WEBVTT - Atlantic Division Preview: Raptors and Celtics

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<v Speaker 1>Breaks breaking down all the biggest NBA storylines.

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<v Speaker 2>So the Heat Check.

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<v Speaker 1>The Heat Check with Sista Crazy, the best podcast covering

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<v Speaker 1>all the drama around the association. We move on, though,

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<v Speaker 1>to the worst team in the Atlantic. Just an abysmal,

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<v Speaker 1>bysmal team. How the culture has changed for the Toronto

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<v Speaker 1>Raptors since twenty nineteen. They were forty one and forty

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<v Speaker 1>one last year.

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<v Speaker 2>Ninth place.

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<v Speaker 1>They end up drafting a guy that I love, Grady Dick.

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<v Speaker 1>They end up acquiring Dennis Shooter through free agency. They

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<v Speaker 1>get Darko Radjokovic, who's currently the guy that's being sued

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<v Speaker 1>and by the New York Knicks.

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<v Speaker 2>Great hire. They lose. They lose Nick Nurse, they lose

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<v Speaker 2>Fred van Fleet.

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<v Speaker 1>But there's some other guys that are kind of like

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<v Speaker 1>in flux, you know, like they're in the we'll call

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<v Speaker 1>it they're in roster purgatory.

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<v Speaker 2>That's Ogiidanobi. That is Ascal Siakam. I think there's some

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<v Speaker 2>other ones, but those are the main two.

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<v Speaker 1>They were very disappointing last season, extremely disappointing five hundred team.

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<v Speaker 1>They get bounced in the playoff play in they fire

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<v Speaker 1>their coach right away.

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<v Speaker 2>Nick Nurse won the only title.

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<v Speaker 1>In franchise history, did not see eye to eye with

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<v Speaker 1>Massai Eugerie. He got shown the door. It was shocking

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<v Speaker 1>to some Our guy, Jake Fisher, friend the show was

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<v Speaker 1>calling for that pretty much in the preseason last year,

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<v Speaker 1>said that he was going to be on the hot

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<v Speaker 1>seat because of some cultural issues between those two in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of their philosophy for the how the squad's going

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<v Speaker 1>to play. Also, the roster construction very strange and that

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<v Speaker 1>leads to underperformance as well. They were in constant trade

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<v Speaker 1>rumors over and over and over again. They did absolutely

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<v Speaker 1>nothing at the deadline. Shocker again, roster purgatory players that

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<v Speaker 1>we didn't know if they were going to go or

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<v Speaker 1>if they were going to stay. Masai Ujeri greatest cock

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<v Speaker 1>t's in the NBA or spinning fire to night him midnight.

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<v Speaker 1>The Raptors then lose Fred Van Fleet for nothing again

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<v Speaker 1>because he was in the trade rumors that they didn't

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<v Speaker 1>do it.

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<v Speaker 2>He was supposed to be the heart and soul.

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<v Speaker 1>Of the team aka the Kyle Lowry of the team,

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<v Speaker 1>who they again lost for nothing. They add Dennis Shooter,

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<v Speaker 1>who I love actually feba god. He was a part

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<v Speaker 1>of the World Cup run where I don't think Germany

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<v Speaker 1>lost even one game. One of the most underrated players

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<v Speaker 1>in the league. Right now, they get Grady Dick, who

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<v Speaker 1>people are just calling Dick now, which I love. Very

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<v Speaker 1>wild card Dick is. You know, you know, you know

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<v Speaker 1>how Dick b is. Just never know what Dick's up to.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, one second he's here, one second he's not.

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<v Speaker 1>Could be really good, could be a real mess, just

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<v Speaker 1>like any Dick anyway. The biggest change is dark Over Jakovich,

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<v Speaker 1>who comes over from Memphis.

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<v Speaker 2>He's a very unknown commodity.

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<v Speaker 1>He dropped into this team like a vampire, and he

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<v Speaker 1>seems like already kind of causing a ruckus given the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that I think the New York Knicks are accusing

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<v Speaker 1>him of stealing some proprietary information from their team. He

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<v Speaker 1>is now tasked with coaching a team that has a

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<v Speaker 1>bunch of veteran presence, a lot of defensive ability, a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of length, a lot of athleticism, but not a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of true bucket ketters, not a lot of guys

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<v Speaker 1>who can shoot from beyond the art consistently.

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<v Speaker 2>Besides, of course, the wildcard Dick.

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<v Speaker 1>He will preside over players like Pascal Suakam, who is

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<v Speaker 1>either going to sign an extension or is going to

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<v Speaker 1>dipset og Nanobi, who has been unhappy with his role

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<v Speaker 1>since twenty nineteen twenty twenty. It's been a while not

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<v Speaker 1>happy in Toronto. I'm probably gonna walk in free agency

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<v Speaker 1>if he doesn't get sent out by the deadline.

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<v Speaker 2>But let's be honest, it's MASSI, so he'll probably keep him.

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<v Speaker 1>Scottie Barnes, who was a big time sophomore slump last year,

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<v Speaker 1>but I like a lot MASI wants to build the

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<v Speaker 1>entire team around him.

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<v Speaker 2>But the question really is, what is this team? What

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<v Speaker 2>is this What are they doing?

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<v Speaker 1>I know they're probably good enough to be a five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred team again, but like, could it be better than that?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think so.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't have really any real idea. I suspect this

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<v Speaker 1>is a loser team. Honestly, I suspect this is not

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<v Speaker 1>a good team. I do think they're gonna play freer.

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<v Speaker 1>I do think they're gonna play looser with more joy.

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<v Speaker 1>The Nick Nurse experiment, the Nick Nurse train is a

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<v Speaker 1>little Thibodeaux esque. He's not afraid to bury you in

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<v Speaker 1>the media. We'll see what Darko does. I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>how that's gonna be. They're probably gonna ditch this whole.

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<v Speaker 1>Like we play five to seven guys forty two to

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<v Speaker 1>forty eight minutes a night. Thing the bench is not

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<v Speaker 1>an existing thing. We don't even really even travel with

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<v Speaker 1>the bench because we're not gonna use them. It's like

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<v Speaker 1>Nick Tom Thibodeau nurse, you know, kind of that kind

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<v Speaker 1>of a vibe. Where will the Raptors end up? I

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<v Speaker 1>have zero confidence in this team. I'm not gonna lie

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<v Speaker 1>to you. In my notes it says they could be

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<v Speaker 1>a six seed, but if I actually said that with

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<v Speaker 1>any conviction, I'd be lying to you.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not gonna do that.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a very schizophrenic, defensive oriented a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>ninety eight to ninety six wins if they're gonna get them,

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<v Speaker 1>and in a league where Jannis and Dame are gonna

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<v Speaker 1>probably put up one fifty a night, it's gonna be

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<v Speaker 1>tough sledding. They are very we'll call it a wild card.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll see what they get at the deadline, if they

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<v Speaker 1>get anything at all. But onto the team that everyone

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<v Speaker 1>thinks is going to be the real contender, the Boston Celtics,

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<v Speaker 1>who's Colie taken.

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<v Speaker 2>Not Joe's. That's really the main question mark.

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<v Speaker 1>There is Joe Key edition, Chris DAPs porzingis in free agency,

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<v Speaker 1>and Drew Holliday via trade. They lose Marks Smart, Grant Williams,

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<v Speaker 1>Rob Williams, Malcolm Brogden. If you think that's a lot,

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<v Speaker 1>well that is. Uh that's three starting players and six

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<v Speaker 1>Man of.

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<v Speaker 2>The Year Malcolm Brogden. So they made a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>money moves.

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<v Speaker 1>Brad Stevens is under the gun. I'm sure ownership is

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<v Speaker 1>crawling up his ass to get a championship in while

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<v Speaker 1>the J's are still in their prime.

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<v Speaker 2>They're only nineteen.

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<v Speaker 1>By the way, did you know Jason Tatum only nineteen?

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<v Speaker 1>For like the seventh straight year tradered Brad has pushed

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<v Speaker 1>all of his chips into the middle of this summer

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<v Speaker 1>and now the Celtics are the odds on favorite to

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<v Speaker 1>win the title.

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<v Speaker 2>So how did this happen?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, they made the big trade earlier in the summer

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<v Speaker 1>when they shipped out Marcus Smart, which we predicted should

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<v Speaker 1>have been traded probably two years ago. Everyone murdered me

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<v Speaker 1>in Boston for that. For that, I say, thank you,

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<v Speaker 1>guy was right. Then they end up doing this deal

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<v Speaker 1>with Memphis in a three way trade that landed them

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<v Speaker 1>kristavs Porzingis in Kelly Green.

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<v Speaker 2>They then signed them to an immediate.

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<v Speaker 1>Extension, which I don't know, baby, I don't know about

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<v Speaker 1>that huge move brings an all star big man. I

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<v Speaker 1>like the prospect of Chris DAFs porzingis a lot. I

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<v Speaker 1>think him playing five is very interesting. If he's healthy.

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<v Speaker 1>He can stretch the floor. He can shoot threes, he

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<v Speaker 1>can dribble, he can literally bring the ball up and

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<v Speaker 1>pull up from thirty feet right in your dome face.

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<v Speaker 1>He can also get lobs. He can rebound. Not the

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<v Speaker 1>greatest perimeter defender, pretty good at defending the rim. I

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<v Speaker 1>think this is going to take the team forward. It's

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<v Speaker 1>certainly going to make them more unique, a little more athletic,

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit more versatile. But they were not done.

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<v Speaker 1>In the aftermath of the Dame Lollard trade, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>Brad Stevens put his big balls on the table and

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<v Speaker 1>when now he got Drew Holliday, one of the best

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<v Speaker 1>perimeter defenders, if not the best perimeter defender on planet Earth,

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<v Speaker 1>in exchange for time Lord Rob Williams and six Man

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<v Speaker 1>of the Year Malcolm Brockton.

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<v Speaker 2>You lose Grant.

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<v Speaker 1>Williams to free agency, he goes off to Dallas. That

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<v Speaker 1>is a good portion of the defense, folks, that is

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<v Speaker 1>now gone. Holiday presumably helps set immensely. Now this team

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<v Speaker 1>is a serious problem.

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<v Speaker 2>This team is.

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<v Speaker 1>A when healthy, a massive problem. You have Derek my

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<v Speaker 1>name is Kodak black, but when you see me, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>white and I like him a lot. We don't even

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<v Speaker 1>mention him because he's a key piece of this rotation.

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<v Speaker 1>Swapping out Holiday for Smart, I think is a big improvement, really,

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<v Speaker 1>especially since Holiday is a forty percent three point shooter,

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<v Speaker 1>and we know that Marcus Smart little on the iffy

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<v Speaker 1>side from three, can be good, can be very ice cold.

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<v Speaker 1>They are not gonna have to worry about who's going

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<v Speaker 1>to handle the rock down and the crunch time and

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<v Speaker 1>clutch time.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not gonna be Jaylen Brown anymore. It's not gonna

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<v Speaker 2>be Jason Tatum anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>You now have a floor general who can also walk

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<v Speaker 1>up on defense but also make the right decisions.

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<v Speaker 2>You don't want Marcus Smart taking the last shot of

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<v Speaker 2>a crucial game seven. I'd be fine with Jew Holiday

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<v Speaker 2>taking the last shot in a crucial Game seven. But

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<v Speaker 2>the issues on this team are are threefold. One, can

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<v Speaker 2>Christas Porzingis stay healthy. That's key. If he can, this

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<v Speaker 2>team's gonna be insane.

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<v Speaker 1>History shows, though, let's be real, Chris Porzingis has difficulty

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<v Speaker 1>playing a full season. If he is out for any

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<v Speaker 1>extended period of time, they have really nothing to back

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<v Speaker 1>him up.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not even sure who their backup center is. I

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<v Speaker 2>really don't know. I would have to google it right

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<v Speaker 2>this second. Not anyone good.

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<v Speaker 1>They don't have time Lord there to back him up now,

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<v Speaker 1>which was kind of a key piece. The second point,

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<v Speaker 1>are they gonna have enough defense in the interior, specifically

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<v Speaker 1>to stop Joel Embiid?

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<v Speaker 2>And you're honest, I don't know. I don't think about that.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know.

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<v Speaker 1>Not to mention those other teams out West, like Jokic

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<v Speaker 1>and Jamal Murray and a plethora of other teams that

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<v Speaker 1>are gonna be coming for that ass Drew's lockdown defender

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<v Speaker 1>Jason Tatum can play defense.

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<v Speaker 2>Jaylen Brown can play defense, but I don't know.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm suss on this also, of course, the third more

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<v Speaker 1>obvious glaring question mark is Joe Miszoula. He did not

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<v Speaker 1>have a stellar coaching performance in the playoffs. He does

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<v Speaker 1>not have particularly great called bedside manner with the media.

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<v Speaker 2>He doesn't really.

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<v Speaker 1>Have great in game adjustments. But he has surrounded himself

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<v Speaker 1>with more veteran assistant coaches. He gets another year of experience.

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<v Speaker 1>Hopefully he's not watching the town anymore. That did not

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<v Speaker 1>work out. The question really, will he be able to

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<v Speaker 1>more consistently manage rotations and the clock in the playoffs

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<v Speaker 1>and not just be like, well, their jobs to figure

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<v Speaker 1>it out, and my job is to watch.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm watching just like y'all.

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<v Speaker 1>That's not an acceptable answer, Joe. So the Celtics are

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<v Speaker 1>going to be a very, very fun team to watch

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<v Speaker 1>this year. Whether it ends up with them hoist see

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<v Speaker 1>Larry O'Brien, we will see