot the healthiest teams get there. 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:33.280 The Celtics haven't played a healthy team yet either. 0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:37.520 Yeah, that's good to play point prediction time. Where are 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:39.080 you going? How many game? 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.680 There's gonna be some weird stuff because the Pacers haven't 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:44.240 lost a home game in months, It's been a long 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:48.200 time March eighteenth. But the Celtics haven't lost a game 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:52.240 on the road this postseason, so something is going to change. 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:54.919 But the Celtics have lost both game twos. As I 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:57.840 said earlier, I do think the Celtics will get on 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:00.879 a roll just because they have had a lot of 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:02.840 rest to win Game one and the Game two is 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:05.160 a question. This one. I think they'll just feel better, 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:09.400 and this is the biggest stage for the Pacers and 0:18:09.560 --> 0:18:12.600 since the since the is a what a stage that 0:18:12.760 --> 0:18:16.640 was in Las Vegas, Well, I wish I was there 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:20.760 to see that stage. I have Celtics in five. I 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:24.159