The Knicks are close to finalizing a trade that will send Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns, according to Shams Charania. CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell go live to break down the deal.
LNS Media is Powered by:
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying MLB tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply.
Elevate your style game on and off the course with the PXG Spring Summer 2024 collection. Head over to https://PXG.com/GARDENREPORT and save 10% on all apparel.
Nutrafol Men! Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com/MEN and enter the promo code GARDEN!
LNS Media is Powered by:
Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying MLB tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply.
Elevate your style game on and off the course with the PXG Spring Summer 2024 collection. Head over to https://PXG.com/GARDENREPORT and save 10% on all apparel.
Nutrafol Men! Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com/MEN and enter the promo code GARDEN!
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Can you say hard hats, folks?
00:07Hard hats?
00:08Lunch pails?
00:09Steel tool boots?
00:10Anything short of a championship this year is a failure.
00:11Look at this boomer right here.
00:13You've just got so much talent here.
00:16Somebody said we need to apologize for Jalen.
00:18Can I close it, John?
00:19What are we apologizing for?
00:20What did we say?
00:21What did we do?
00:23All right, Bobby Manning here.
00:33Welcome to a Saturday edition of the Garner Report.
00:37Since it's after midnight, Noah Dalzell here.
00:40And what's become a busy day for us is big, big news in the NBA drafts tonight.
00:46Knicks acquiring Carl Anthony Towns.
00:50Not something anyone could have pictured happening on the eve of training camp, effectively, here.
00:58And I keep losing you, Noah.
01:00You keep going in and out there.
01:02But this trade makes sense to me.
01:07I get it for both sides.
01:10And in all this discussion we've had about what's going on in the East, how are these teams going to challenge the Celtics,
01:17I actually said it earlier today after practice to you.
01:21I didn't like what the Knicks had at center.
01:23I'm not feeling good about this Randall Robinson injury thing.
01:29Don't like them losing Hartenstein in their series of moves that they made.
01:34And so they go out and go get one of the best centers in the NBA like that.
01:39And how does it match up with Boston?
01:43What does this end up looking like?
01:45Towns is a guy who I've loved and obviously has so many flaws that have driven me crazy because of the fact that I love him.
01:51And I think he's capable of so much.
01:54And he's pretty far into his career at this point.
01:56So maybe he's a guy who can't change.
01:58But for the first time in his career, he gets a change of scenery.
02:01I think he's in a pretty good team that's well positioned to empower him.
02:06And it's exactly what they needed.
02:09Like I was thinking about, oh, could they go out and get Isaiah Stewart for Julius Randall?
02:13And they go and get Carl Anthony Towns.
02:15So you've had a little time to think about it.
02:18Where's your mind at with this one now?
02:21Yeah, it's an interesting one.
02:23And apologies, my internet was cutting out.
02:25I think it's because it's midnight.
02:27But I think the Knicks win this trade.
02:30And I think that you're right.
02:31I mean, we've been talking about the Knicks a bunch.
02:33And I feel like you have constantly been reminding the piece about how they are down a center and have another center that they're really relying on.
02:40That is in and out of injuries.
02:43And clearly right now, he's unavailable to begin with.
02:45So it does give them a little bit more depth in that position.
02:49And it makes them a little bit more reliable.
02:51But the only thing that I keep reminding myself is that DiVincenzo has kind of established himself as a, I don't want to say star, but like a mini star at least.
03:00I had him in my top 100 players going into this year.
03:04Where did you have him ranked? Do you remember?
03:06Like 100 or so.
03:09I'm going to look it up exactly.
03:11But he's definitely like 98, 99, 100.
03:15Yeah.
03:17I don't know.
03:18I'm also thinking about the map, the Timberwolves Nugget series.
03:22And I do think that the Timberwolves were better off with Karl-Anthony Towns.
03:28He was really important in that series.
03:30So one thing that I was thinking about going into this is this trade makes a Celtics Nuggets finals more likely, I think.
03:38That's an interesting angle.
03:41So we're going to connect it to the Celtics in a bunch of different ways.
03:44I think Minnesota takes a hit here for sure.
03:48Losing Towns because they built an identity last year and really over the last two years of that Towns-Gobert combo.
03:55And if you're going to replace Towns, and that's what I think people have to consider here, is Towns is going to be gone eventually in Minnesota, no matter what.
04:03Making $50 million a year.
04:05It became Edwards team, second apron tax, all that stuff.
04:09Plus the new owners signaled that they were going to cut costs pretty soon.
04:13And this is a big cost-cutting deal here.
04:15Randall makes much less than Towns.
04:17So this was going to happen.
04:20And if you're going to replace Towns with anybody, I think Randall is a pretty comparable player in terms of skill set.
04:26Maybe not as big, tall, that sort of thing.
04:30But shoots, handles, okay defender.
04:34Not much on that end, but at least big enough to defend wing positions.
04:39So I think it makes sense for Minnesota to get ahead on that.
04:43But it might hurt them a little bit in the short term.
04:45Because I thought Towns was actually pretty good last postseason, despite his past playoff struggles.
04:50But obviously the biggest impact for the Celtics directly is going to be the Knicks in their backyard.
04:57Opening night, Towns is going to be at center for New York for that ring night.
05:02And I think he's a pretty good fit on that roster.
05:05The shooting, the size.
05:08I loved him at center more than this four thing that they've been doing with him a couple years now in Minnesota.
05:15Because I think he's just such a matchup issue for opposing centers.
05:20And Horford can probably contain him on that night and do his best.
05:26But he can just score boatloads of points.
05:29I think he's done a better job drawing back the fouling.
05:32I think he's done a better job playing within himself in a role.
05:35Which he's going to have to do here in New York next to Brunson and all these other guys.
05:39And all of a sudden you're looking at a New York team that was a little sometimes stagnant.
05:48Playing a rock fight kind of game in the half court.
05:51Having a five out system. Bridges can shoot threes. Towns can shoot threes.
05:55OG can shoot threes. Hart can shoot threes.
05:59And obviously Brunson at the point of attack.
06:01So we're about to watch some 5-0 basketball between these teams on opening night.
06:06Yeah, I do think the more I think about this trade, the Knicks become the clear...
06:13I feel confident saying they're the biggest threat to the Celtics in the East.
06:17And I didn't feel that way this morning.
06:20Yeah, I still kind of thought that. But honestly, this trade does make them better.
06:24And it's interesting. I feel like Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns are almost both underrated players in a sense.
06:32They're both gotten to the point where I feel like they're such underachieving superstars and moments in their career.
06:37Even though they've had their high moments too.
06:40I don't know. I feel like both their fan bases have been frustrated with them.
06:44This is kind of like a massive star for star trade in a lot of ways.
06:49It just doesn't have that same feeling that it otherwise would.
06:52I think because of the fact that both of these guys are guys that have been relatively unpopular at points.
06:58I do kind of feel for Karl-Anthony Towns who literally just last year made the conference finals after so many years of losing in Minnesota.
07:06And it seemed like I thought that team was one of the most formidable teams of the playoffs.
07:11And going into next season, I had them at the top of the list for making a deep run again.
07:17But yeah, I mean, it makes sense from the Nas Raid perspective.
07:19As soon as they extended Nas Raid, I was thinking to myself like, OK, so this is not that they're pretty much signal.
07:24They're not going to keep those three guys long term for that much money.
07:27So I don't know. I just I'm just not that high on Julius Randle.
07:30Like that was honestly something that made me feel good about New York is that I feel like he has just had so many low playoff moments.
07:36That just the absence of him is a little bit of an addition in a sense.
07:42Yeah. And you mentioned at the start of the show, the health situation there.
07:45They entered camp with almost an emergency situation at center there.
07:51You think moods in Porzingis is bad. They lose Hartenstein.
07:55Robinson's out until January, they're saying, in a longer estimate with this ankle injury surgery he's recovering from.
08:04And Randle wasn't ready for the beginning of camp.
08:06So we'll see how long he's going to be out for Minnesota at this point.
08:09They're effectively trading for a guy coming off surgery who's not quite there yet either.
08:13So it's another reason there's a step back from Minnesota.
08:16But again, money, money. And I want to connect that to Boston in just a second here.
08:21But here's a way to make some money this weekend. A lot of fun college football games coming up.
08:26You got a great one tonight between Miami and Virginia Tech that just wrapped up a crazy ending in that game.
08:33But it's all the more fun when you have a daily fantasy sports team involved.
08:37And this is our official daily fantasy sports partner here.
08:41You're hearing about Caleb Williams' one yard. That's done at the end of this weekend.
08:47This is your last chance to play at a free Caleb Williams square to get you going.
08:51You know how it works. Two or more players pick more or less than their projections.
08:55And you can win up to many times your money over at PrizePicks.
08:59So go there right now. Sign up. Play $5 and get $50 instantly.
09:04You don't even need to win to get the $50 bonus over at PrizePicks.
09:08That's PrizePicks. Again, use that code CLNS for a $50 bonus when you play $5.
09:15And game time. It's a wrap for baseball. It's about to be over at Fenway.
09:20But plenty of Patriots games coming up. Bruins getting going. Their preseason games are already underway.
09:26And in a couple weeks, you'll get some Celtics preseason action back here in Boston.
09:29It's all available on the Game Time app. Use that code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
09:35Terms apply. You know the deal. You can check out where your seats are.
09:40You can get flash deals, zone deals, all different kinds of deals.
09:44And upfront pricing is going to show you exactly what you're paying for your tickets here on the Game Time app.
09:51And one of my favorite apps to buy seats I don't know is Used to Forever as well.
09:56And, you know, love them as a sponsor here. Great experience.
10:00Concerts. I got a bunch of concerts I'm looking at coming up.
10:02And I'm always going to the Game Time app to see what the best prices are.
10:06And they have a game time guarantee. So you're guaranteed that best price.
10:09So CLNS, $20 off first purchase. Terms apply. It's the Game Time app.
10:13Go download today. What time is it? It's game time.
10:16Let's go back to the trade here. And it does make me think of one thing too.
10:24Before we go back to like the Celtics-Knicks stuff here.
10:27This is a money move for Minnesota.
10:30They could have done it next year. They could have ran it back and try to figure this out later.
10:35But there was no guarantee they were going to be able to get a Julius Randle who's a cheaper version of Towns effectively here later.
10:42Because obviously all the reporting I think Fisher said they were just the Knicks were going around the league saying who wants Randle?
10:48You know, who can we get for some center depth here? Which makes sense to me.
10:52The Celtics. They're like three super expensive teams right now, right?
10:57Maybe this is like one or two more, but the Suns, the Celtics, the Wolves are getting there.
11:03And the Celtics going to hit this 500 million thing next summer.
11:07And so I knew they were running it back this year, but I was keeping an eye around the league.
11:12Like what's Phoenix going to do? Are they going to trade like Durant or Beal or Booker or something and try to break that up?
11:18They run it back. I was really keeping an eye on Minnesota.
11:23Are they going to keep Towns? Nope, they keep them until today.
11:27There looked like they were going to run it back. And then, of course, the Celtics signed everybody.
11:32So. The league effectively punted on that second apron thing, for the most part, unless you were like the Clippers with Georgian Free Agency.
11:41And there were no trades from like major, major trades for money saving purposes.
11:48And so I'm like, all right, I guess I'll have to wait till next summer.
11:51But here it is. This is the first big, super second apron trade luxury tax in this modern era trade.
12:00And it just makes me think one year from today, probably less than a year from today, because it will happen early next summer.
12:07Feasibly, you know, depending on how this year goes for the Celtics.
12:11The Celtics might have to make a trade like this in a year.
12:15Like, you know, do you go and get a cheaper version of Porzingis?
12:19Do you go and get a cheaper version of Holiday or several young players who are cheaper than that one player to just start to scale that cost back a little bit?
12:28Scale that tax back a little bit. We don't know who the owner is going to be.
12:32We don't know what their stomach's going to be for running this team back, even if they win a back to back championship here.
12:39But this is something that the Celtics might have to do in a year.
12:43As shaky as this looks for Minnesota right now, as much of a step back as it is going from Towns to Randall.
12:50This is this is the NBA now.
12:53Like you might be able to do one year, 500 million with the right owner, but it's not going to go much longer than that.
13:00Yeah, I don't know why every time I see a Luke Cornette in the comments section, it just distracts me so much.
13:06This is like every time.
13:08But so I think I know I've been avoiding this topic because I feel like it's so speculative and it's so big picture and they literally just won the championship.
13:18But I think you're right.
13:20It does kind of force the issue of least thinking about it.
13:23Something that I noticed at Media Day.
13:26Did you notice that every single time a player was asked about the ownership?
13:30Jalen was asked about it.
13:31Drew was asked about it.
13:32They played it off like it had zero impact on them.
13:35I don't know if that's like a media training point, but they were kind of told to be like that.
13:39But Jalen was like the best of luck to wake.
13:42Drew was like, you know, I don't know.
13:44Like, you know, they're they're kind of downplaying the fact that this is happening.
13:48But you have to imagine that in the back of their heads, they know that this could have a ramification of shipping somebody out.
13:54And at this point, yeah, like obviously Drew Holiday and Porzingis are the two ones that come to mind because Porzingis because of the fact that think he's going to have the injury things.
14:04I don't know how he's going to pan out.
14:05And you don't want to say you don't want to say a name that starts with J.
14:11Yeah.
14:13Because also, like, why would you, you know?
14:15Right.
14:17At least not today.
14:19But who knows?
14:20Who knows what happens over the course of the next year?
14:24I mean, it's also like last year, I think they both had very good season.
14:28That one of those could change, right?
14:30I mean, knock on wood.
14:31They're both they've both been healthy for the last few years.
14:33Like there's so many variables.
14:34It's such a difficult topic to discuss because everything is kind of up in the air, right?
14:40Like we it's all a projection based off of what next year would look like.
14:44The one that I feel really confident, I don't think Derek White's going anywhere, honestly.
14:47Like he's one that I feel like if I had to pick somebody that's staying in Boston,
14:51I feel like he's really unbearable.
14:52Especially at his value.
14:54Yeah, I think he's just a good a good contract deal.
14:57I think that he's going to, regardless of who else you have in that starting lineup,
15:01like he's going to fit.
15:02So I don't know.
15:04I mean, Porzingis and Holiday.
15:05Holiday is going to be, what, 35 next summer?
15:09He's 35 this year.
15:10Yeah.
15:11In June next year.
15:12Yeah.
15:13So like this offseason, he'll be 35.
15:15He really doesn't seem like it.
15:17You know?
15:18No.
15:19And I was thinking when we talked to him the other day, I was like,
15:21how do you approach being 35 regular season, you know,
15:25getting through year after year at this point?
15:27Because he's not an injury guy, you know, knock on wood.
15:29Yeah.
15:30Doesn't slow down much from shooting or even physical standpoint.
15:34I guess maybe he's not as quick as he used to be,
15:36but still pretty close to what Drew Holiday used to be.
15:39He makes up for it.
15:41Yeah.
15:42I mean, the thing for me is that it's honestly,
15:44It's so speculative that it's so hard to make anything concrete.
15:48I don't want to, because the Timberwolves traded catch.
15:50Well, I think regardless of the money thing, there were issues there.
15:54And there was the result for years now,
15:56there's been conversation and whispers around whether he might get traded.
15:59And I felt that a lot of that was quelled this year because of the
16:01playoff run that they did have.
16:04But yeah,
16:05I don't think I'm ready to start putting people on the, you know,
16:08you're next because of this, even though you're right.
16:10Like it is, it is going to be an inevitable part of the future of the NBA.
16:13And honestly it kind of sucks because like,
16:15you don't want teams to break up because of that.
16:17You know, you want them to break up because their time has come,
16:19or because something went wrong. It's kind of a bummer, but.
16:24I don't know.
16:25Yeah.
16:26It's going to be more difficult for guys to move when they want to.
16:29And it's probably going to become more common for guys to move when they
16:32don't want to, which isn't great.
16:36And I think we can expect a lot of off season fun maneuvering.
16:41And now there's going to be difficult maneuvering that doesn't make much
16:45sense to people and a whole lot of math that people don't want to think about.
16:49And I know Keith and others are out there trying to figure out the money
16:53aspect of this deal, because as it looks right here, it doesn't work.
16:58So I think Charlotte's coming in as a third team and there's going to be some
17:00other names moving around here, but this is the gist of it.
17:03We've got the Towns for Randall, Devenchenzo, and a Detroit pick.
17:07I don't know if there's any projections on there, but you can't go wrong with a
17:10Detroit pick if you're Minnesota, who already added Dillingham and Shannon,
17:16a couple of guys in the draft who look pretty good.
17:18And that's the other angle of this, right?
17:20For Boston and other teams living in this money space.
17:23You got to have some guys who are on rookie contracts coming up too.
17:26And that's where a Detroit first round pick is pretty valuable here,
17:29as well as Devenchenzo, who I know you mentioned earlier here.
17:33That's a tough one for New York, because swapping Towns for Randall,
17:37you do that, you're giving up Devenchenzo, moving on from that whole Villanova
17:42thing, which obviously the players were super excited about, and losing a guy
17:47who found himself in that system and was so great into the playoffs.
17:51And, you know, I keep thinking back to when the Celtics were reportedly
17:55trying to trade Grant for him when he was in Milwaukee.
17:59And that trade would have made a lot of sense looking back on it.
18:04Guy who's, like, cost-controlled, shoots, handles, can defend his position,
18:10all of that.
18:11He's a great player, one of the more underrated guys in the league,
18:14and he's going to be dangerous off that Minnesota bench.
18:16Like, he'll be filling in for, like, Kyle Anderson, and I don't know who else
18:21was on that team last year filling those kind of minutes.
18:24But they needed a guy like that, and they get him here.
18:27And Randall, comparable to Towns.
18:29The West is crazy.
18:30The West is tough.
18:32And losing, like, a Towns-caliber guy is difficult there, but I'm sure that's
18:38the one player both sides were really haggling over here.
18:42And I don't know if you even could haggle over him because of the money
18:44aspect here, but that's a tough one for New York.
18:47And, you know, when they go to the team, and obviously I'm sure they're going
18:51to miss Randall like crazy because of just how beloved he was there.
18:54But in terms of what they did last year and where it looked like this was going,
18:59that's going to be tough for Brunson, tough for Bridges, who came over
19:03from Brooklyn, and Hart, who looked like they were about to do
19:07that whole Villanova thing.
19:09And even beyond that, he was just becoming a great fit there,
19:12Devin Chenzo was.
19:15Yeah, I feel for him.
19:17He's, like, at the top of the list of guys.
19:19This kind of does suck for him because I do think he found a home,
19:22and like you said, I thought the Villanova thing was so cool.
19:25It's just too bad that that never actually panned out.
19:28I was thinking, I was kind of bummed about the opening night being
19:31against New York.
19:32Felt like it should have been a team that had a little bit more of a history
19:36with the Celtics, like maybe even Miami.
19:38Even if it's less of a good team right now, like I would have preferred
19:41the banner ceremony and everything to be against a team that has more history.
19:44But now, this is kind of the team you want to see.
19:46So I'm glad that that's opening night.
19:48I'm glad that it's in less than a month now that these two teams will tip off
19:51and that I think it's a team that has the most buzz around it,
19:54especially because this trade happened so late in the offseason.
19:56I feel like that always kind of makes things more exciting.
19:59But, yeah, I mean, I do think this is going to work for New York,
20:03regardless of whether or not they beat the Celtics.
20:05It's going to work because Karl-Anthony Towns is going to –
20:07can almost play like a role-player type role here.
20:10Like I think that they're not going to put –
20:12the offensive load on him is not going to be that heavy,
20:15and it's not going to be as heavy as it was in Minnesota
20:17because you just have a lot of weapons in this Knicks lineup.
20:20Like Mikael Bridges was the number one option last year.
20:22He wasn't great, but he was, right?
20:24And so Jalen Brunson's obviously shown that he can produce
20:27like very few players in the league.
20:29So I don't know.
20:31I think this is going to be good for Karl-Anthony Towns, honestly.
20:33The people that might lose are, I think right now, more on the Wolves side,
20:38but I could totally – and end up aging terribly.
20:43Yeah, definitely.
20:44I think it's fair for both sides from a value standpoint.
20:48You've got the Knicks.
20:49You've got Towns, who's probably going to start the season at the 5.
20:52OG side's to the 4 in that case,
20:54which is giving up a little bit of size depending on your opponent.
20:58Not against Boston right now, the way that both teams are set up,
21:01but that will be interesting to see how that evolves.
21:04Brunson, Bridges, Hart probably going to round out that starting lineup.
21:08Of course, Robinson out until December, January range.
21:13This is the problem with Chua, who's like 6'8",
21:15who's going to be starting at center for them.
21:18Jericho Sims, who's a big athletic leaper,
21:23didn't garner enough experience last year to make you believe in him.
21:27And then you've got your McBride,
21:29and I guess Keita Bates-Diop's going to try to figure things out again here.
21:34Campaigne came in as a veteran.
21:36The depth's not great losing Devin Chenzo.
21:39This bench doesn't look on par with Boston's right now,
21:45but it is a formidable starting five,
21:47and you're going to have some flexibility.
21:48You can move Towns to the 4 once Robinson comes back,
21:51play them together, play them with a Chua a little bit,
21:54and you still got all those wings to throw at Boston.
21:57It's still that thing we talked about where they got all those wings,
22:01they got all this versatility to try to defend a team like Boston.
22:06And when you add Towns to that mix, he's not a rim protector,
22:11but I thought he did a much better job defending wings last year.
22:15He could maybe stand with a Tatum and Brown for a few possessions here
22:19or there at the 4 if Robinson's behind him.
22:22It's going to be trickier with him at the 5,
22:24but again, he's going against Horford at that spot,
22:27and I think they're pretty comparable athletically and all that kind of stuff.
22:30So it's going to be a pretty fair fight on opening night
22:33when you think of these guys who are in there.
22:36With Porzingis out for that game, it's a tough matchup.
22:41What I really want to see Towns do is go back to the interior,
22:45back guys down, use that post skill set he has that he started his career with.
22:50But I'm sure there's going to be a whole lot of shooting theories for Towns again here,
22:54which he's great at, but attack Boston where they're vulnerable.
22:58We'll see if he's capable of it.
23:00And that's going to be the frustration for Knicks fans.
23:02This is going to be a tough transition for him
23:04because the expectations are going to be up through the roof
23:07playing in that city with their best team in recent history.
23:13I feel like he's already gotten Knicks treatment,
23:16that really heavy scrutiny.
23:18It's almost surprising that he was only in Minnesota
23:20because I feel like he's been one of the more scrutinized figures on the national level.
23:24A lot of it is honestly, I think, off-the-court things.
23:27His voice, stuff like that, just became a big story around him.
23:31He has some frustrating aspects to his game, too, though.
23:34I mean, you know, nothing drives me crazier than a guy who can't stay in the game
23:39because of fouling.
23:40That just can't happen.
23:42And he drives me crazy with that, Jaron Jackson.
23:48You remember Drew Holiday last year when they matched up?
23:51I think the game in Minnesota, Drew was guarding Kath for a big portion of the game
23:56and it was actually going quite well.
23:58So, I don't know, just thinking about how these teams even match up,
24:01there are so many different ways that you could line these two up.
24:04It's honestly kind of...
24:06It's pretty incredible.
24:07It's two really good starting fives.
24:09That's the reality.
24:10It's two very good starting fives.
24:12I like Josh Hart as a starter.
24:13I think he probably would have come off the bench if it wasn't for this trade
24:16and now he's probably inserted into the starting lineup, I would imagine.
24:22But yeah, I was kind of waffling on who the top threat in the East was to the Celtics
24:26and I feel right now that it's clearly the Knicks.
24:30Maybe the 76ers are trailing and it's really hinging on Embiid
24:35looking like he did in his MVP years and Maxi making another leap.
24:39This is the most complete team, I think, that is in the Eastern Conference outside Boston.
24:45Yeah, and I want to have that conversation before we get out of here.
24:48I want to give a shout out to our great sponsor, Nutrafol.
24:52Nutrafol right now, as you know, giving you $10 off
24:55your first month subscription with free shipping right now over at Nutrafol.
25:00What is Nutrafol?
25:01They're the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand
25:05trusted by over one million people.
25:07See thicker, stronger, faster growing hair with less shedding
25:10in just three to six months with Nutrafol.
25:12As we transition into fall, we're already well there.
25:15I think even the calendar has said we're into fall at this point.
25:19Our schedules are busier, back to school, tighter work deadlines,
25:23basketball starting in our case.
25:25All these practices we're jumping into.
25:27It's easy to forget about taking care of yourselves during this busy season.
25:31One simple but effective thing you can do for yourself is start taking fall.
25:35Are you interested in having hair that grows faster, stronger, longer,
25:39having visibly thicker volume, experiencing noticeably less shedding,
25:43thicker lashes and brows?
25:45All that's possible with Nutrafol.
25:47Thinning hair is different for men and women.
25:49So a one size fits all approach to hair growth doesn't cut it.
25:52Nutrafol has multiple formulas for men and women that are tailored
25:55to different life stages and lifestyle factors.
25:58That's a big one.
25:59So you can get just what you need.
26:02Physician-formulated with 100% drug-free ingredients,
26:06Nutrafol supports healthy hair growth from within by targeting
26:09the key root causes of thinning, stress, hormones, aging, nutrition, lifestyle,
26:14metabolism through whole body health.
26:16And again, everybody's different here, so they give you what you need.
26:20Get results you can run your fingers through for a limited time.
26:23Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month subscription
26:27and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com
26:29and enter the promo code GARDEN.
26:31Find out why over 4,500 healthcare professionals and stylists
26:34recommend Nutrafol for healthier hair.
26:36Nutrafol.com, spelled N-U-T-R-A-F-O-L.com, promo code GARDEN,
26:42G-A-R-D-E-N, that's Nutrafol.com, code GARDEN.
26:46All right, let's stack them up.
26:48You said NAFTA this trade, New York's your top competitor in the East,
26:54top threat to Boston.
26:56Who are your top five at this point?
27:00Ooh.
27:02This is exactly the kind of prediction that I would get wrong,
27:04but I would say New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Indiana, Miami.
27:21That's my top five.
27:22You still got Miami in the mix, huh?
27:24I can't stop.
27:26I'm still giving them a boost from like two years ago.
27:29I don't know.
27:30I think at the end of the day we're forgetting like how many injury woes
27:33we had last year.
27:34I think like Jaime Hawkins is primed to be a better player this season.
27:38I have a feeling we're going to see a better regular season from Jerry Butler
27:41than we've seen in recent years, considering all the chatter around him
27:44and that he didn't have his big playoff burst last season.
27:46I'm giving them number five.
27:48I mean, who else would be up there?
27:49The Cavs, potentially.
27:51I can't quit the Cavs.
27:52I said that earlier.
27:54I have Cavs.
27:55Running it back.
27:56New coach.
27:58Played Boston decent with Mitchell in the lineup in that series.
28:02The offense, though, in the wing position.
28:04I mean, the Knicks have all the wings here.
28:06The Cavs have none of them.
28:10So, that's a killer there.
28:12I'm going to go.
28:14I'll meet you at Philadelphia for two, and they would have been one before this
28:18because of my Knicks concerns now addressed.
28:22If Embiid's healthy, and I know it's the most unlikely if ever at this point,
28:29but when he's healthy, they were right up there
28:32and challenged Boston pretty tough in those first few games they played
28:36early last season.
28:38So, specifically for that matchup and given what they did,
28:41I think Paul George was such a great fit there.
28:44I'll have them two, which is tough because I'm such a big Milwaukee believer, too,
28:50and they are three for me as well.
28:53But the middle then helps.
28:55And Lopez.
28:56Lopez is 38, and they're two rookies being 19.
29:02And I like these guys, Prince and Wright and Trent coming in on minimums,
29:09but usually guys who are on minimums end up showing why they're on minimums.
29:14And Doc, who I love, but just doing Doc things over the last handful of years,
29:21including last year.
29:22It's been a defensive coaching season for him,
29:24but overall he's had some tough finishes, too.
29:28I get some of the Buck skepticism as much as I love Giannis,
29:31but you still got to take Giannis seriously if you run into him in a series.
29:34That's six, seven games on its own, I think, him being Giannis.
29:38So they could easily move up there, and he's probably a better bet to be healthy
29:43come playoff time than Embiid because once Embiid goes down,
29:46the Sixers go down.
29:48And with George, they won't be able to stay in the mix without Embiid.
29:52Four, I will go Cavs since I can't quit them.
29:59And I will put Indy five.
30:01Good effort, good fight.
30:04Could even be magic at that spot given their defensive posture because we see.
30:11The biggest thing is I know Mizula said it could have been seven, right?
30:15And it was the closest sweep you'll ever see.
30:17But they couldn't win a single game because they couldn't defend.
30:20Every time they need a key stop, they couldn't get it.
30:22And I don't see anything different about that this time around.
30:24So I might actually put Orlando in there over Indiana.
30:28It's tough.
30:29I like Indiana's style.
30:30Nembhard did his thing, McConnell.
30:32But I don't think they could win four games against Boston in almost any scenario.
30:39I'm just going to give Indiana the respect of being, I still think,
30:42is the toughest series they had last year.
30:44And for that reason, I feel like I have to put them in the top five.
30:47But at this point, it changes on a lot of things.
30:50Obviously, Tyrese Halberd, he's had his share of injury things,
30:54some health concerns.
30:55There were some reports in the Olympics that contributed to him not playing.
30:58So if he's not completely right,
31:00that team definitely is also in the category of dependent on health
31:05and a little bit more uncertain.
31:07I'm trying to think, is there anybody else we're missing that is not,
31:10that should be in that top five?
31:12We mentioned Orlando briefly.
31:16You mentioned Miami.
31:18And that's six teams in that mix.
31:21Then you're down to the Atlantos, Charlotte, if you think they're coming.
31:26Yeah.
31:28It gets pretty bad pretty fast in that range.
31:31I like that line, it gets pretty bad.
31:33Yeah, the Eastern Conference are at the bottom there.
31:35The Wizards, you know?
31:37The Wizards aren't going anywhere.
31:39I thought that was a media poll where I was supposed to predict
31:41who the worst team in the NBA was.
31:43And I said the Wizards.
31:45Yeah, I think I did too.
31:48Could Toronto be interesting?
31:52No.
31:55I don't think so.
31:56You don't think so?
31:57Quickly, Barrett, Barnes, Olenek, Pirtle.
32:08Yeah, Barnes had a weird year, though.
32:10I think he had a big sophomore slump.
32:12Barrett quickly traded midseason.
32:15We saw a little of it, but not a ton.
32:18I think Toronto's going to be terrible.
32:20Terrible?
32:22I'm not ruling it out.
32:23Bruce Brown, too, who's hurt.
32:26He did have a knee surgery, right?
32:28I saw that.
32:29Yeah, he's probably going to miss a little bit of the start of the season.
32:33Yeah.
32:37Here's a question for you.
32:38I was thinking about this.
32:39Do you think the Celtics will have the best record in the Eastern Conference?
32:44Yeah, just because of the Jalen Detroit Pritchard 30 points
32:50when we don't play any one thing.
32:53Because that's real.
32:54We saw that over and over and over again last year.
32:56They went 4-0 when Horford and Porzingis sat together.
33:05Their ability to win games last year when they were sitting sometimes
33:09three starters was out of this world.
33:12They're probably going to have to rest a little more.
33:14Like I've said, I'm mildly concerned about this Porzingis thing
33:17to start the year.
33:21They won by 14 games last year, so they can be 10 games worse
33:24and still win by four games in that case if all is equal.
33:28I would bet pretty strongly the Celtics will have the best record in the East.
33:33If they don't, that's not great.
33:36But they could fall to two, could fall to three, as I've said,
33:39and still find their way to work through the playoffs.
33:41It would just be much tougher in the playoffs in that scenario.
33:45Yeah.
33:46I actually think they probably won't get the number one seed.
33:50So who do you like, New York?
33:52I could see New York getting the number one seed.
33:54I still think the Celtics would beat them in a series.
33:56But it's so speculative now.
33:58I was just looking at the WNBA preseason rankings, and they were so wrong.
34:02I feel like stupid even trying to predict this,
34:05but I guess that's the point.
34:07But, yeah, I think just looking at this New York team,
34:09they match up well with most teams, I think.
34:12They don't have any major holes now.
34:14They're going to be super motivated.
34:15They didn't have – they weren't playing through June.
34:17Celtics have some things that are just –
34:19it's hard to come back from a championship season
34:21and be the number one seed.
34:22It doesn't happen often.
34:24That being said, if Jason and Jalen are playing at their peak level,
34:29then this is wrong.
34:32I think I'm accounting for some struggles, just like natural stuff.
34:36But talking to Jalen today got me fired up.
34:38I'm like, he's about to have an MVP season,
34:40was the value that we walked away from.
34:44Yeah, it's interesting your point about the standings
34:46probably not finishing the way we think they will.
34:48Last year you wouldn't have predicted Orlando 5.
34:51You probably wouldn't have predicted Indiana 6.
34:54Yeah, it's talking specifically to the East.
34:56I mean, the West is just madness.
34:58No one knows how the West is going to finish.
35:00But in the East, I think you can rule out Detroit, Washington, Brooklyn,
35:08maybe even Chicago, but even they have some feisty qualities usually
35:12and a good coach and all that.
35:14But to me, the three teams that are probably getting underrated a little bit
35:19would be Charlotte, Toronto, and Miami.
35:26You always think they're dead, and then they do.
35:29Really?
35:30Yeah, maybe by the people who like them.
35:33Everybody's talking about Charlotte's the dark horse.
35:35I don't understand because they hired someone we like?
35:39Well, I think most people think they'll miss the playoffs,
35:41and I think they could get in the playoffs.
35:44Okay, I've been hearing some stuff about them getting in the playoffs.
35:47I feel like they're a popular pick right now.
35:50Maybe I'm in too deep on NBA media consumption
35:52that I'm reading everybody's preseason stats.
35:55No, I get what you're saying there.
35:58Yeah, I just think compared to last year.
36:00So, you know what?
36:01I guess I'll replace them with Atlanta because they trade Murray.
36:08Everyone thinks they're probably dead.
36:11Young, all the criticism he gets, all that.
36:15But they still have a pretty solid roster.
36:18They've still played the Celtics pretty well
36:21compared to most teams over the last few years,
36:23and they have a great coach.
36:25So, I don't think it would shock anyone for them to get the eighth seed
36:29out of that mix of teams we're talking about here.
36:31They might even be the favorite on paper to do it.
36:34So, I guess I'd go Atlanta, Toronto, and the Heat among teams
36:39that could maybe rise higher than many people would think they would.
36:43And then, you know, those teams that were there last year
36:46that you just think are going to be there again,
36:50Cleveland, Orlando.
36:53Can they repeat it?
36:54Can Ben Carroll cash in on this hype that's built up around him?
36:59And the Pacers who literally decide to have the best offense ever
37:04and the worst defense ever.
37:06And I don't know how sustainable that is.
37:08And I like them.
37:09I like Neesmith.
37:10I like all the things they're doing there.
37:12But they got to figure out something new this year
37:14because I don't know if that's working again, what they did last year.
37:18So, there could be some unpredictability there.
37:21Indiana could fall.
37:22Cleveland could fall.
37:25Miami could rise more than we think, though probably not.
37:29And, I don't know, Atlanta.
37:31So, again, on paper, the East is probably a lot more straightforward
37:35than the West.
37:37And I'll still feel good about picking the Celtics, one.
37:41But we are just about less than a week away from games happening
37:46for the Celtics.
37:48Nuggets up next on Friday.
37:51We'll probably have one more preview of the preseason, young players,
37:57what to expect out of those games.
37:59Maybe we'll get a little bit more of a plan for who's playing
38:01in those games as well next week.
38:03But one more practice before the Celtics do depart to Abu Dhabi.
38:07We'll be there on Sunday, off day tomorrow.
38:10So, look for more from us in a couple days here.
38:13Noah Dalzell, check out UGOT Boston.
38:15You've got an episode tomorrow, right, coming?
38:18Yep, yeah.
38:19I'll have something tomorrow just recapping this week in training camp.
38:22I'll probably be going live.
38:24So, feel free to join in, and we can talk through all the observations
38:27and takeaways and everything.
38:29Yeah, we didn't get to talk as much camp as I thought we might here,
38:31but big news here.
38:33We had to dive pretty deep on this town straight.
38:35So, I know we'll have some training camp recaps going up.
38:39We have a ton of videos we did this week.
38:41We talked about Cata today.
38:42We talked about expectations for Jalen this year.
38:44I think that's an interesting one, too.
38:46So, go check those out on Celtics All Access.
38:48Of course, show some love to our sponsors.
38:51Prize picks.
38:52Great weekend to go over there.
38:53Use that code CLNS.
38:55Build yourself a daily fantasy team for the college games
38:57or the pro games on Sunday.
38:59Game time.
39:00Use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
39:03If you're looking for some tickets to events this weekend, terms apply.
39:07And Nutrafol, get $10 off your first month subscription
39:10and free shipping at Nutrafol.com and use that code guard.
39:13And again, crazy news in the NBA tonight.
39:16They always catch us out of nowhere.
39:18Towns to the Knicks.
39:20Just about done.
39:21I don't think it's official yet.
39:23They're still trying to find a third team.
39:25But it looks like this one's going to go through with Randall DiVincenzo
39:28going back to Minnesota.
39:30How do you feel about the Knicks?
39:31Already a hot topic team.
39:33And, of course, the first team the Celtics will see on ring night.
39:36So, this is it here.
39:37Towns at center.
39:38Brunson.
39:39Bridges, who came over from Brooklyn.
39:41The whole thing.
39:42It's going to be a crazy game.
39:44And two pretty fairly matched teams there,
39:47at least as they're currently constituted.
39:49So, I can't wait.
39:50We'll be there.
39:51And it's going to start this path for the Celtics to repeat here.
39:55So, again, thanks for joining us here.
39:57A ton of you talking about this trade here with us.
39:59Yeah, everyone's excited about the trade.
40:01Yeah, that's how it goes.
40:03People love the activity.
40:05So, appreciate the NBA giving us this to talk about tonight.
40:08A really fascinating move.
40:09Interested to see what the other guys think of it.
40:11I think they were all asleep because I didn't hear from any of them tonight.
40:14So, we'll hear from them next week on this and more.
40:18And we'll talk to you then.
40:19Thanks, everybody.
40:20Good night.
40:27Wait, Ahmed's got an outro for us, I think.
40:29No, he doesn't.
40:30You said he was going to work on an outro.
40:33He had a phenomenal game.
40:35Phenomenal.
40:39I think it's an option.
40:43That did not sound like a chair.
40:45It was a freaking chair.
40:46It does sound like a chair.