#2 - NBA & NHL Playoffs

Craig D'Alessandro : 0:24

On this episode of the SNSW podcast, the NBA and NHL have begun the second round of the respective playoffs, we'll discuss the matchups and let you know which teams have the edge. We'll also discuss how the Bruins and Celtics have responded to losing key members of their rosters with the Bruins goaltender to grasp opting out after game three of the first round, and the Celtics looking forward Gordon Hayward to yet another ankle injury. All this and more, but it's all relative. Welcome to Episode Two of the SNSW podcast I'm Craig D'Alessandro Ep of the SNSW network. If this is your first time finding us welcome. We're thrilled to have you here with us. The SNSW podcast is a one hour weekly to our monthly podcast recapping the biggest stories in the world of sports with the New England flavor The show notes and transcript of today's episode can be found in the description box below, as well as our WordPress and buzzsprout pages. Be sure to hit that subscribe button if you have not already it's easiest way to see when we publish new episodes. We are on iTunes, Spotify, Google and wherever you generally find your podcast. Be sure to rate us and leave a review of any of our shows. Not like our egos need to be inflated any more than they already are. And follow us on social media. All of our links will be in the show notes. On this week's show. We have Rayshawn Buchanan, Bob Kelly, Dave Clark and our host for this week's show is Michael Marcangelo and Mike today's show is being recorded Tuesday August 25 and published Thursday, August 27. We are in the second round of the NBA & NHL playoffs and the Celtics are playing a team from Canada in Florida and the Bruins are playing a team from Florida in Canada. It's pretty on brand for 2020

Michael Marcangelo : 2:13

Yeah, I was just about to say Craig There is nothing more 2020 than that last sentence that you just had. And thank you so much for the great intro. As you said Welcome everyone to the to the SNSW Podcast. I am Michael Morgan. So joined by DK sizzle Dave Clarke at the real BK Bob Kelly Rayshawn Buchanan and the greatest producer in the history of producing Craig D'Alessandro, and today we have a lot to talk about. We're going to be going through the Boston Bruins playoff journey, starting with the Carolina Hurricanes transitioning to the game series now with the Tampa Bay Lightning. We're also going to focus a lot on the NBA, where I'm talking about the NBA round one, all the series that went on there and the review and then round two as well. And then obviously we're going to end with the Celtics and lodged in there is going to be a little bit of a preview of our championship rewrap that dropped Tuesday. So loved I want to get that plug out there. There's gonna be more of that to come. So we don't have a lot of time boys. So I'm going to start off with the Bruins. The Bruins, were able to take care of the Carolina Hurricanes and in five games, they won four games to one. There was a lot of news and noteworthiness in that series and not a lot of it came from what happened on the ice. As you guys all know Tuukka Rask was not playing well number one did not sound like he wanted to play well or cared about playing well number two and then right before game three, he up and left so I'm gonna open I'm gonna open this up to Bobby first. What is the impact of Tuukka leaving? Can the Bruins recover? doesn't even matter?

Rob Kelly : 3:45

So I know we've spoke about this multiple times my when it comes to Tuukka rask and him leaving the bubble Honestly, I believe that they are better off without them. And I think the stats do show that at this point, since Tuukka has left the team or what we'll back up a little bit prior to to grass leaving the team in the playoffs that are one in three including the bubble. Since he has left. They are four - one. their goals against average has gone from almost three goals a game down to two. The stats show it the play shows it the emotion shows that everything that we've seen from the Bruins sense to go or ask has opted out and left this time. team has shown us that this is a completely different hockey team, when they have a goalie that actually cares about what's happening and actually is putting his heart and pride on the ice every single night. And I think I think the show, I think the play that we've seen absolutely shows,

Michael Marcangelo : 4:41

yeah, I'd have to agree with you. I was you know, when that announcement came out, I think like everyone else, I was just I read the press release it was I just couldn't believe what I was reading. Right. We talked about this on our on our to our show a couple weeks back when we said you know what, if you didn't want to show up, just don't no one's gonna hold it against you. But it didn't like it. Like we talked about it didn't sound like he wanted to be there. But I think what's interesting is now, based on the player of the team, and DK, I know that you also said this, too. It doesn't look like they needed him. And it also looks like they're doing better without him. But is that sustainable?

Rob Kelly : 5:14

Well, hockey's weird sport for this kind of stuff. I think, you know, I think in any sport, you're going to have a tough time when one of your major players comes out after the game and the like. happened with the Bruins in the CD games and starts to kind of act like he doesn't want to be there starts to talk about not really caring about hockey in August and that's just going to deflate out the locker room in any sport. But in hockey especially, I've noticed at least correct me if I'm wrong, I think you can get a goalie that may not be a star player to get hot really easily. There's a kind of a luck of the puck thing going on sometimes in a hockey series where you can dominate for a long time and you can just get punished coming up the other end. You know what I mean? There's, there's so many intangibles in a hockey team, where we've seen goalies you've never heard of start standing on their head and take take a team the whole way, you know, to win the cup. Is it sustainable? Absolutely. Have we seen examples of situations like this in hockey, specifically having like being sustained totally. Does it in retrospect show how much of a poison rask actually was in the locker room a little bit?

Michael Marcangelo : 6:17

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And rayshawn I know that in the in the pre show you had a little bit to add about this too. What do you think? Right now, what's the state of the Bruins? How can they do without rask? And I'll ask you the question again. Are they a cup worthy team without that without him and behind that? Oh, well, yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan : 6:35

Um, so you know, I feel like Halak's been a nice fine. I'm replacing you know, to harass. You know, kind of like, as we mentioned before, you know goaltending is kind of crucial for any team. That's looking to make a long postseason run. I just felt like, you know, with him leaving the team, you know, it seems like it's going to be a blessing in disguise. You know, usually when you lose a player of that caliber, you know, using serves as a major blow to the team, but right now with the how they ended up beating Carolina and I'm already being against Tampa Bay, it just seems that they're rallying around each other and saying, you know what, the guys that are here, we're going to do this, we're going to make it happen. We're cup two tenders and we're ready to show the world they're ready to, um, to get back to the finals again for the second year in a row.

Michael Marcangelo : 7:17

Yeah, I think also, just to kind of bring you back in in here, Bobby. I think we're Was it you? Or was it me like did you notice that after Tuukka left posture neck was no longer injured and he was able to come back and play pretty well? Is that a coincidence?

Rob Kelly : 7:35

It absolutely is not. You know, like I was saying the when it comes to hockey, the biggest thing when it goes through the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the heart and the will of the team to actually get down to it and and and do what needs to be done to win that Stanley Cup. It's been said since the beginning of hockey since I've been watching hockey, that the hardest trophy to win in all of sports is Ward Stanley Cup. For you to have someone that you need to rely on every single night that literally is the backbone of your team and make your team run. For you to feel that that absence of passion of emotion and the willingness to do anything to get you to that point is something that's measurable and in my opinion, like we were saying they are better off without to grasp 100%.

Michael Marcangelo : 8:27

And I think, you know, I definitely agree with you. I want to hear a little bit more about like, what does this say? And we'll talk more about the Tampa Bay series coming up. But so in my opinion, and again, I'll open this up to everybody else, but now that they've made it out of the first round, isn't he less relevant? Like if they had lost the first round series, you'd say? Well, if you had Tuukka, you'd be fine. If you went in now and make it just a little bit of a deep playoff run, you don't need him. I mean, I don't know if I don't know if he's trade worthy. But if you're in the front office of the Bruins, DK sizzle. What do you do?

Rob Kelly : 8:57

Well, for right now, I think he's ready. He's relevant as Bulliton board material. You know what I mean? It's like, your guy's gone. Like this. You're you're starting go. He's gone and look at what we're already doing. You know what I mean? You don't have to say it out loud in the locker room, but I mean, my experience, listen, hockey coaches probably are saying it directly, you know, they're probably standing there going. Yeah, some people didn't want to hack it. Some people didn't want to play hockey in August. But look at what you guys are doing. You can now point to a specific run of success without him that is provable now across the rest of the playoffs as far as the front office goes, it's about public relations now and I think they're doing a wonderful job of it already. It's it's toolkit comes out, oh, this emergency happened, you know, like fine if it did or if it didn't, that's just good for his trade value. That's just good for stock at this point. Like if you're the Boston Bruins, it's in your best interest to keep the team mad. The fans man and all the rest of the NHL interested in to grass because you know, he's not coming back to Boston. Meanwhile, he was playing golf The day after he got back from his family emergency shades of Josh Beckett from 2012

Michael Marcangelo : 10:01

didn't he at least had the balls to say I'm just not I'm just gonna go play golf or go on the lake with my family. He didn't lie he just said I'm gonna do it. Right I think I think to compare Beckett into his a little bit different I think you know, Beckett won a championship to get really hasn't so you I think I could take the nod there but for for the Bruins now in this series against Tampa Bay. A couple things that I've noticed tendon Fast and and they have a ton of skill I think where where the with the Bruins kind of had the edge there is they are a bit edgier and they have a little bit of grit I don't know if I'm the only one that noticed that

Rob Kelly : 10:35

so he absolutely i mean the the lightning I think in my opinion are absolutely more talented team than the Bruins. There's no doubt about that. They have the depth. They have the star power from top to bottom. But what the Bruins have right now is a like we were saying a hot goalie that game one Yaroslav Hawk won that game for the Bruins. He stood on his head all night. Until the third period, he had a shout out going. They got two goals. But again, headman is an absolute stud. He he when it comes down to it when it comes down to clutch moments in a hockey game, that's someone that you can always rely on. And I think the Bruins did a great job of shutting them down the entire game with that heavy checking that they've been doing, and therefore check that last game was absolutely on point. Every time The lightning thought they were comfortable in their own zone. dobrowski was right there pass an axe right there cases right there. Just chipping away at that puck using that r1 button like you said, DK.

Michael Marcangelo : 11:35

I have a question what a stem coast comes back, then what?

Rayshawn Buchanan : 11:38

So I actually read on the Tampa Bay Times whatever, that there's more servers down there. It doesn't seem that his return is coming on. I know, he's been one of the better players in the league since he's been in but I felt like their chances of winning go down drastically without having him in the lineup. And I know Tampa is necessarily one of the more you know, talented teams in the NHL, really, for the last, you know, four or five years but I'm with someone that has that, uh, that is that big of a star. And obviously, you know, stars winning any league but, you know, someone who I believe, you know, he's a center right, he's the Center for them, I believe. Um, you know, someone that played that prominent position, like, even though they have sound around them. They have nobody's cashed in on that talent and it makes it maybe even harder for them so without having someone like him in the lineup.

Rob Kelly : 12:32

So that to me is what makes the rallying around HELOC and everything like that even bigger is because in hockey, the stars Yes, it is important to have those big names on the team. But there is no other sport like hockey where if you can just rally around one cause one thing and play real team hockey, a team that's the 80 you can go all the way win the Stanley Cup. We've seen it multiple times within the last 10 years, the ducks we saw. I believe the penguins were well received when they won. Um, it really depends on what you have around you. And that team camaraderie, I mean, we just saw an expansion team, the Golden Knights go to the Stanley Cup last year. You know it really the more the more emotion and the more passion you have on a hockey team, the further you're going to go and the harder Your goalie, again, the further you're going to go. That's just fact something we've seen. And it's the playoffs too, right? I mean, it's if it's when you get to playoff hockey, everybody's mentality is found out, you know what I mean? If you have a team that might have been hot in the regular season, I know that we say basketball all the time that that that seasons, it's a different season once you hit the playoffs, but in hockey, it's so true, it becomes almost a different sport. You know, I know it's a cliche. We've like, we've heard that a million times, but it becomes almost a different sport. And everybody gets found out if they're mentally weak right away. You know, I mean, we've seen it happen to the Bruins in the past to you know where it's right right away, you just see them. I mean, I think now we're kind of starting to see what the cracks in that team were. But you have seen them come up short mentally before and we've also seen them rally around great Tim Thomas performances that take us all the way so it's, yeah, I think you're absolutely right, Bob. It's like, if you don't if you have a gritty team that then are like a plucky underdog, they have such a better chance in hockey of going all the way than in basketball because it's just going to come down to the Italian basketball boom. Sure. We'll get to that later. But you can just hit a little bit harder in a hockey series, you know, you can just work a little bit harder. You can just play to every whistle, you know what I mean? So it's, it becomes a little bit more about heart and grit, which I think is another great thing about playoff hockey. Yeah. And to that point, Dave, you know, when the Bruins went, Oh, and three in the start off the bubble, I thought that's what we were seeing. I thought they assumed that you know, that this was the new playoffs. They weren't taking it seriously, and that that's what we're gonna get. And apparently, I was wrong. Like they actually can flip the switch because it looks like, you know, it may have taken their number one goaltender, one of their highest paid players to have to leave in order for that switch to be flipped, but it happened. I'm like, I'm just wondering, No, I know. We've seen runs like that before. But Thomas was kind of a commodity, a proven known commodity in 2011. right he had, he had a few a couple seasons under his belt. HELOC doesn't in terms of in Boston, so like, what do you think is going to be the biggest factor in this series? And I'm going to ask you guys now to kind of wrap it up. Who's gonna win this series and how many games, Bruins are gonna win the series. I think it's going seven from that first game. If that went another 30 seconds that game is tied, and there's no doubt there's no doubt about that. So this is a very evenly matched series, I think because of the tuca factor because of the Bruins having this rallying point that they do have. because like you said, Mike, that first bubble that for those first three games that was it was like back to two years again, Bruins It was the most draining hockey I've ever watched in my entire life. As soon as to come out of the picture as soon as that emotion is back into this team. They're the team we saw in the regular season though the team we saw go within one win of the Stanley Cup last year. So I think this team has a legitimate shot to not only win this series, I think it is going to be a great series I see it going seven. But to win the Stanley Cup I think I really think this team with HELOC with the emotion I'm seeing what the play I'm seeing There's good days in the Bruins future and possibly even another episode of our of our rewrap show coming up

Michael Marcangelo : 16:31

rayshawn What are your thoughts in the series?

Rayshawn Buchanan : 16:33

So I think that um, I think it goes seven as well to mainly likes I, like I talked about Tampa Bay just has a lot of talent. And because how luck is an approval commodity, I just feel like this is going to be a game or two that he's not going to be on as a game. And Tim was gonna find a way to score a few goals. So I think it goes seven. I like to I do think that they're fine. We're ready to really make a strong run. I said we were game seven, we were so close last year. So I think this team really wants to get back to the show and look like yeah, we lost last year, but we're just as good as we were last year and we may be even better than last year. So it's I think once they beat them at seven, it won't matter who they face in the conference finals. They'll be going back to the Cup finals for the second year in a row,

Rob Kelly : 17:16

just to be a dissenting voice and a homer I'm gonna say Bruins and six. I think I love the momentum. I love the train, ride and right now and One thing we didn't touch on but I think it is important you know he is a goalie and he's on his own and it is that special position I think looking out at Stanley Cup Winners and veterans you know having a guy like Chara right in front of you turn it around saying it's gonna be alright kid like that's gonna you know that's gonna put you in a different headspace mentally like that guy's got it done it he's wanted you know and i mean burgee like we have guys there that can put their arm around them and go hey, we're gonna get this done you keep riding that momentum like we've seen it happen before like with our own eyes on this team so don't worry about it we're gonna go now that other guys out it's it's all you You're the man this is your moment go grab it you know it's it's inspirational. Bruins and six

Michael Marcangelo : 18:00

Yeah, I mean I think that this guy did this series is gonna go seven. I think that there's not one sport out there that you can actually see momentum take hold more than in playoff hockey, right like and Bobby was right. If that last game had gone 30 more seconds. We probably it would have gone to overtime and we probably would have lost because the momentum shifted. I think that this series is gonna go seven. I think the Bruins are gonna they're gonna take it. I don't know if they're gonna want to up but switching switching gears now because the NHL is not the only playoff right now the NBA Playoffs have been on fire I love their bubble presentation. And I think that round one of the NBA Playoffs there was a lot of exciting moments. I know that you know the three of you are far more invested in the broader NBA so I'm gonna kick it off with with ratio on what are your takeaways from from round one in the NBA Playoffs?

Rayshawn Buchanan : 18:48

So yeah, there's a lot I mean, obviously I think we have to start with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles of the series we've had some conversations OFF AIR about Luca not just before the kid says he simply amazing so put up you know, a 40 points triple double hit the game winner, you know the consequences is there. You know, it's unfortunate that you know, for seniors, it's out for a second game their role could they play later on this evening, but he'll be he'll be up at a game but looking at look at supreme confidence on what he can do. I think Carlisle as a coach has to prevent problems and what he can do. That's an awesome, the Utah Jazz series and the Denver Nuggets. If we could find a way at some point to get out of the middle of the Boston, I'll be through the roof. That kid is phenomenal. I think he's also from the northern areas from Connecticut things from New Haven, but to put a 57 in game one he had, he had 51 in the last game. Jamal Murray also had 50 points in that game as well. It's really amazing to see what guys have done in the bubble. There really even when we had the ACD games. I hadn't seen a really bad game outside of the Washington Wizards, but I mean, the Washington Wizards it's been it's been phenomenal to see those guys go at it. And I'm excited to see more.

Michael Marcangelo : 20:04

Yeah, I mean, just the NBA did it right from from their very first game in the bubble. You never doubted the importance of each game, right? Yeah. You never doubted how how important it was to the players again, that the same can be said for the NHL, but I do want to ask a follow up question to your agency as you brought it up. What do you what do you think makes sense? Lucas so special, like, what is it about his game that that just sets him apart from everybody else?

Rayshawn Buchanan : 20:29

I honestly, I really think that it says confidence like I felt like he thinks he believes that he can get aside at any given time. And I feel like he always believes he's going to make the right play. And for someone who's only 21 years old, usually that doesn't happen until you maybe 2526 27. But the fact that he came to lead because he's already been playing pro ball for where he came from, before you get drafted in 2018. It's just confidence. But then on top of that, it's just a skill set. Like I still stand by because I've talked about this off air with people like, I feel that he is not the greatest athlete, but I said, well, because his skill set is just so strong. It just, it takes over for what we may lack, athletically, but he's just someone that that he loses confidence. And like I said, just his skill set from his passing. That step back thought is maybe second only to James Harden is on a rail. So between the step back the confidence Just his overall skill set like I think that's just we just put him in a different tier as as all as a perennial all star in this league going forward.

Michael Marcangelo : 21:32

I saw you shaking your head there DK, what are your thoughts on on Luca?

Rob Kelly : 21:36

I agree with everything you're saying except for the non athletic thing I think he's I think he just lets the game come to him so easily that it looks like he maybe he doesn't need to use his athleticism but you saw in game I think it must have been game three or maybe four in this clip or series May I was the last game Yeah, he is on one leg porzingis is injured. He hits that crazy shot in in like in ot to win the entire thing from deep and you can actually see him adjusting to his ankle injury like he's actually like the game he slowed his game down a little bit. He's like making like adjusting but he reminds me honestly the kids 21 years old and I have said this like it It sounds hyperbolic but I really do think if he stays on this track, he's gonna be the go like it. The only thing holding them back is and I know it's a crazy thing to say this early but the only thing holding him back in my opinion Maybe injuries like if he can if he can stay as injury free is like LeBron James has for his entire career which is like, you know, maybe not going to happen because that's pretty crazy what LeBron has been able to do, but if he can like the numbers he puts up you know, he's dropping 45 points and getting 18 gritty rebounds. You know, at the same time like he's going in there and and, and throwing elbows with guys. He reminds me of the old guy at the YMCA when you're playing pickup basketball, but he's 21 years old, and he's still letting the game come to him like this is bonkers. And that's the thing DK just said it that really blows my mind with Luca the most is he's not just a score. This man is just a straight baller. Like you see him out there and you know, everyone on the court that he's facing is a scared of them and B they don't really know why that they're scared of him. He is just an app to see him. Almost barely even be able to walk off the court in game three and then Come out and have that performance in game for like me my buddy we were sitting here watching that game three, right? Oh, he's done series over He can't even put weight on it. We'd be shocked if he even played five minutes in the next game. And then not only does this man come out and play in the next game, he scores 43 points has 17 rebounds 13 assists two steals in a block. like are you kidding me? That I'm DK I'm with you man. He's the goat and he's on that track and I'm with you I agree with

Dave Clarke : 23:54

the craziest thing about it is we saw last year we saw that kawhi Leonard is the best playoff guy we have in basketball right now like if you can pick anybody to go into a playoff series with quiet Leonard if you don't think so like I you know I can't help you. He was garden Luca and like I'm not saying that Luca was absolutely scorched them and like cuz he wasn't but he was get shots off and you're kind of like,Whoa, okay, all right, Luca, what's up.

Rob Kelly : 24:18

I mean, he was 18 of 31 58% from the field. So he was kind of scorch them it may not have looked like it but it wasn't garden the whole he wasn't garden on the whole game he liked a rotated him off so he had he had a little bit like he had a little bit more of like scoring threat that he could generate. And also Paul George has been getting open looks at not doing anything so that's not gonna help quite all but I did times the possessions that I did see him like man man man man, the man on Luca, I he didn't burn him. You know what I mean? kawhi Leonard still is an absolute world class defender. I'm not making the case that that Luca daanish is is going to win that matchup through an entire series but there was a couple times leuco just made some space for a shot that he did and he was and he's hurt where I'm like that's pretty impressive.

Michael Marcangelo : 25:04

Is Lucca enough to to pull the Mavs past the Clippers?

Dave Clarke : 25:08

No, he's not

Rayshawn Buchanan : 25:09

fortunately, clippers are still gonna win. So I have to you know, this might make Mike proud when I say this, but I have to call out Doc Rivers. There's no way and I mean, no way. You have Reggie Jackson on Lucca to end the game. I don't care the switching off. I mean, you have to say, look, we know the ball is going to seven, seven kawhi. I don't care if he's shown it from the parking lot find him. You have to have your best defender. Yes. Devin Booker got one on you early in the bubble. Yes. Some others have gotten you early in the season with the game winner or a class shot. That's cool. That's going to happen over a course of 82 games is going to happen in the playoffs. Other players have great moments. But if you are that guy, if you are the best guy in the playoffs, as Dave just said, you have to be that guy not just on offense, but also on defense. And for darker because who knows that? You know because like Paul George is absolute trash right now on both ends of the floor. So could we carry them all offensively but you have to put him on loop and again, if kawhia on him I must was excellence tonight or going forward in this series. That's a problem because I did that. If that's the case Luca better go for 40 again, because when the game when the game is, is in a weighing balance like is in the last minutes, that guy needs to be on him playing too simple if he's not dark rubbish should be slandered immediately and I firmly believe that

Michael Marcangelo : 26:41

you're seeing as you brought that up, let me ask you a question if the Clippers loose in the mass in this series, does your opinion of Dr. Bruce change

Rayshawn Buchanan : 26:50

does it change in him but it's definitely it definitely goes against him in the it's definitely a negative check in his armor, so to speak, like, you have all this talent. You know, we've seen when he's had the best talent he finds he has found a way to win. So there's no excuse here. kawhi Leonard, Paul, George, much as Harold Lou Williams, Landry shamet. You know, and you know, pat down pat Beverley. When he comes back healthy, they had the requisite thesis, Steve Ballmer has done a phenomenal job of saying, Hey, we're going to we're going to spend whatever to get to get you The pieces you need they better get out the first round as I said you know doc let's say you know you've just entered a great coach sir but you have to get out this first round yeah you know Luke is going to get his but you need to shut down everybody else so whether it's funny Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr, Steph Curry, you know, those guys have to be kind of limited but yeah, it's definitely negative check in his armor to answer your question. They'll find a way to win the series. I mean,

Rob Kelly : 27:49

yeah, but everybody has bad night, you know, like doc was sleeping through three or four minutes on defensive matchups in that last game for sure. But there's no way he's not gonna be able to figure that out. You know, it's on paper. It's just I still think that Lucas should be celebrated for the things that he's done. But I think you're crazy if you think that the Mavs are going to come out of this winners, you know what I mean? Like the Clippers will, they're still the favourites to win the championship. You know what I mean? Nothing's one crazy overtime game isn't gonna change that. And it's because they have kawhi Leonard and kawhi Leonard, Lino is going to play really well in for the rest of series and I hate to say it as funny as it is that Paul George has been playing as bad as he has been. He's doing a blow up you know he's gonna have a game where he's like he's had open looks it's just not going in the basket. You know like is Paul George soft? A little like mentally is Is he gonna be able to shoot himself out of a rut in the middle of the game? No, but and you know, that's been a criticism of Paul George for a long time they play off p like, we all know this. But he's going to blow up next game the game after that. And all you need is more than one piece move in for the clippers. To You know, when it went out in the series. I think it's great that Luke has done what he's done, but presuming This is down, they don't have the pieces to make out of this round, but it should be celebrated. It's like you know, when you watch the last dance, and there's a whole section dedicated to Michael Jordan doing great against the Celtics, and I was sitting there watching it going I'm pretty sure it's something for the bulls that year. And they did. But when you when you watch the documentary, it's like but how great was Michael in it, though, you know what I mean? Like he was we could see something and that's what we're seeing right now with Luca ya know, completely agree So I before before we do move on from this, I do want to touch on one person that I think a shout out in this series that I think is someone that we do need to watch moving forward with this Mavs team. And that's Trey Burke. I've been watching Trey Burke since he was with Michigan. And what I've seen from him out of this series is definitely a step in a direction that not a lot of people saw from him. He He's been clutch last game he was 25 points plus 17 plus minus on the floor. So I mean that that man has been showing out, but unfortunately, I do have to agree with all of you. There's I don't see the Mavericks making it out of this series. Like you said the Clippers are just too talented. But like rayshawn said is definitely chink in that armor when it comes to having this talented of a team and being taken to the brink of elimination against a Luca dachas when Dallas Mavericks

Michael Marcangelo : 30:19

Yeah, I think we know there are there are some other moments in the first round obviously like if the blaze could have done something other than just win game one and made that an actual series I think that would have been so that we can talk about but I think Lillard being injured now that series is all about over rockets Thunder I think that just the storyline there is will Westbrook play? I think you know if that happens the rockets are exponentially better but i don't i don't know that if that's gonna I don't know if that's gonna happen

Rayshawn Buchanan : 30:45

I think so. if James Harden is the guy that NBA pundants and NBA fans believe that he is with or without rust that should be enough to get past okay see Nesta scrappy. Yes, they're going to play hard. But I mean, Chris, Chris Paul has been phenomenal. Chris Paul, to me should have been in the MVP conversation for what they did this year in Oklahoma City, say Gibbs Alexander. He's He's one of the guys we should be looking at coming up next and then be like he's really talented. Mobile doesn't afford but that's the IRS has been good so far. Houston show when it is six. But Houston has to understand that when the when the sauce on falling from Three point plan, it's okay to drive to the basket. I know on this wave of analytics, it's all about well, you know, you got to get two threes, the free throws, and they do a great job of that. That's awesome. But they were like eight of eight or eight and nine in the first half the other night. And then they went like three of 22 in the second half. You know, okay, CNN winning that game just had a series. So yes, you could chalk it up as one game. But Houston has a trend of this where they shoot the mice out, but then they fall in love with the three and then it gets to a point where someone starts locking them up because of something not falling. And then it's like, oh, well, they're not as good as we thought they, you know, may have been no, they're really good, but they just haven't shifted their mindset to saying okay, if you're stuck on falling, I'm going to get to the cup and either I'm going to make the layup or I'm going to get to the line. But yeah, I'm excited to see how they say it was listed as he was on the fold. I do think Houston was in the sixth

Michael Marcangelo : 32:15

and we are going to take just a quick break away from the NBA and and just talk a little bit about another one of our podcasts that dropped earlier this week. That is the Boston championship rewrap episode one we focused on the 2001 New England Patriots. This is the brainchild of our own Bob Kelly. And I think he did a great job. I would take me as you know, back into that time machine and to 2001 season so Bob Like what? You know that we've done it, you've heard it? What are the things that people should should listen most for in that podcast?

Rob Kelly : 32:45

I think the thing that that I really tried to get across or we all really tried to get across into this podcast was really just the emotion and the memories that go through everyone's mind constantly about these championship season. I know I'm constantly reminded and have

Michael Marcangelo : 33:02

Yeah, I mean, I got it to completely echo your sentiments there. It was, it was just like we were back in 2001. And so with that, we're gonna give you guys just a little bit of a sneak peek of what you can expect from Episode One.

Rob Kelly : 33:16

At the time. We didn't love bill for this decision. Okay. At the time people thought he was out of his damn mind for picking Tom Brady But what about in his mind?

Joe Malkin : 33:26

People wanted him to lose his job because they said, well look. What are you doing Cleveland he's not an offensive guy. What did How does he know what he's talking about?

Rob Kelly : 33:33

What went on behind the scenes, though, is something that that none of us will ever know the conversations that he had with Bledsoe to get that man to put his ego behind him. And Coach Tom Brady like he did because without Drew Bledsoe probably without to Bledsoe, there is no 2001 season. You see that report? Even in the preseason before before everything starts. You see Bledsoe and Brady together. What are your favorite routes? What do you like? You just want to throw the ball because you want to get on TV?

Michael Marcangelo : 34:03

Yeah, guys, as we said that was a preview of Episode One of the championship. rewrap highlighting the 2001 New England Patriots season. You can find that on iTunes, Spotify, Google and wherever you generally get your podcasts. And again, I was so just amped up to listen to it to be a part of it and I can't wait for Episode Two to drop. So now we're going We're going to go back to the NBA, we're going to focus on the team that I really want to talk about in the series that I really, really want to get into because I think that just highlighted everything that is right with the current coach of the Boston Celtics, and that was the Celtics demolition of the Philadelphia 76er's, I think, in this series, you just saw a team that was well prepared and well coached and you saw a team that that just wasn't did not have any direction to follow with

Dave Clarke : 34:50

Few Things have given me as much pleasure in this life as watching the end of the process. and have it be a failure. Watching Jason Tatum just torture the Philadelphia 76ers for four games, watching Joel Embid get tired in 24 minutes, and then just look kind of sad for the rest of the game. Watching him quit on the series by the end of game two. Watching the just desperation moves by by Brett Brown. Getting outcoached every step of the way. Like like it wasn't moments where Brad Stevens was leaving guys like Williams and Langford in I felt like just a toy with Brett brown just to like just to torture him just that little bit because we didn't even keep up leads when those guys were on the floor at the same time. You know like they had no answers for our guard plate they let kemba get going. They decided to let him a guy coming in like trying to work his his knee back you know, rehab his knee Well, there's some questionable stuff there like wow, he's had all this time. Like why isn't he healthy? We're all a little bit worried the Celtics handle it perfectly. And the Sixers just gift us 77 open looks for kemba Walker it was I honestly kept pinching myself. I thought I was gonna wake up it's like is this is this really going the way that I think the 76ers this this process? Pathetic? Absolutely pathetic if I was if I was Ben Simmons, I wouldn't be looking to try and get out of there. Honestly, I'd be I'd be kicking up a fuss Kyrie Irving style Trade Me I don't care. We can't get anything for you. There's no there's doesn't matter to talk to my agent. Get me out of there because I can't play with you Joel Embid. It's, he's just he's not the answer. Yeah. Okay. You can play with Brett brown if you want and he definitely got out coach but, you know, the team is structured so badly and then look at the contracts they have now, like, Good God, you're looking at Joel Ebid's contract. You're looking at how Horford contract. It's like he went there to sabotage them on purpose. He's on 81 million for the next three years. I granted there's some like, you know, some some prerequisites he has to meet, which he probably won't, but he's on 81 million for three years. And we saw him slow down in Boston,

Rayshawn Buchanan : 36:55

it's hard for me to get hype over something that I expect it to happen. I could not be more excited that we smack Philadelphia. I've never seen a team that got so much clout, and they haven't even made the conference finals. The process to me is officially done over dead, whatever word you want to use, envied. Although I notice a lot of fans that I think would have won and the bosses that I've seen it the last few days, I'm all set because I don't want someone that's going to come in here. Less I'd be tired after you know, a half of a game or pick and choose when he wants to play. So I I agree with your sentiment, Dave. If I'm Ben Simmons, I actually get out of there as well. Also, I just I loved how Tatum brown and Walker played after Hayward went down. Game one seemed to be Philly's best chance to really still a game two series. I think they weren't like in the 13 Orion and the third quarter you know just kind of seemed like okay well maybe you know the game is kind of ugly. You know, the game is kind of slow down just to kind of this is how Philly has to play in order for them to win. But then just like that the Celtics flip the switch and took the lead and win the game by eight and really that was established is that I think there's not too many times you could say a series is over. I think game one but I legitimately felt like after we won in game one, I said this is this no way Philadelphia is gonna actually win the game in this series. And we talked about them potentially, you know, me having a great game and and something like that. Numbers wise and look good but in basketball is really about when you when you score those points so yeah, that's great that he was scoring 11 and go five or five in the first quarter but if you're not doing anything in the fourth quarter or you're in foul trouble or you know you're taking 30 foot you know 35 jumpers when you should be down on the box, you know, making Tice pay you're playing into the Celtics hands and that's that's part that's bs fault. Partly that's Brett Browns part partly if you have $289 million tied up into Tobias Harris and Al Horford really is criminal. And you know, it's a shame because Philly didn't know to do al Horford. Like, they just want him there. So he wasn't in Boston. And that's that's what really happened. You know what I'm saying? So, I it's unfortunate to see, I wish I could say I hate to see it, but I don't and really asked them to talk about this. I never want to hear Philly as a threat to Boston again, all day I want to hit affiliates in the T state.

Michael Marcangelo : 39:23

So just real quick rayshawn you would rather have Kanter than envied basically you just said

Rayshawn Buchanan : 39:29

I wouldn't go that far. I wouldn't go that far was canceled would be but cactus is gonna play hard even though he runs like someone can't run is a care run at all. He looks like me on the court. He is he's still a really good office a rebounder like you someone that doesn't want to play hard, you know, and be just really he has to have that dog at him. He doesn't have that when you're seven, two to six when I say too sexy, but he's talking about so 85 to 90, he really just needs to get into safe. And if he got to safe and really just had that one too. Like he'd easily be the best Batman The league because there's nothing he can do. He can shoot you know that he plays defense Well, when he is when he's invested. The next step for him really he has to learn how to pass up the double team. Every time it says that something's blessed him. It was a wrap. So what the Kimbo came to swipe down, semi orderly it came as well swipe down, they just did whatever they wanted a guest on when they came on the double team. So But no, I thought Want to make that clear that his cancer is not better than Joellen bead but at the same time, I want someone who's gonna play hard and you know cancer and Tyson and Rob Williams play really hard. So

Rob Kelly : 40:35

my biggest takeaways from this series are two things. First thing on the 76ers there's I don't I think Brett brown as bad as he did in that series. I think a lot of this criticism needs to go towards I'm not sure if he was the the GM at this time off last offseason, but I think Elton brand absolutely ruin this team. With that Al Horford contract and bringing him into this mix. He took a team that already was lacking shooters had too many big men and too many people that needed the ball in their hand to actually make impact on the game and brought in and other big man, someone else who isn't a spot up shooter and that's exactly what that team needed. So I think he brought that team from one one player away from possibly a championship contending squad and brought in a player that brought them forward Players away from being a championship contending squad. Also, I when it comes to the Celtics team when it comes to those last few games in this series, but for me, the biggest thing that I saw from the Celtics team that really made me believe that they have a chance to actually do something this year, were those blood in the water moments. Those moments were everything was on their back. They had the wraps on their back, they had a women nation on their back. They had everything going against them. And it did not matter. You saw that with the Marcus smart steel, the Jason Tatum block, all these plays that you just see that championship moment, that moment that like we talked about in the rewrap that Oh my God, we can do this moment. There were plenty of them in this series. And those last two games to me, were two of the best games and two of the most meaningful games. I've seen this core play in quite some time.

Michael Marcangelo : 42:18

So I guess, you know, my biggest takeaway off the court now is the Hayward injury right? Because now he's gone. Does he come back after that ankle sprain because we know that he was gonna take time to leave again for the birth of his child in September. What does that do and what what are the ripples for the Celtics moving forward?

Dave Clarke : 42:35

I think it really stinks for the Raptors series. I think that it didn't matter at all like for all the reasons we just talked about like the 76 years your phone is so it we completely just kept going. They like camera get going, like I said before, but I think it really sticks for the Raptor Series. I think that the advantage that we have on the Raptors, I mean, see advantage that we have on most teams, but the big advantage we have on the Raptors is wing play. And I think that when, you know, I've had my criticisms of Gordon Hayward, comparatively to his contract and I don't think his shooting has been where it was when he was in, in Utah, but he definitely play makes really well he pushes the ball really well. And I really like how we move in the half court when he's when he's playing when he's on the court and he's just had really valuable minutes is since the bubble started and actually like he's had a decent pretty Decent regular season likes probably his best performances since the injuries, the bad injury. So I think it's gonna be tough for Toronto because they have, you know, they have good decent guard play, I don't think as good as ours, but it would have been so helpful to be able to play through Gordon Hayward when you're asking a lot defensively a lot more defensively. If kemba Walker and Marcus smart than you were in the 76 year series,

Rayshawn Buchanan : 43:48

I do feel that we're going to have to play a lot better, obviously to have a chance, you know, something to watch for too. Is that Lowry injury to like this he sprained his ankle as well too. So, you know, but I you know, he's someone that you know, he seems pretty tough from outside looking in. So I'm assuming he's gonna play. But for for Hayward. I do think he probably because back if they make the conference finals, and I do see the series more suddenly we'll get into that shortly. But I just think that from a playmaker standpoint of like, it's gonna be hard because now you may be asking more of Jaylen brown to be more of a playmaker. You have to tend to be more of a playmaker. I think brown does it better playmaker and Tatum right now. If you ask me, I just need some passes. And that focuses on like, I'm not sure Tim could make that but Jaylen brown could. So hopefully those guys can tap into that this areas and kind of have them on the heels. But I really think that this series is more so about what kemba Walker will do with this kind of library than anything else. But hopefully, I said Renee was able to come back after the series, but I think we will definitely miss his playmaking ability. And honestly, what missile defense do we play? He defends pretty well, for us position. So

Rob Kelly : 44:52

so to piggyback off exactly what you just said. I think the best part about the Celtics team is that they have Tatum and they have brown, but when it comes down to it, those two don't need to have the ball in their hands with four seconds left on the clock. It's not all on them. It's on Canva. So I think that that's such a big thing with them where it's not something where if it comes down to it, they need to take that last shot for us to win the game because they know they don't have to. They have the guy with the biggest balls I've ever seen on a basketball court. Ready to Shoot that ball and win that game for them every single time. So I think that's also a huge one.

Michael Marcangelo : 45:29

So before we get really into talking about the series between Dave Clark's Celtics vs Bob Kelly's Toronto Raptors, I really want to talk about like what's happening you know, on the court and really a preview that but I think we should we'd be remiss not to talk about the fact that there might not be in one because of the you know, awful events of one another African American was shot by by a police officer, Jacob Blake, and so there are multiple teams expressing interest in boycotting as as as kind of like their call to action and their stand against it. So I'd be really interested in everyone's opinion and take on that and ratio and I'll actually,

Rayshawn Buchanan : 46:08

I do I'm excited for this series. No, but I do understand and they choose the boycott game one, because it will happen, you know, missile blade game shot, you know, sometimes about law enforcement, but I just think that it's unfortunate to say it is it's just it's just the fact like, I think Think with. There's a lot of fun implications that go more than a tie to this or whether it's for the players on the court with the NBA. I think it's something that would be spoke about in length, but I just don't see it happening where it's only them doing that. Because really, you would have to say that it's going to be the whole NBA setting now for the second round for that for that game one, or the next game, depending on what series is still going on. I understand the premise. I understand the desire to do it, but I don't I don't foresee that really happening. But however, I do hope that they still speak about what's going on. I hope they highlight what's going on. Because I said that part that that part has been great. So what this Angela Brown, whether it's been known as a Mitchell, and he's probably the most outspoken about it, Chris Paul LeBron, so you know, continue to use that platform, but I just I don't see a scenario where they miss game one. Because I said honestly just because of a monetary thing to be honest and that sucks. To save banastre that's just what it is, at the end of the day, it's still a business, you know, they're still they may still have to be out there to play.

Michael Marcangelo : 47:30

So I think that, you know, we've talked about this at great length and also on all of our other shows, the NBA is doing it right. They're allowing their players to be vocal to display all the things that should be displayed at this current time. I guess my question to you, Dave is, do they? Do you think they've lost some of their footing because of the bubble? Wouldn't it be easier? Wouldn't they have more of a ground to stand on if they were playing in Milwaukee per se, right? And they said, Listen, you guys need to not show up for tonight's game and lose out on all that revenue.

Rob Kelly : 48:02

Yeah, I think so. At the same time, it's, I understand why it's hard to focus on basketball. When you are in the midst of this kind of stuff. You know what I mean, when every few days now it seems like you have to watch a video on the Internet of a black guy getting shot by a cop or kneel down by a cop and That's someone who looks like you. And your league is predominantly African American. And, you know, yeah, the bubble is great. I'd be disappointed if it went away. But I understand the, the desire to, to bounce, I would say to them, you want to be in a position where you're getting a camera shoved in your face every night. You know what I mean, and a microphone shoved in your face every night. That's where you want to be. It's, you know, Bobby made this point a few shows ago, and I think it's a great one, and I'm stealing it. It's, it's better to have a platform. You know what I mean? Guys like LeBron James will sort of always have a platform like if he tweets something, it's going to become news, but not everybody. You know what I mean? Marcus smart, gets a gets a microphone shoved in his face before this game. And he and he makes comments that I understand, you know, and he tries to bring perspective to to, to this situation that maybe you were I wouldn't understand, you know, because he has a different experience as a black man in America. So because there's so Many there's so many of these incidents we know we start to become numb to it. So I do understand why he wants to do is why the NBA players want to do something that brings attention as as a protest some sort of action. It's it's tough to sit by and do nothing and just say the same things over and over again, like please stop doing this, you know, and not see any change. You know, the biggest protests about this subject in the history of the country, and then you get another video a few days later. So I understand that the another man being shot seven times in the back, it's absurd. So I understand the frustration and the feeling of hopelessness. What I would say to them is, that's your platform, you can get a microphone put in your face every night and you don't have to talk about basketball if you don't want to. Yeah, no, I completely agree DK like you just said, you know, we've been making this point since the beginning. I think they would being doing a disservice themselves. Honestly, if they did. Cancel. I think I'm canceling honestly kind of plays into anyone who supports that side of things hands. I think them actually having that microphone them having that platform is something that means a lot to a lot of people. And for you that to go away, I think almost takes it back a couple steps just because I really feel like what affects that the most is hearing more people speak up hearing more people talk about it. And the more you hear about it, the more it affects that other side and the more they they see that other side of things. So I just think that if you do take that microphone away, you do cancel these games are really takes that platform away from those fliers. And I just don't think that that gets the outcome done that they're looking to get done.

Michael Marcangelo : 51:13

So assuming that they play and there are no no postponed games or no, no, no, no games that are that are boycotted. I think one of the questions that we all had was you No, are the Raptors overrated? And why is the answer Yes,

Rob Kelly : 51:28

I just I just think that they're the weakest champion I've ever seen. And it's for obvious reasons they lost quite Leonard. And for a little bit of history and backstory Bobby, the real BK and I've been going back and forth aggressively on our group chat about the Toronto Raptors because I came out I mean, there's a reason they call me DK sizzle, because these tapes are hot. And I came out with I think the Raptors stink. You know what I mean? And look, of course, they don't stink as a basketball team. Of course, they're a high level basketball team. They are the champions, even though they lost kawhi. But I do think that they're a little overrated because there's this kind of overrated underrated thing that happened to them. They were sort of underrated. When I left it was like, oh, they're done now. And then they were a little bit better than that. And now it's kind of like, oh, everyone says they're like, unbelievable. I think it's a tough matchup for the Celtics because we don't have the kind of big men that they have, you know, I think with a good saw, and an A Baka down low. I think that's going to cause us a lot of trouble. You know, we see saw how difficult it was except for in game four when in bita given up like we talked about, we saw how difficult it was for Ty see so little at that position. You know, I think he's gonna get bullied especially with two guys down there. I think that I don't like van fleets game like we've talked about but he is crafty. You know he's a crafty player and I think that there's things that he can do to cause us trouble that might wear out. Fresh Off injury kemba Walker, but I 100% of the Celtics are going to beat them in five games, Max. So I mean, whatever you'd have to say about Bobby I'm sure I know that they're your team and like, you know, you're on the bandwagon fully behind the Toronto Raptors. Now. All right, listen, before we start crowning them, my team or whatever the case may be. I do think the Celtics are going to beat the Raptors. I will let me just preface with that, that I do think the Celtics are going to beat the Raptors in seven games. I just think that this is going to be one of the best series that we're going to see the entire playoffs. To me. The Raptors are a team that They're just almost impossible to prepare for. If you look at this team's lineup. They have six players in the playoffs that are averaging double figures Kyle Lowery, Terence Davis Norman Powell, Sergio paka, socat, Pascal, Sikkim I can't even say his name and Fred vanfleet. Alright, Fred van fleet is averaging 21 points a game. Granted, yes, that does mean that he's on a streak and that he is hitting those three point shots right now. But for anyone to say, and this includes you DK, this team is not a good basketball team. To me. That's just blasphemy. And I know recently you have been coming around on the idea that they actually are a good basketball team, which I do appreciate. I just think that this is going to be one of the best series we've seen just because of how deep this team is, and how much trouble that is going to give the Celtics because as we know, you know Brad Wanamaker and semi ojeleye Ray, Sean's favorite player are not the answer coming off the bench. So I just think that's a really tough matchup for this team. They're going to struggle with it. And I think it's really We're gonna test the will of the Celtics team. That's not what I'm worried about. Bobby. It's funny you say that because I think that everything you describe with the Toronto Raptors, we do better. And also the guys that you're talking about how old is Kyle Lowry? Like 50 he was drafted in like 2005 you know, and he's coming off an injury. It's like I'm not worried about Kyle Lowry, like fan fleet maybe but like vanfleet decided this year that he could score more than 11 points a game so like, I'm not really that worried about him either. In fact, I was kind of coming around and then you started talking and I realized No, the Toronto Raptors do stink. We're absolutely going to smash them. I'm a little bit worried about ibaka and Gasol down low, but like, let's be honest, like the Toronto Raptors minus minus kawhi Leonard, the greatest playoff basketball player in the National Basketball Association right now. I really think that I just think that the team basketball portion of it is really going to be a problem for this team. I know you say you take out why it makes this team so much different but honestly, I think I brought the levels up of Pascal and vanfleet To the point where they're not going to miss him as much as everyone thinks they're going to and they haven't deceived and they've proven that from the beginning of the season this team has been consistently one of the best in the NBA. They have. They have one of the best offensive efficiency ratings. They have. They have great rebounders great scores. And they have a great point guard Kyle Lowry who I know everyone here thinks is overrated. I know he they think he's old. But listen, a late bloomer can't be hated on all right, just because he started being good when he was 36 doesn't mean that he can't be a quality point guard.

Rayshawn Buchanan : 56:01

I love it, but um, no. So listen, so I think what the SE right so Kimba really great ISO guy Tatum, really the ISO guy j lab thing as well was a pretty decent ISO guy, right? So because they're so good at breaking you off the dribble and getting your own solder going to the going into the to the back. Escape. They sometimes fall in love with that. And I think sometimes because Toronto so good defensively jacket so you fall into what they want Boston to do. Now obviously with the saucer falling they have to adjust obviously but to want to throw on a stretch really is how they move the ball. Right? So yes, they lost kawhi Leonard, we get that we can't overstate that enough, is really by committee now. So so whether this is Lowry getting his his 19. So I think he gets late nights and eight on the year vanvleet is tricky. Like I said, Yes, he's really blown up over the last year. So he had a really good finals. I was excited with how I was excited to see how we performed in that finals and how he's done throughout the year. siakam has become an all star. But really the key to me really is how we control the big men, right? So with this all in the Baka those are guys that keep coming at you defensively. Right? But because this all to me really is so slow at this stage of his career. I really feel like they should continue to put him into picking a role. Like every time whether it's kemba and Tatum, Kimber and brown, you know, whoever's like, you know, tight or whatever, like keep keep putting him in that situation. Now he's gonna get a few stops because he's an excellent defender, but I think if you keep running that add him, he's going to get into foul trouble. I'm into it. He'll be tired by the end of most games. I I did think seven before I said seven earlier, but I'm talking myself as far as getting them in six games that I just I just think is Boston's time I really do. Jason Tatum. We're gonna find out why, you know, he's an all star. And I think this is a series where Toronto finally misses kawhi Leonard because I said obviously Brooklyn wasn't you know, they weren't much of an opponent obviously without me guys they had missing enemy My God. I mean, their bench scored 100 points in game for 100 points. Like that's insane. So they do close to that obviously, not gonna do much but they're not going to get 100 points on the cell is coming off the bed. But you know, that's something to watch out for. But I do think something's good on the systems.

Rob Kelly : 58:29

See Rayshawn coming around. The games are slowly dropping, and everybody slowly realizing the more you talk about Toronto, the worse they actually are in reality. At the end of the day, what they're doing well is the same thing that the Boston Celtics did well, three seasons ago. Okay. Brad Stevens brought a team a plucky young team into the playoffs, season after season playing team basketball and running around and and, and doing a great job on help defense and stuff. They're there. us three years ago, and we're better now. I don't think you'd argue that, would you Bobby? No, definitely not. Definitely not. I wouldn't argue that. But this team is not a plucky young team. That's the thing is like they are the opposite of that. Is there a battle tested? team that already won the championship? Yes, it's minus kawhi. But every single one of those pieces was there last year. I just think I agree with you. I agree with you. They're not a plucky young team. They play Like a plucky young team, but they're hundred years old apiece, and it's like, oh yeah, they just lost kawhi it's like come on. It's like oh man my car it's a great car. It's an amazing car. I just don't have any wheels just no tires.

Michael Marcangelo : 59:37

I think that if you were really bullish on the Celtics, you would pick them in for Celtics and four,

Rob Kelly : 59:43

I still think it's going seven I and I will stand by that till till until it goes seven because that's what's gonna happen. This this is gonna be a great basketball series. I think Jason Tatum is going to be too much and I think by the end of this series, we are going to be talking about the Jason Tatum takeover of the NBA. I just think that this is gonna be the series that that happens and you know why? Because he's gonna take down the defending champions by himself in seven games that game seven is gonna be like the Paul Pierce coming out story. It's gonna be like the game seven that we've been waiting for from Jason Tatum. And it's because the Raptors defending champions just got to make that this isn't this isn't the defending champions though. This isn't the defending champions that we're playing kweilyn is not there. And I actually like even though it's bullish on the Celtics point, I actually don't agree with you. Like, if Jason Tatum balls out on the Raptors, that's no surprise to anybody. He's gone through two series where both teams have nobody that can garden like who's guarding Tatum. Do you even know who's gonna match up against them? And they'd like when we start playing?

Rayshawn Buchanan : 1:00:50

No, no, definitely. So I mean, they're probably gonna have siakam guard him, but I mean, it's gonna be siakam on tape MLC aka Magellan Brown. But I mean that's up to like bras, it was really nice to have a good series that nurses nurse can coach regardless of what we may take a bunch of on the team and how they may perform. You know, he's the coach of the year for a reason even I believe it should have been Billy Donovan for what he did. Okay. See, I said they are talented. They are they are cohesive, they will play well. But we cannot come in thinking like a fan as like someone's gonna come in. They get like a family. Well, we got them. They have to come in early. Actually. Execute if they don't execute, they will be coming home.

Rob Kelly : 1:01:26

Yeah, I don't want the Celtics to think that way. I want the Celtics to take them way more serious. I don't want them to listen to me. I want I want them to take them every team that they play as seriously as they possibly can. I don't, I'm good with that, that they should go in and play hard. Everybody's here for a reason. You know what I mean? everybody's like, they have a better record than us. Like, I get that. I just think as I've made the point before, I just think their records a little bit inflated. You know, I think they beat up on smaller teams. And I think that, like you guys say, like, the momentum is just with the Celtics right now. Like, they beat the nets, like, Who cares?

Rayshawn Buchanan : 1:01:57

And in that last game, you know, I think we beat on 122 to 100. Now, that changed my perspective a little bit cuz I was like, man, like, I didn't think that we would be 20 points better than them. And I don't expect that to happen. I feel like it's gonna be a co series. No matter what, whether Toronto Montreal, Boston wins, but it opened my eyes. I said, Man, like, okay, that's the key. Like, if you move the ball, you get up in the airspace, you're gonna have a good chance to win and we will all over them all night. And then I said, we got to the whole we wanted actually it was back and forth kind of sound kind of see saw the first half, even as the third quarter and then just like that it went, it went to solve this way. So, but the thing is it's something something's have to be disciplined to not fall in love with it, okay? Because we're selfish because where we have so much talent on this team that we can just we can just show up because that's not the case. Toronto is not going to go away. They're not going to quit like Philly. So you have to key you have to take it to them and step on their neck when the time is right and we'll be going to the conference finals.

Michael Marcangelo : 1:03:00

So it sounds like everyone here thinks that Bob's not going to have any use for those Raptors, footie pajamas past past a series I think it's gonna go probably probably six games DK Thanks for rayshawn Thanks six in favor of the Celtics and Bob you're still saying you're hedging your bets because we're we're all located near Boston. Do you still think that the SE you're gonna win this and seven?

Rob Kelly : 1:03:21

Yes, yes, I do. And that's what I want. make clear here is is I do think the Celtics are a better basketball team I do think they have the momentum going into this series. I just think this is going to be one of the best series that we're going to see the entire playoffs and and I think it's because we have two of the most talented pure basketball teams that we're going to watch on the court for the next week and a half and I think by the end of this we're all gonna have huge basketball bonuses and you guys are going to be like wow those rafters actually wherever fun to watch. I think you were suspiciously knowledgeable in the hockey segment of this podcast and I think that you are secretly Canadian because you love the Toronto Raptors more than a Celtics

Michael Marcangelo : 1:04:02

so I think there's no that nobody would have close close out that segment so I'm just doing one little rapid fire segment here you guys each have 30 seconds just to say you know whether it's goodbye Hello, whatever you want to say Bobby you can start out what is your closing thought?

Rob Kelly : 1:04:13

So I just want to say that I think everyone out there should listen to the rewrap series that is coming up over the next couple weeks. first episode drop Tuesday. Next episode drops next Tuesday, we break down the 2001 New England Patriots. All the emotions you even hear Joe Malkin cry. So that's something that you know, everyone wants to hear. Aside from that Celtics and seven Jason Tatum is going to come out as an NBA superstar by the end of this series. Ah, yeah if you've made it this far, thank you for listening to the show. Thanks for subscribing. We We love you over here as much as I love the Boston Celtics and as much as Bobby loves the Toronto Raptors thanks for listening. We love it Celtics and folk Yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan : 1:04:59

I also thank you all for listening. You know appreciate those that subscribe so far, you know continue to spread the word you know so this is six but more importantly, you know let's arrest the cops the curb we're gonna tell them

Michael Marcangelo : 1:05:11

no better way to close up the show. So for raesha Buchanan the real BK Bob Kelly D. Casey, Dave Clark. I am Michael Mark Angela saying thank you so much for listening to Episode Two of the SN SW podcast found on the SNSW network. network and Craig take it away.

Craig D'Alessandro : 1:05:26

Thank you Mike and thank you all for tuning in to Episode Three of the SNSW Podcast. I am Craig D'Alessandro. This is your first time finding us please consider subscribing it's easiest way to find out when we publish new episodes. The show notes and transcript of today's episode can be found in the description box below, as well as our WordPress and buzzsprout pages. We are on iTunes, Spotify, Google and generally wherever you find your podcast, be sure to rate us and leave a review of any of our shows. We appreciate the feedback and until next week. I'm Craig D'Alessandro. Thanks for tuning in.