Jaylen Brown Cashes in, Now Can He Learn to Dribble with his Left Hand?

Dave Clarke: 0:06

Hello, it's Missing the Point. It's a Celtic show. So if you have no interest in the Boston Celtics or basketball in general, I would still listen because we're very interesting people. It is going to be centered around contract talks and basketball finances. So you know, unless you're like in the nitty gritty, you might have something to learn here. But essentially we're here. I'm here with Mike Marcangelo and Ray Sean Buchanan. We're here to talk about, for the most part, Jaylen Brown's historic NBA contract. He's the highest-paid basketball player of all time. I say historic with sort of like air quotes around it, because my first reaction to the contract I don't know about you guys, maybe you're on the same page as me, we haven't talked a ton about it in the chat but for me it was like, well, I don't think he's going to be the highest-paid basketball player of all time for very long Like, if you look at the top five players that have renewable contracts coming up in the next three years your Joellen Beads, your Yonuses, your Jason Tatums I think that there's going to be numbers in the 300 millions popping up more frequently as our sport grows. I'm happy that the players get paid like this in basketball personally, but I think to start, we should talk about the idea of Jaylen Brown specifically getting paid this kind of money because, compared to what you would call like S tier, top tier, bona fide, all stars like your Yonuses, et cetera, et cetera, your Yocaches, he's our second option officially on this team. So him being the highest-paid basketball player of all time and the internet having like sort of you know, have cornered the market on instant reactions. I get reacting to the principle of that. But realistically, Mike, I'll start with you. What else are we going to do? I mean, I know your stance on it sort of vaguely, but I go to you to sort of illuminate me. Was there another path we could have gone down that didn't result in just a disgruntled free agent, Jaylen Brown? Or, and like this essentially being dead money? Or do you think that, like, because I have seen you in the chat, like be a little bit bulk and a little bit at the idea of, like us not being able to basically pay anybody else now because 90% of our cap is taken up? But like, was there an alternative? And if so, I would love, I would love to hear it, and I mean, maybe you have one. You're the numbers guy, yeah, so I don't have an alternative.

Mike Marcangelo: 2:35

I want to start off by saying, like I do, I do not begrudge him for taking his money, but that's 304 million dollars Good for him. The problem that I have because I mean, this is a way that the league set up right I don't look at him as a person that should be the highest paid player in NBA history for any amount of time, and that's not enough. I mean, he's not Tatum, he's a Curry, he's not, he's not the Joker, right, but he's just not that. So, but I don't blame him. Like I said, I don't blame you. I think the other option that you outline would be that you don't pay him. And now you have a guy that's on the last year of his deal but he doesn't want to be here, and then one right, because you don't really know what to get for him. I think he you know we talked about this a lot in the past. I think he shows up the most. I think you can ever question this hard, but with him it's all about the talent. And I'll just go back to what I said before. It's wild to me that you pay him, pay a guy 300 million dollars over the course of five years and he still can't dribble through his lap. He just can't do it, and so, no, I don't have Well, he wasn't gonna pay 300 million yet Maybe now he'll learn. Now that he is, he has no reason to learn. You know Well what's the incentive there. But I mean we can dive into what all the morons on social media are saying about him later. But in terms of just basketball he just happened to get second, you know, on BAT and he is a great player. I just would never say Jalen Brown is a top eight player in the NBA.

Dave Clarke: 4:21

But aren't you a top like, aren't you eight to 10 if you're in If you make second team Olympia, like by definition, like if you're one of the 10 best players, right, yeah, I mean the but like the antagonist in me wants to say, he made it once in the last, in the first six years. So if he's getting paid because of that, yeah, ray, I'm interested in your overall thoughts on the deal. But specifically to start it off, do you think would you agree with me that of all the players on our team, if there's anyone because I think Mike hinted at this slightly if there's anybody that isn't going to be swayed or lose motivation by a bag this size, it's Jalen Brown, or is that just like a sort of a persona thing?

Rayshawn Buchanan: 5:03

No, I think that's a fair point. I think that even I know I can say I think people thought that he might have took a little less. Because he took a little less when he re-upped the three years ago I think it was like four years, one, 15, and that was still at the time Because basically he was getting around I would work for money to say we was like wow, like that's crazy, we thought that he would want more. So, lord behold, three years later he wants more. But yeah, I think that you know, he and you know and we'll talk about it from his first half it's like he yeah, I have a lot of boots on that Because I do like-. Yeah, oh, no, regardless. Yeah, what we did two minutes on a seven minutes out that was going to come up tonight, but it is just I. He's clearly, you know, invested and committed to generational wealth and helping others around him, and you know near and far in his hand and net goal, so I think that you know that that's where his mindset was. But, you know, from a basketball standpoint, yeah, like I think that he's improved every year, with the exception of the 2018-2019 year where he took a little bit of a step back, but I just think that was a weird year for the team in general. Obviously, I think that was going over, you know.

Dave Clarke: 6:16

Karrie His points for drive. His points for drive are actually up compared to the rookie season in 2018-2019. He's an overall efficiency does go down, I agree, and that was a weird year, but I was actually going to make the same point that year on year as improved.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 6:29

Yeah. So that's where I don't get the. The disconnect that people are having here is just like he literally just got better every year. Once again, you can look at basketball reference. You know, google is your friend he gets better every year. So, yeah, it's the handle and the turnovers infuriating. Of course and once again I'm more wrecking, and I'll say this is relevant to the conversation the only deal that I thought would have been suffice for him in the off season would have been if we traded him back home to Atlanta and we would have gotten Jean-Tier Murray, the Kongu and I think in the city Bay, back in. The deal could have felt like that would have made it more roundy. We got three for one there. You couldn't even get some draft picks here, so I was working with him. So for those that say to me oh, you've changed this, who? No, I wanted him to say, but I must again, I understand that if there's anyone in Marcheson that beat up his own drum on the scene, it's him. So he could have said thanks for no thanks and then they would have had, you know, the head would have been forced and they would have to deal with him, if not now but definitely by, you know, by February. So yeah, so, either way, I'm glad he got his money but, like I said back to my wife, he's approved there every year and I think that you know we still have another level to see him in. Njt gets on the future.

Dave Clarke: 7:50

Yeah, mike, I wonder if you could put your GM cap on for a second and just think about it from, like the Brad Stevens point of view. Right, if you are trying to run this basketball team in like the most efficient, business savvy and basketball savvy way that you possibly can, you can't have the attitude that the masses have and this is just something that Ray made me think of as he was talking. You can't have the attitude the masses have of like my last memory of Jaylen Brown is who Jaylen Brown is Right. Like you can't say like okay, he fucked up against the heat. He was like a big part of the reason why we didn't win that series, because he didn't come to play the way that we know that he can. And, yes, I agree, like his handles are frustrating. If you're Brad Stevens, I think you have to look at it from an overall perspective, like the whole pie chart. Right, you can't be like we can't pay a guy 364 or whatever it is that's got handles like that. Like we can't. You know what I mean. Like it's like to Ray's made this point previously. It's like go find me 27 at night somewhere else. Like it's not out there. You know, like it's, it's, it's not, it's not something you're going to just go scoop up, you know. So you're in sort of like, I guess the overall point I'm trying to make and I'm talking to you guys, but really I'm talking to the world at large with, like this sort of general dumb fuckery that's that's gone on around this, this deal. You have to look at it and it might tell me if you agree. Just if you're Brad Stevens, like I know what you're saying as a Celtics fan and I do hear that point. But if you're Brad Stevens, you have to just make the correct call here, right? Like the correct call for Boston is to give him this money to keep this court together. And also I and I think to his credit and the overall team's credit I'm sure we'll talk about this more as the preseason comes up and as the season progresses, putting up supporting cast of veterans around around Joe Missoula and changing the emphasis from the backcourt to the frontcourt which is something I've been stabbing myself in the fucking eyes talking about for the last three goddamn years and like actually making that move and actually making that, making that happen and saying essentially to, to to the team, if not the world. It wasn't Jalen Brown's fault that we couldn't get it done with. The team as currently constituted wasn't correctly put together. We were in balance. We need this, this, this and this. We had a first year coach. We had coaching imbalances and issues in the offseason beforehand. So if we look at this team and we look at their core, we can't lose faith in their court would be a dumb basketball decision. Is that at least fair?

Mike Marcangelo: 10:23

Yeah, no, it was. It's completely spare. I can't let this guy go. You definitely can't get nothing back for him. Right, the way that I look at this is listen again. I'm on record on this show and it will go and it will go down. History is probably the worst take ever that I would trade Jason Tatum over Jalen Brown because I just I liked it. You know, I like it's hard, I like all of it. My point and that I was that I guess I'm trying to make, though is I don't really look at this as a five year deal. This is a two year deal, because when it's a depending.

Dave Clarke: 10:57

It's a depending on success deal, though, right Like it's a. It's what happens in those two years. I agree wholeheartedly, yeah.

Mike Marcangelo: 11:04

Like it. Listen, it's they. They go the Warriors route they went to in the next two years or they're they win one in their finals the next year. Then you have to think about okay, we have to pay Brown and Tatum bold, super maxed, and then we get to the part where 90 percent of the cap is taken up by three players. But I think too much of the onus was. You know we all put blame on Joe and all three of us on this show. Of course it was very frustrating to watch at the time.

Dave Clarke: 11:29

You know like. This is like. I think the listeners at home know that there's two versions of the show. There's the, there's this, which is the analytical. You know what did I do this week? It wasn't very fucking basketball related, you know what I mean. Like I read some tweets on basketball Twitter. Like I went on the fucking Celtics like Boston dot com Celtics page, you know like, and browsed it for a second, as opposed to in the fucking Fox hole on the fucking front lines. It's a little bit of a different perspective. But now that we have some room is what I'm saying. That's like. This is like. Speaking to my overall point, no, a thousand percent.

Mike Marcangelo: 12:04

This is, you have to do whatever you can do for the next two years to see if this fork and wing and I think that they made the moves in the soft season with this included Is that okay? We, like you said, we started, joe, with actual assistant coaches that have been in the league. We now gave, we now got, or is it just who's going to change the offense and put it on side? And it shouldn't make life you know the likes of Jason Tatev and Jay Lundner on easier. See what you can do, but I do think that this I'm glad to get paid in my. In my opinion, as, as we record, this is still just two year, a two year deal, yeah.

Dave Clarke: 12:43

I think that, from a basketball sense, I think we're all in sort of an agreement here. It's it. Nobody wanted to break up to Jay's. Nobody wanted to break it up, at least in the sense of like let's let, let's let Jay LeBron get pissed off and then, like have another tumultuous off season. I think we're on the same page there. And I do want to talk about what this team looks like Again. I know we've like touched on it like since the Porzingis trade and we've all sort of talked about it separately, but I do want to have another conversation at some point about what this team looks like from a basketball sense. But before we do that, I think it's important to note like I mean, obviously the socialist in me loves to hear this I fucking loved his press conference, like I. It was like one of my favorite, if not my favorite. Probably it probably was my favorite contract signing press conference of all time only because I don't remember having any emotions about any other ones, because like it was a shit. But but for him to come in and say things like I want to attack the wealth disparity. The exact quote was I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston. I want to attack the wealth disparity here. I think there's analytics that support that stimulating the wealth gap could actually be something that could be bad. That could be betterment for the entire economy. With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about, one, your investment in the community, but two, also the wealth disparity here that nobody wants to talk about. It's top five in the US and it's something we can all improve on. It's unsettling, and that's true. Massachusetts ranks in the top five across all 50 states in the largest income inequality gap. The entirety of America is suffering from a boulder hurtling down a mountain. That is income inequality. That, I have to tell you, if history is any indication, results in the richest one percent of people getting their fucking heads chopped off. So I think at the, at the end of the day, jalen Brown is doing at least, first of all, saying it out loud, which which we love. I think that you know it does a couple of things from a personal level to immediately like deflects any shut up and dribble bullshit, or like, you know, go, go do this and this. It's like he's speaking intelligently on this subject, like he's saying things that are factually true, that can be backed up with with statistics and numbers. So anybody that wants to get stupid about it in the comment section go off, because you sound fucking stupid. Secondly, like and that's from a personal PR standpoint. Secondly, it's doubling down on his buying in, on being a member of this community, being a member of of of the Boston Celtics, but also being a member of Boston and Massachusetts as a whole. So, ray, I'll start with you on this. I think you know. Can you speak to Jalen Brown's perspective on the subject, the Celtics perspective on the subject? And if you're, if you're happy with having somebody like this on the team, who's immediate reaction because I certainly am, but who's immediate reaction to be like what can I do with this money? I'm sure there's people out there that were saying it's lip service, but I feel like he's put his money where his mouth is in the past and like shows up for this stuff. So we'll see you again.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 15:38

Yeah, well, the live service comments were there and I put in an air quotes to set up in trouble. Comments were there too, of course, this is the internet. Yeah, but it was so. It was just the level of ignorance and nepotude that is around. So Twitter at times and just answering it as a whole was really really annoying. Just again, not surprising, but very, very annoying to see. But to answer your question, I think that it may be the first time we've heard an athlete in the city speak about that. Maybe I'm great we wasn't around for Bill Russell and obviously I know you and I did a show DK about his legacy meeting Bill Russell when he passed away last year. But obviously we know what he was fighting against in social injustices and trying to make things right at that time. But I don't know if we've had enough in the city. That's speak about that. I know Matthew Slater speaks about the strippers as a patriot, but for, let's say, tatum, I think he's more of a behind the scenes person. He's just seen what he wants to talk about Stuff on the front line, that's fine. I don't remember. Like I said, pierce wasn't like this, antoine Walker was like this, david Barrett wasn't like this, patrick Maxwell was like this.

Dave Clarke: 16:57

So I don't remember if the culture of the NBA was or is like this. To be totally honest with, you, I don't remember.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 17:05

But I was speaking to the fucking idiots that talked about all these things. He's saying this and oh, you need to worry about the left. I'm like yo, some of y'all couldn't go right or left in a YMCA. You worried about something like this? The NVA Are you dumb? Are you for real? Like that's what blows my mind. But anyways, I just think to me to show what's against it to get that type of deal and immediately say it's not like, oh, like, I'm going to get a car or, and once again, getting a grandfather of people's house. That's nothing wrong with that. But, as you said, the first answer we get right Getting them on the house. So getting my I know it's supposed to be my grandfather Getting my grandfather house. That would have been a phenomenal answer. I don't think anyone would have been mad about that. But when you attacked and wasn't giving the insight, he gave to that, you know, with that answer, it's like yo, I am super proud to have him still here in Boston. And yeah, like you said, dave, it shows his commitment not just to excellence but commitment to, you know, making sure that this city is a lot better when he leaves than when he found it. So, once again. If that's not a guy you'd want to represent your franchise, I don't know what is honestly.

Mike Marcangelo: 18:22

Yeah. So I think that there, everything you just said, that was a percent agreeable, right. I think that the biggest knock on his basketball game by every talk he had around here has always been he doesn't seem like he's invested in his community and doesn't want to be part of Boston. I mean, how can you watch that press conference and think and still think that Like it is he? All this guy wants to do on the court, it seems, is make other people's lives better and leave this place better than what you walk into it. So, listen, I'm of the mindset that I still think he needs to work on dribbling to the left although I could not dribble to the right or to the left but that does not mean that he should not be able to do all the great things that he's intended to do in the community. My favorite quote of the press conference I'll just do it Eric both said I can't really go word for word, but when they said like what was your reaction when you found out? When she said, you know we were just in the middle of a robotic seminar here with the kids I was like that is fucking awesome. How could you question this guy's integrity? You can't, yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 19:32

Right. Right, you know something you said right, I mean, I didn't jump it around personally. What if I get it? I want it to be clear Race song. You can and when I've given that's have been answered at different brown.

Mike Marcangelo: 19:46

I want to be clear.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 19:47

I would have talked about I'm going to get a house. I'd have got my mom. I never thought about that. I never thought about let's reinvent back into this show. I'd have been talking about all that. I would have talked about that. Yeah, I'm just. I'm just being honest when I do it to some schools, absolutely. But I would have talked about what, what he's talking about yesterday. I'm just, I'm just being real.

Dave Clarke: 20:06

Yeah, cool, I mean, it's an interesting point you bring up, though, because it's the difference between talking about it and doing it, and I think that, like I, like I said, I do think he's going to follow through with this stuff. I do think this is the kind of years, I think, that he's proved that already. And you know, I, as as you guys were talking, I was just scrolling because I have the quotes pulled up, but I happened to find the quote on a Fox News affiliate and I was scrolling down the comments and you had said, like you know, not surprising, but like annoying, and like reading some of these comments, it's like you feel, like you get dumber by the second. One person, for instance, brought up the idea that he's like well, great, all the, because of your big contract, all the tickets are going to get more expensive for us, the average workers, and I was like that's just like a lack of basic economic understanding, like unfortunately, sir, that's just not how that works, but like there's no like the idea.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 20:58

The idea is that we got wrong.

Dave Clarke: 21:00

Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 21:01

Well, but like the thing is, that's not, that's not one.

Dave Clarke: 21:03

There's two factors, there's two principal factors. And take, a price is going up. Well, I'd say three, actually, it's the success of the team. So how much you can charge for the product? Right, I'd say that's like number one. We're top seven team, probably top three, we're probably the betting favorites to win the whole fucking thing at this point with the poor Zingas trade. So, yeah, the tickets are going to be expensive. Two is inflation, which we're actually not doing too too bad compared to the rest of the world right now in America. But three is fucking secondary sales. Like all you have to do is go to Congress and pass a fucking law that ticketmaster can charge you fucking up the ass for selling on tickets that bought spot when you know Taylor Swift is playing or whatever the fuck. Like that's one, that's one bill to like solve that. And you're like mad at Jaylen Brown, but anyway, it doesn't matter. Education is key, guys. So but my point that made me think when you were talking about this raise the idea of no-transcript talking about something and bringing awareness to a conversation. To bring a conversation to a subject that maybe doesn't get touched on. Like I didn't know that, massachusetts specifically, and we do a fucking Boston Sports podcast. Here you feel like this is primarily what we talk about, but I didn't know that Massachusetts had such a high income inequality gap. That wouldn't occur to me on face value about the Massachusetts I experienced. But then you start to think about it, you start to look at it, you start to think about the kind of towns that you can go to as you travel west of Boston. Right, when, when you hit your like South Burroughs and you and you hit your, your Berkshires and all this different stuff, and you're like, oh yeah, I do remember that like grafted and looked a lot fucking different from South Burrough, you know what I mean. And you do start to think about these things and the fact that he just said that in the press conference like regardless of taking the money and, you know, making generational wealth happen and changing in the income gap in his community, I learned something from it. Like why can't we talk about it? Why can't we bring this shit up? And like I actually have a conversation about it. And the thing is is like people say people would say shut up and dribble. It's like everyone on earth has a platform. Now we have a platform. Everybody's got a fucking Twitter account or a threads account or whatever, but some people are still listened to more than others, and somebody signing a three hundred and four million dollar contract is going to get listened to more than other people. It's still a higher platform, it's still a voice that gets to more people. So him turning around and saying like this is a problem is helpful in and of itself. So I just I welcome the hate, as always. If you guys want to comment on that point, I'm happy to engage with you. I honestly fuck.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 23:39

Yeah, that's what I mean. Yeah, it doesn't bother me.

Dave Clarke: 23:44

And also like, specifically, I think what what he's talking about is the idea that all over this country, because of disparities in station from the time that black people were forced to come here, you are still playing fucking catch up. So when you have a league that is predominantly blank, you get to turn around and say like, yeah, I'm going to probably do something to fix that when I make a fucking billion dollars you know what I mean Like why the fuck wouldn't you? You know? So I think it brings context to this conversation, I think it brings awareness of this conversation, and the thing about this stuff is it's hard to talk about because of the amount of people that disagree and because of the amount of people that are in a position where they're ignorant and they're allowed to just show their fucking ass on the internet. But the only thing that fixes it is the conversations about it repeatedly hard conversations, shit people don't want to hear. And also the thing that fixes everything cold hard cash. So, yeah, it's not a problem. There's no such thing as a problem if you can pay to make it go away. It's not a problem. It's just not an issue anymore. So I do hope he's able to do that. I really I'm looking forward to seeing what he's able to do with it. But back to basketball, because that is what we do here primarily and I apologize for the, for the precheat, actually I don't fuck you guys but but let's talk about the self esteem as the as they're currently constituted, because I am actually excited to start thinking about how we're going to play basketball. And I think, if you look at the way that the like. I was just having a conversation with a friend the other day and he brought up this point to me which I didn't agree with, where he was like why do we need two wings? And I was like, because it's better. Like two wings at this level. I was what are you saying? Like, why do two of our best guys both need to be wing players? And it's like my opinion. I didn't like, let me know what you guys think is because we're so much better than everybody else at that position, you feel like and you can see it right. And I think that the, the idea and this is what I mean, this is nothing new that I've said to you guys a million times before the idea of the backcourt being the focus, right, because what is a backcourt? Right, it's a facilitation area of the, of the of the court, like your, your playmaking from there. Yeah, you're scoring from there, for sure, but you're running guys out. You're playing good defense. To start, you know you're meeting the other team defensively head on with it, with a solid backcourt, like all these things do matter. But when you have two wings, that can, you know, bring the ball up. I know we have issues with Jalen Brown's dribbling book. That can bring the ball up, that can drive, that can be effective at like at the rim. My opinion has always been the best support for that way is a solid frontcourt. So now that we have rim protection, you know, another solid three point shooter and inside scoring for Chris Taspar poor Zingas, mike, I don't think I've gotten your opinion on it. I know you've done shows surrounding it, but now that we have this, how do you see us playing basketball? And I, of course, neglected to mention shame on me the additions of our veteran coaching staff. Now, how is it that you see us playing basketball, and how different is it going to be than this time in May?

Mike Marcangelo: 26:48

Yeah, well, I actually think that there's going to be more, going to be a more or bigger emphasis on deconcision.

Dave Clarke: 26:55

in the last year, and that was the fucking from your mouth to God's ears.

Mike Marcangelo: 26:59

Every day. That was. That was the first thing that Jalen talked about, which when he was asked about about the addition that Marcus leaving. So I think that there's going to be a defense is definitely going to be on the line of the Celtic. They also think, now that they're in their, their inner great position to run the give and go with what for Zingas and either Brown or Tatum. Now, like that just changes everything. You don't need Al Borker to play 82 games from a center. You can slide him out to be a power forward. If you want, you can have Rob do that too. I think that this, I don't think that this team is going to fall back defensively. I think they're actually going to see a great improvement and I think the addition of porzingas will make light easier for her jail around. He will not cap you, press that that much or drive, or drive with such emphasis to the basket because for Zingas to be around, but everyone is worried about him. You weren't worried about about Rob taking a three and the playoffs really weren't worried about for taking the three because he went off. You went like zero for a hundred in the last series and a half. Now I don't think the lane is going to be as crowded as it was last year, which will make Jalen Brown better.

Dave Clarke: 28:14

Yeah, I think the idea of and. I mean, Ray and Bobby had a conversation about this not too long ago like being able to score at every level. You know where you have to basically make the defense pick their poison, and I think there were so much more balanced on that now than we were before. Specifically, when it comes to Jaylen Brown, Ray, like what kind of a season are you expecting him to have? Are you thinking that, at defensive emphasis, the addition of Sam Cassell and what's the other guy's name?

Rayshawn Buchanan: 28:42

Charles Lee.

Dave Clarke: 28:44

Yeah, charles Lee, with the addition of those two guys, with the addition of Porta Zingas, and I think maybe some some moves still in the in the works, and we are going to, like you know, a wish list, a dream trades that are, or signings that could still happen before the season gets gets underway. But specifically around Jaylen Brown, since this is the sort of theme of the show, where do you think we're going to see him? What kind of a, what kind of a player is he going to be next year? I mean, it sounds like you think he's going to improve.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 29:12

Yeah, so so oddly enough, so I know he got what Twitter was like little under 27 tonight this year I think officially he takes a step back. Points one if I like. Obviously I don't think he's still will give him.

Dave Clarke: 29:24

We don't need him to score as much.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 29:26

Yeah, exactly yeah. So I think so for him. I think he goes from 26 again, 27 game to like 22 or 23 again. I think he makes his first all NBA selection this year. I think that happens. I think that, yeah, it would be in what he had. He has the tools to do so. What's he got? If you know him and Derek, way out there on a regular basis, should be to recap it, just like it did when West Farmers out there at times. So I love, I love that possibility. So, yeah, I think they you know what's it get him saying I think that's where he's going to remind people that he was, that he is a really good two way player, that's just someone that's really don't go on you or was really good from the mid range. So, yeah, I think I think it all in all. You know all defensive team selection is coming and you know, I think that's where we'll see the improvement. You know, in addition, hopefully, to the, you know, to the boy that that's needed. But yeah, but to ask you a question about how I think we're going to play, I don't, I don't think. I mean, I know last year he did a lot of five out, which is basically not essentially just not having someone in the paint. I think that does change. I know people think that porzinkas is all. All he does is shoot threes and, yes, that is the element of his game that you know, once again, we were clearly missing, you know, alongside Warframe. But I do think the fact that he's able to have a post-up game and, as I always say, but you know, it's far from every level where he could do that, so I think that it just it just makes them more of a threat everywhere and it makes them less predictable, and that's the key. I think that's how it was, like you're trying my turn.

Dave Clarke: 31:00

So I mean, how many times have we had that conversation? Yeah, exactly Last year.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 31:04

we have to get away from that Right, exactly so they would get bogged down, you know when it wouldn't matter most. So hopefully, that's. You know what's the it's going to happen that time next year, that's just. You know, certain nights you're just off, hopefully, more times than not, you know we see something where it's like, ok, they are already actual offense through certain people. And you know we. You know last time we was all we just we just talked about stuff with Rob. Rob was out here trying to get his KG shit on. We talked about the women. We've been asking for this. Yes, can it get affected for the jumper, because that changes a lot of things? Yeah, well, the same. But if they were in a 15 foot shot like a little market, old joy, even I don't even want to put that sort of pressure on them. The market was a number two thing back in the day.

Dave Clarke: 31:50

Yeah, but you and I agreed on, we settled you know, let's be branded best you and I. You and I settled on I think we come, because I wanted a Euro step for for Rob.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 31:58

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you were like a drop step. You were like a drop step.

Mike Marcangelo: 32:02

Let's just set up a step. But I was like okay just be branded best.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 32:05

Yeah, yeah, yeah, just be branded bad.

Dave Clarke: 32:07

You know, some, he's fucking long, though Like he's so long. If he had any sort of touch, like layup, finish, like finishing ability, it'd be a wrap. It'd be a wrap, my God, like I would just have a minute. You remember when the Lakers had Andrew Bynum and it was like it was like all the potential in the world like trapped inside somebody with a brain that just had no interest in getting good at basketball and it's like they like he was just like, and he was always injury prone. So, like you know I shouldn't shit on him too bad, but it was like Karim was taken into the gym and shit, I'm like Rob, just like oh, I can do it yeah. Five X NBA players that you should just be at the gym with every fucking day.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 32:42

So you know. So ironically, when you let my go, it was funny about that right, Andrew Bynum has hobble, no footwork.

Mike Marcangelo: 32:48

He just couldn't finish.

Dave Clarke: 32:50

Unbelievable.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 32:51

He had a million dollars.

Dave Clarke: 32:52

He was so athletic for his size. Like yeah, it was as annoying as it was from every Lakers and you ever talked to, that was like, just wait until by them, like it's dot dot dot, just until by them they were not rocked. Like it must have been so fucking frustrating to be like, just do the machine. And I, like, I'm just worried that, like, where you know, the pendulum is swinging one way or the other for Rob because like he could be such a beast around the rim. You know, and I'm talking about and this is the point of always man, I just want to keep doubling down on it, because I'm not talking about being static or getting held up under the rim when, like Yonis or, or Yokech or any of those guys are around there right, or in beat, especially in beat, because in beat fucking murder Sam. I don't know if we talked about that enough, but in beat absolutely fucking owns Rob Williams, but which is fine. I mean like if that's the guy, yeah but he especially fucking, was just absolutely torturing Rob in that series. But it's like if Rob, if Rob, could just get a little speed facing the basket and a move facing the basket so we can have him help finish and transition, like you're going to watch Chris taps do on the pick and roll. Hopefully, if they, if they, know what to do with him. Mike, I'm curious about your opinion on this too, because the idea I mean this is something I think that you could probably have a little catchphrase in our discord group. When the Celtics came on, I think your catchphrase would probably be just go to the fucking rim, just go to the fucking rim. And, like Ray touched on this before I went off, pretty much before I went off on a prerequisite the NBA from 2006 to 2009,. Andrew Bynum, right, we were talking about this five out offense at the Celtics play, and I think that you're a perfect guy to have here because, besides me, you're probably the person who most doesn't want to see a five out Celtics offense, and I think, yes, the addition of Chris taps on paper makes it look like we just added another three point shooter, but I think the problem isn't necessarily our five out play, it's the fact that we let guys get put on an island when we were five out and and every single time we did that it looked like our last resort. If you're going to play that basketball, you got to do it and I don't fucking murder me Celtics Twitter but you got to do it the Brad Stevens way. You got to pass it real fucking fast around the perimeter so that somebody gets space or a driving dish Like I know it's not technically five out of someone's in the paint, but you got to get the guys on the perimeter space because it's not a good shot If someone's in your fucking face like it's just not, I don't care, fucking Jason Tatum, you know what I mean. Like it's just not a good shot. And when we're settling for this, your turn, my turn. I saw a ball on an island stuff. But I know you're one of the top contenders for like most frustrating when this happens and I would love like just to hear your like dream scenario with this new, new look Celtics front court of what a pick and roll or what like even a pick and pop with Chris Dapps. You can run those like what is this Celtics basketball look like in the paint? Now you?

Mike Marcangelo: 35:34

know the brand of basketball they played when IT in his MVP year, when, when, when it was just it was, it was team basketball. There was none of that. I so shit, even though we all knew that IT was the guy Right. He was always. He always either got himself open or he was passed out. I think on this team, if you run that similar Brad Stevens offense, it's going to be deadly, because if you look at the starting five, there's an English assistant that they're starting. Five is his porzingus porford, the two J's, and then you just pick the point guard. Where can they not score and what can they not Right? So, but the? The one thing that's your point that always pissed me off is would you get the? Everyone was just standing around the three point line and no one would go for the rebound or try to make a try to get down the lane. I don't know. I think on this team, like it, just gonna open up so much more because even if forcing the space in just the corner the entire fucking time, he's gonna take a big one because he's seven fucking three, you can't leave someone in the lane and it's just gonna be easier to get that easy basket. But on the on the Rob Williams thing, one thing is I'm offering improving your game, I'm offering improving your mid range, especially, and I think that's one of the things that we don't talk about Jaylen Brown in us is that you don't really see it in his still world percentages. But when he first came into the league he was, he was just like a. Primarily he was a dunker, like five feet within the red. His mid-range game is actually lethal. Now when he, when he's good like that step-back jumper, it's unbelievable. I don't think Rob used that. I do think that if he can shoot from 10 feet, great. But I'm not sure I want to sacrifice him being the most efficient shooter in the league two years in a row when he's played more than 50 games.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 37:30

That was a big balance, that's all. You're not wrong, but just balance. Do I want him to gamble someone's head? Absolutely so. I could go crazy in a discord, of course, but every now and then you know what's good. Just a little flooring, you gotta make him think about it.

Dave Clarke: 37:49

You gotta make. You gotta make him think about it. This is the thing. If you if you're if you everybody here at some point has played in a defensive position in a sport, and the person you want to be defending is the person who's making you think about one thing because it's like, okay, maybe that one thing sucks to defend, but that's the thing I'm thinking about. This is the thing he's gonna do every single time. If you're making him think, you know, if you're making him, if you're making him take pause, like oh, he actually can hit that a couple times, like we don't ever do that as a team. Like this is something that frustrates me. Like to your point, mike. Like Jaylin Brown's mid-range game. Right, like if I was, if, if Joe Missoula was, like everybody's high school basketball coach, he would be looking at Jaylin Brown and me being going saying right to him at the start of every game. I want you to put two like just just two fucking pull-up jump shots in the mid-range just to get started, just like if they were they go in or not. Just like fucking two pull-up jumpers from the fucking mid-range, like and then if you hit both of those, they have to come towards you on defense and you fucking blow by him because you're probably, almost certainly, the fastest fucking player on the court over seven to eight yards, right. So because his explosiveness is undeniable. I mean, we talk about the drawbacks in his game and the things that he can improve on, but that's because there's things that are on the fucking record, like in the Bible already, that he is definitely really fucking good at it, really elite at, you know, and one of that is his athleticism. I mean, he is still he's 26, about to turn 27, you know, and and there's still a lot of dirt there's a durable fucking players in their mid-30s in the NBA now, like it's 2023. So you look at that and you say go out there and hit two fucking mid-range jump shots, because, honestly, I don't really remember him missing those at the start of the game to be honest.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 39:25

I can't yeah it doesn't come to mind.

Dave Clarke: 39:27

So you go, do that. Then you say something to Derek White along the lines of, like I'm talking about getting it back to basics at the start of the regular season here, essentially in order to create a more complicated system. The way to do that, mike, your original suggestion, defense right, like, obviously that's that's a way to do that. But I also don't want them to get fucking exhausted if we have a short rotation to start, because if you look at our top seven guys were really great shape right now. But like I'm a little concerned about like where Peyton Prichard and etc, etc. Sort of fit in. But that's another conversation. You say to Derek White like yo, I don't need you to score, like for the first quarter. Like I just don't need you to score like if it's there, take it. But like I need you to start facilitating and playmaking for everybody, like because you're now the starting point guard. Like I'm not discouraging you from getting your floater, I'm not discouraging you from taking an open shot, like that's the way we play basketball, but you got to start looking for guys. Like this is what we're doing here, you know, like we're, we got him, we got to move the ball around. So once everybody gets that first thing down right, and and, and Rob, you know, you say to Rob Williams something along those lines like protect the rim. And you know, decoy here, set screens here, blah, blah. Then you start adding things like Rob, now it's time to pull out the fucking floater, now it's time to pull out the drop step. Jalen, now it's time you can shoot three from that corner. They're leaving you open in that corner. Then that's how you make teams pick their fucking poison against where you can score from everywhere. Right, because that you start out. It's like an anaconda. You know you start out where it's like it's. It's just slowly, slowly coming around your neck and then all of a sudden you're down 26 and you're like how the fuck did that happen? That's how you take control of a basketball game with a team like this. This is how I've seen elite teams like this do this right with with this much talent on a roster way if the the best example I can point to is the good version of Eric Spultz's heat with D Wade, lebron and Chris Bosch on it right where, all of a sudden, you know you'd be playing, you'd be playing, you'd be like I think I'm doing pretty good against the brawn. I think I'm doing pretty good against the brawn. Then it's like boom, alley, you holy shit that alley. You put us down 14. What the fuck I like? and it's just like yeah like oh shit, oh shit time out, time out, and because, because they would blister teams, but not right right away. You know, like and I think this is the thing that the Celtics needed to do a little bit better at overalls they would have all these conversations in the locker room in between games about, like we're gonna start so hot. It's like no, dude, you're good, there's a lot of fucking basketball to play. We're a veteran team. Now you're fine. You start to impose your will. Impose your will. It like like the most elite boxers you've ever seen. Right, they come out and they go like alright, what do you got? Like they're not scared again. Punch. Like what do you got? And then you slip a few punches, you block a few punches, then you go okay, my turn. And like that's how I want to see the Celtics play basketball, that's how I want to see them grow finally into this veteran team. And I and I hope that makes me nervous, though, because of how the crowd is- not not all the guys.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 42:22

I mean from a job standpoint, yeah, like that, but I know I mean from how they basically you know, this is my PCSD from how they respond to things right, totally yeah, whenever teams are, whenever team they think they, whatever team think they have a shot against us, they some guy usually go crazy. And then next you know it's like, oh, something's not 88-75. So you know he was up 20 in the first half. That's my point.

Dave Clarke: 42:50

That's my point and like that's not going away by starting huh and punching them in the mouth and trying to do all the things that we're doing. What that's going away by welcoming it. That's going away by saying, like who we're worse, so much better than you. Like, throw, throw at us what you got. I'm not saying don't play the fucking game. I'm saying let the game come easy to you. You know what I mean. Like, let like. Do you remember? Like when Jason Tatum first got in the league, like I noticed this we weren't doing a podcast yet, but I noticed this. I don't know if you guys did, but like how easily the game came to him. Like he just took the things that were there and like there's been changes to his game where he and it's because he's elite now it's because he's like, more is required of him and like and etc. This isn't a criticism, but that was one of the elite qualities that he had first coming into the league. It's like take what's there, guys, because it's there's gonna be so many things there, like don't force it, don't force it. And then then recognize the moment, you know, recognize the moment where it's time to step on their fucking neck and put them away. You know, because there is still this mentality issue with the Celtics team and like that's why, specifically, the heat are our biggest kryptonite. Right, because they have this opposite mentality where they don't have nearly as much talent as like you can't fucking argue that, they just don't, but they have this thing right, like they have this thing in their fucking heads where they can go like we can get to these fucking chumps, like we can start to fucking rattle and piss him off and we can make Jalen Brown cough up the ball. I guess, on the Jalen Brown theme, my point is it's not necessarily this handles need to get better, it's that he needs to know when to not put himself in that position to turn that ball over, because it was always the worst possible fucking time, you know, and I just think it's like that's the last bastion, you know that's the last bridge we need to cross here and if we don't, it's gonna be the same story most, most times that happened, and maybe I'm wrong, that's.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 44:37

I just think about what I've seen, you know, on on video, most of those times happening I saw yeah, right, so he's trying to make a play right and trying to make a play which I it's like it's cool, but if it, if they do what you have a little to, but my slew the two, uh, bobby's little to where everybody's been, so it has a little to a point. If you're running more pick a roll or which we ran, none of you know. Yeah, you know, I mean, we just never did it yeah, if you like pick a roll, will it be from the side or from the? We like that. We talked about this, but I'm gonna say it again because it matters if we go to same, and so it happens all the time. Brown and Tatum should be a pick a rolls at least 60% of time at least at least, at least you know. And for those that wonder oh, by, put your two best players. Look at, look at the mid-2000s Phoenix Sun seemed that Steve Nash, the Marsdena Meyer, will work, pick a rolls and there's nothing you can do to stop. It is still, to this day, the most unstoppable play in basketball. When it's running correctly, it's there and once again, tatum can be. I'd let I'd let Tatum be the guy. That's all that brown me to one that rolls to the basket. Yeah, I feel he's the better finisher at the run. The Tatum. At times he's just stronger than him. You know, I mean, I know Tatum is a little bigger, but I just that thing to me that that would be that. That that's that's where I happen. Looking, you try to do ice stuff. That's what most of, that's what most of what's happening was. Again, you eliminate that if you put them in action, put the defender in action, where they can't just like around. Yeah, oh, that's that's what was happening to.

Dave Clarke: 46:15

It's like these guys have long arms, so Doug, yeah, of course we're so long as a team, like one from one to five, we're so fucking long as a team now and like, especially looking at like Derek White as the starting point guy. But to your point, like, yes, I do agree that we should be running plays centered around the pick and roll, the pick and pop now, especially with Porto Zingas, like a seven foot three guy in there, like, why, why would you waste it? But trigger points that you run in drills in in practice, where it's like if you see Jaylen Brown get stuck in isolation because the plays broken down, don't worry about the shot clock, that should trigger one of two guys to come set a screen right instead if everybody's standing around fucking looking at him right like that. Like those trigger moments where it's like, okay, he's getting caught on an island right now. He, we didn't set up this ISO on purpose, it's not a mismatch. The plays broken down. We got like Rob, al, kristaps, jason, like these guys, these big, long guys that that see it, recognize this happening. The second it happens bang, set a screen. You're right over there to set the screen. And we, because we run the pick and roll so much in this hypothetical, magical fucking wonderland. We, where we play good basketball because we want to run the pick and roll so much we know how to do it.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 47:22

Additionally, if we're doing that all the time in practice, we finally know how to get around screens defensively and so it's like at all fucking trickles down, or even with the zone too, like the fact that you get beat by a Gekimik play in basketball.

Dave Clarke: 47:38

So far he's yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 47:39

I mean, it's yes, it definitely is a Gekimik defense. But the thing is to me now, if that's the case and I think about the Miami's, I think about, you know, the Philly Razzle, milwaukee as well, you know, teams are getting away from man defenses because everyone can't guard the yard. So now you have who should be the ultimate Uh, you know, I forgot to do it like that quickly. But oh, the ultimate zone buster, excuse me, the ultimate zone buster in Pursingis, and he, as soon as that happens, put the guy who's 73 in the middle. Someone has to come and then that's going to have to always be Right, but someone has to move up. That has to happen every time. Or just let us score every single time, but you're literally Rob should be the guy that's coming, either for the rail left me inside. You throw it up to him like if an N1 or someone's getting fouled, like that to me.

Dave Clarke: 48:36

That's an interesting point actually, mike.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 48:39

You could run that every time, just as old, and you know you have to break them out of it at some point, mike, do you think we're going to run that double big with Chris Knaps and Rob?

Dave Clarke: 48:48

Because that sounds. That's fucking eye-watering, honestly.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 48:51

Wait, he said Orphan though, so I would Orphan, yeah, yeah.

Mike Marcangelo: 48:56

I mean, I think, just based off of Rob's availability, he's ideal, I am.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 49:01

If he can say healthy, sure I am, but, but, but, but, but, but, but but.

Mike Marcangelo: 49:06

If, uh, it's time off or if he's healthy all year and yeah, do it because you saw what happened in the Philadelphia series. Yeah, Like they just didn't, they did not know what to do. And now you're big, is it 6'10"? He's 73. Yeah, but you know what?

Rayshawn Buchanan: 49:23

He's unavoidable. He worked in BED. When Washington came to Philly last year I watched the highlights about the BED made in trade and BED was stuck in cement and that's what I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to seeing him be stuck in cement Because, well, again, and BED recovers pretty well for a guy as high as he, he recovers really well. But when a guy that gets to shoot the way that or is that he gets to shoot like he was out there looking lost, and I mean yeah, but you can see this, I look forward to him looking lost plenty of times.

Dave Clarke: 49:52

Yeah, I mean, I agree, as Philadelphia is currently constituted, I hope they do some shit, because they're currently constituted, with all the hard and stuff and everything that's going on there and you know that process. I think we would forward all of them and, in addition, we're on series right now with, like in theory and theoretical backdrop.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 50:07

Yeah, I'm, I'm, and after what happened last year I know Because Mike was laughing at me it was rightfully so, but I lost my mind during the years. But yeah, listen, it's been 40 years almost like Until, until that actually happened. So I hear Eddie Palladino say and that's the ball game. You know, just fix this one in the series, whatever 4-3 or 4-1, whatever it may be like we all have to continue to donate the Child Support.

Dave Clarke: 50:31

Fund of Philadelphia.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 50:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know are there for daddy.

Dave Clarke: 50:36

Still got a pony up baby.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 50:38

Yeah, so I'm like I'm Listen, I'm out on a fake, fake, fake. Well, they may be competitive, but they're not going to beat. You know, boston during this time, not now at least.

Dave Clarke: 50:51

So, as it is the end of July and August is coming up, football is sort of going to start to take over this parry. So I would love to hear on sort of the last, most likely one of the last conversations we have in full force about the Celtics until the season is almost upon us. I would love to hear everybody's overall pessimism optimism of where we are right now, and just a couple of thoughts maybe on what minor moves at this point you would like to see. Mike, I'll start with you.

Mike Marcangelo: 51:18

Yeah, I think you know. We all at the end of the season I did we all said if they don't make major moves and if they don't make major coaching moves like this, they're just going to run this back and it's going to be the same shit. Now I would argue that they didn't make major coaching moves. I would have preferred Sam Kinsale to be our head coach.

Dave Clarke: 51:32

To be honest with you but Right, but Joe's still here.

Mike Marcangelo: 51:36

They bolted up the assistance around them and I would say that you know, brad Stevens was fucking clueless. He's getting rid of markets. That's a ballsy move.

Dave Clarke: 51:47

Yeah and Well, I think his GM career hinges on it to be quite honest with you, like I think he pushed all his chips in the middle with this move, so we'll see. Yeah, but you went out and you fundamentally changed the way that this team has to play on the court.

Mike Marcangelo: 52:05

So I am, you know, believe it or not, pretty optimistic about this team as of right now. I think that there could be a couple of you know, I would say under the radar moves. But you know, ray and I talked about this couple of weeks ago. I think the big thing I'm going to be looking for, like as we get closer to the start of the regular season, is the development of Jordan Walsh. What can he be in his first year? Because if he can be, you know, just a moniker of what we saw in Summer League, then I think our top seven. You know we're getting the relief that we need Now he's there too, over and over under 66 games.

Dave Clarke: 52:40

For Jordan Walsh no over and over wins and losses, I'm going to say under, but if the over under was 57, I'd take over.

Mike Marcangelo: 52:50

Well, 66 is what we won last year, right.

Dave Clarke: 52:53

No, they won 57. 57.

Mike Marcangelo: 52:55

Yeah, they won 60-60. They won the championship.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 53:00

I mean listen, I'm right there, I would love for them to play 66. 66 would be great Over under 57.

Dave Clarke: 53:09

Yeah.

Mike Marcangelo: 53:10

I'll take over.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 53:11

Yeah, I'll go. I'll say they stay right there. I think they don't go over on, they stay right there at 57. I think that would be enough to get the one seed. I feel like other teams, or this is how the team should obviously Can I just make before you keep going.

Mike Marcangelo: 53:25

I'm very sorry to interrupt you, but if game goes to Miami, the change is everything that I just said. By the way, I just want to put that out there. Just cover my own ass.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 53:34

So I think on paper yeah, I think it would change that.

Dave Clarke: 53:38

To be honest, they already had a better view.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 53:40

Yeah, and the only reason why it wouldn't be. Once again, it'd be fun to see him down. I'm not going to say it would be that fan-owned, it was like no, he would be phenomenal down there, he would be a grand decision. But because they have lost so much behind bam and Jimmy once again, I like their first round pick. He's going to be nice. He was tied to a player of the year, jaime, they dress well.

Dave Clarke: 54:02

Yeah, they dress well.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 54:04

They're first round pick. He's going to be nice eventually. I mean, it wasn't going to get a hero back, whatever, so they'll still be they're trying to shop him. Yeah, they'll have a shot? Yeah, exactly, but they'll always have a shot as long as Bowman, the rest of the britchers, are there. So I hear you on that. But yeah, I mean, I think you know I like to do that. I like to do that. I saw the button on the show, but they were in Bobby's show. Weeks ago, you know, I had a chance to remove that anger cloud that you know myself and a lot of us have Like, yeah, I mean, listen, I'm going to have moments where I'm like yo, I'm annoyed or I'm pissed off. Obviously I would not sit here and be hypocritical and say otherwise. But yeah, this team, this team will show, I think, others why. You know they made the moves they made and, once again, you cannot cry about them wanting or not wanting, but needed to make a change. And then they make the changes, and the changes you know somehow end up working and you still find a way to complain. It's just like what, it's just like that, that's the welcome to Celtics Twitter.

Dave Clarke: 55:04

Yeah Well, it's like that's unbelievable.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 55:08

Like say it's going on with, you know, with the rest of the super. That's another conversation for today, but it's, it's, it's, it's, wow, it's just I'm going to and once again, hold me to this. I'm saying it on air. I'm going to do better. We're just trying to enjoy the moment.

Dave Clarke: 55:21

Honestly, the team has already been good. Last year you were like a new mint, so we'll see.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 55:25

Yeah. So I'm trying to enjoy the moment, like, look, you know I'll be, I'll be even angry. I'll be angry on the playoffs, it matters more but yeah, I'm enjoying the moment, like regular season. Just, you know, just play hard and that's my biggest thing. And, you know, make sure the teams know you're the best team coming into the building, whether you're a TD guard or on the road, and I'm fine with that.

Mike Marcangelo: 55:47

If they stay healthy and they develop like the chemistry before the all-star break. And let's just say that they're you know, they're over 500. I think that that's. I'm okay with that. I want them to approach the season like we want them to approach the games. They don't need to start 21 and 1 because it doesn't matter, they just need to make sure I'm going to go out and play. I'm going to promise you right now I'm not going to abandon them if they don't, because I'd most rather see a team finish strong. It's a very different team.

Dave Clarke: 56:17

now we got to figure some shit out and honestly like I think that's a great place to end on. I think that I'll just say, lastly, finally, brad Stevens, I've said some things about your ability to get players over a certain height onto this team. I know you're a short king yourself and I know you wanted some of your whatever woodland fucking forest you come from to to come and play Elf basketball. But thank you so much for getting Chris Tasporzingas, because right now, I mean my absolute fucking thinking about the potential of Chris Tasporzingas or anybody over seven feet tall playing for this team. Whatever the reality is, I'm in my fucking favorite place. So thank you for being a Kebler Elf, but seeing that the Giants had something. So on that note for myself, hollywood Ray and Mike Marcangelo, this has been missing the point.