Jayson Tatum Has OVERTAKEN Giannis Antetokounmpo | Celtics Beat - video Dailymotion

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Keith Smith covers the NBA and the salary cap for Spotrac. Keith joins the program to discuss the Boston Celtics' regular season sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jrue Holiday sticking it to his old team, and Payton Pritchard's role on this team.   CLNS 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 NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!  💳Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/GARDEN. Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you: joinbilt.com/GARDEN, to start earning points on your rent payments today!  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! Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off any purchase and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code GARDENGIFT!   #celtics #NBA #BostonCeltics The CLNS Media Network is the leading provider for video/audio content. CLNS is a fully credentialed member of the media with access to all NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB teams & venues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  CLNS' rebuilt their YouTube community in less than 12 months, during a pandemic that attacked sports. Wondering how? Find out here (and support our channel) - https://www.tubebuddy.com/clnsmedia  Visit the Official Home of CLNS Sports Coverage -  https://clnsmedia.com  Twitter - https://twitter.com/CLNSMedia Celtics - https://twitter.com/celticsclns Patriots - https://twitter.com/patriotsclns Bruins - https://twitter.com/bruinsclns Red Sox - https://twitter.com/redsoxclns Non-Sports - https://twitter.com/northstation Facebook - http://facebook.com/clnsmedia INSTA - http://Instagram.com/clnsmedia INSTA Celtics - http://Instagram.com/celticsclns INSTA History - http://Instagram.com/nbahistoryclns

Transcript

00:00Celtics beat is brought to you by price picks and the game time app

00:06Hey everyone, welcome in and boy. It's it's great to be back here with you again

00:11I was gonna say like welcome to December

00:13I think this this has to be of our second December show right was the show last week technically December December 1st something like

00:19That be honestly, I don't remember. I'm gonna tell you it's probably the 30th or December 4

00:23I want to say it's the 30th

00:24No, it was November 30th because what I did the ad reads this morning

00:28I had to erase the month and the day. So there we go. Alright, so what well then

00:33Officially everyone out there watching on the CLNS YouTube page or listening wherever you get your podcast

00:39We always appreciate you rate review subscribe all that good stuff

00:43Most importantly subscribe both to the podcast wherever you download or to the CLNS

00:49YouTube page because you know

00:51There are a collection of videos out there then and Celtics and other team related content that you can get

00:57So so many great notifications that'll say hey, we're streaming. We're live. We're up. We're posted whatever it may be

01:03Be here, but welcome

01:06Officially to December everybody where the Celtics are by record the second best team in the NBA

01:12Although I still think if Boston and Cleveland did or does match up come the postseason

01:18You'd be hard-pressed to find a team if everyone is healthy if the teams look the way they do right now

01:23Roster wise that would take Cleveland in that seven game set. So let's just say it

01:28The NBA leading at least, you know in terms of reputation and standing and downright defending champion

01:35Boston Celtics and of course to help us break things down first time in a little while

01:40It's great to have him back Keith Smith spot-track and he is I mean all over the place

01:45The man keeps very fun off the show baby run off his show. Make sure you check that out with Trevor Lane

01:51we love having you here Keith and

01:54it's this is kind of a

01:56We don't like to do this for people out there listening

01:58This is sort of a sandwich show because you know Celtics is we're sitting here Saturday morning

02:04So the Celtics they played last night. They play again tonight

02:07You might be out there thinking like man not a lot of shelf life on this one, you know

02:11So we're not gonna spend a lot of time

02:15reacting specifically to the Bucs game or previewing specifically the Grizzlies game, but

02:21More of a big picture stuff. There'll be elements of that obviously, but because you know

02:26It's just the timing of of when we're coming at you

02:29but we don't we know if you're not listening to this show for whatever reason because you're busy schedule until

02:33Tuesday or something. We don't want everything to be old on you, but Keith welcome and you know

02:39It's have you been have you enjoyed the the the first quarter of the NBA season?

02:44Yeah, it's hard to believe we're quarter into the season already

02:48Okay, it just flies by they packed so many games and now with the NBA Cup

02:53Schedule into the first part that it's like you before you know it. It's like holy cow. Would you a week from yesterday there?

03:00I'm sorry two months from yesterday

03:03They were will be at the trade deadline like we're already, you know, but steaming towards that so it's flying by but it's been great

03:10it's felt like specifically, you know, they're just

03:13Doing what they did last year kind of rampaging through the league again, and they they

03:19Defense's a little down, you know, but whatever. It's not a deal concern. I don't think offense looks good

03:25They haven't had their guys, you know for a lot of the year guys in and out of the lineup

03:30But they just keep moving along. It's it's been really fun to watch

03:34Yeah, it's been a ton of fun, you know, especially because the they've gotten an opportunity to show off the depth, you know

03:39Whether it's forcing is sitting Horford sitting Brown is even miss time

03:44You know holiday or or white even Tatum finally missed a game like it's you know

03:48there there is a little bit of in-season roster management obviously going on and and it just

03:53Gives an opportunity for guys like Richard obviously

03:56Houser to just sort of strut their stuff show what they're capable of and so

04:00Boston continuing to highlight its depth and we saw that, you know

04:04Most recently in this win over Milwaukee 111 105 at the garden to complete the season

04:11Regular season sweep of the Bucs and Doc Rivers, which is that's that's always a good thing

04:17I think I heard Drew Carter on the broadcast say it was the first

04:21Regular season sweep Boston of Milwaukee in like a decade. So I had been a little while

04:26So that's you know, it's the fun little nugget, you know

04:28Giannis was Giannis Lillard was Lillard, but they got very little out of the supporting cast

04:33although I will say Chris Middleton played much better than I would have expected given that he hadn't played since May and and in

04:39terms of the

04:40Minutes, he was out there as well total of 23 when 11 5 & 3 had a couple of steals a block

04:46Shot poorly, but the volume was there. I mean 2 of 10. So

04:50Middleton, I don't think I need to tell people

04:54Even this, you know with injuries behind him and ripe old age of whatever he is by NBA years

04:59He is, you know still obviously a valuable contributor and a former all-star and all of that

05:04It's just you know, will the Bucs actually be healthy come playoff time? We'll see the Celtics

05:09I mean it was you know Tatum was great a holiday against his old team was awesome

05:15Brown was terrific and you know

05:17there was a little bit of commentary after the game about whether you know Joe Missoula saying that the

05:22from the previous meeting the altercation between Brown and Giannis may have kind of

05:27Unlocked Jalen a little bit and brought out angry Jalen and what we've seen over the last couple of weeks

05:32And that's been a lot of fun and then you know Pritchard a rare quiet night did not score but it was Hauser

05:37You know to that same point 16 points 4 of 8 from 3 and so Celtics just continue to be

05:44Offensively loaded incredibly well-rounded and you know dominant there. They're 19 and hold on Kaufman

05:51You're missing a big a big point here. Who did I skip? No, you're missing the team aspect

05:56They shot below 35% and they still won the from three-point range and they still won the game

06:01That the first time and no, there's six and oh and they do that. Oh, all right

06:04I was gonna say but it which is incredible. It feels like a Grandy stat to Grandy put that out

06:09Oh, I don't remember who had that but you know as we've all

06:14Gone throughout the past couple of weeks of the Celtics ruining basketball or taking too many threes blah blah blah blah blah

06:20They can still win games when they don't shoot the ball. Well, which should terrify everybody

06:25It's true 32% from 3

06:2717 of 53 so, you know those attempts Michael Pena still out there obviously which which we always come to expect I

06:35There was a lot of really compelling stuff from this game

06:39And like I said bigger picture Keith drew holiday after the game on Jason Tatum. Nobody can guard him in this league

06:46Tatum is the only player. This is according to I mean according to fact, but I will credit the tweet underdog NBA

06:53Tatum is the only player in the NBA that is leading his team in points per game rebounds per game assists per game

06:59Steals per game and three pointers per game or a three-point percentage. I'm not sure. I think threes per game

07:05so look, I mean the

07:08Tatum is just one of those guys and there are you know, a handful of them in the league that

07:14can truly just go out and do whatever he wants on a nightly basis and when he doesn't it's

07:19Often by choice to you know elect to be more of a

07:24Facilitator or whatever it may be on a given night, but we spent so much of the offseason

07:30talking about

07:32Ascension and and where does

07:35Tatum take his game from last year when he was already obviously an MVP candidate you could say

07:42You know how high up he truly deserved to be that's fine

07:45Whether he was going to be on an MVP mission this year

07:48There was a lot of commentary about that in the offseason whether he should or shouldn't be and I thought that Tatum

07:55And he has said this before but I thought he summed it up. Well, he said yeah, I mean

07:59I'm not out there specifically chasing MVP, but do I want it?

08:03Of course, I want it and if you look back through NBA history a lot of the you know

08:09Best teams because that is the most important thing. I want to win another championship

08:13I want us to be the best team, but a lot of the best teams their best player or their featured player

08:20It's it doubles over. They are the most valuable player

08:24Like these these don't need to be isolated things where it's you know

08:28Really good player average team or whatever. It may be or very good, but not great team these things

08:33These things often go hand in hand and we are now seeing nightly Jason Tatum truly proving that

08:40Yeah, I think what's been fun in this game was a good microcosm of it was

08:46He kind of now does whatever the game asks of him if it is go score

08:51He'll do that in bunches whether it's all game long or just in stretches of the game if it is

08:56All right, we're gonna see extra help. You're gonna see defense is shaded your way. It's perfectly happy to set guys up

09:02He had some

09:03Outstanding passes in this game. He had one Nikita in the first half. That was one of the best passes

09:09I think he's ever thrown then he had a really couple nice ones to drew holiday, too

09:14And he played the whole game. He had one turnover as well. So it's really become a spot where

09:21for Jason Tatum, it's now

09:24Really I would say about two years ago

09:27Probably right as they were making that first finals run against the Warriors

09:32That's when you really started to see him have a huge impact on games if the shot wasn't falling now it is

09:39That's just a regular thing and and more often than not the shot is falling. They gave the jumper looks good again

09:45It looks clean. It looks smooth

09:47everything looks really really good and and I think to

09:51You now with him in Jalen Brown and I think Joe Missoula is owed a big credit to this

09:55Because he makes sure each of them gets their six minutes per half where it's all right. It's you like you've got it

10:02The two guys are they just there's no more your turn my turn like it is just very like Gary, let's go

10:10Let's get out there and do that. I think holiday and white help with that too because they are very

10:15Willing to say hey, we've had a couple sticky possessions. We're gonna go get the ball and make sure it moves

10:19We're gonna set things up. But yeah, I mean Jason Tatum

10:22This is a I would say he's probably the MVP if Nicola Jokic didn't exist

10:27But he does and he's doing things we've never seen before on the floor, but I mean Tatum's right right there he's been so good

10:35I'm not gonna like to you Keith and I took this to Kaufman last night and Kaufman

10:42Came back at me when my son had the same exact point after the game and I and I hadn't gotten here quite yet

10:48I've been very

10:50encouraged and enthused by Tatum's

10:52Little mini-leap, I think he's made in the offseason. He's certainly the best Tatum we've ever seen and I think last night in fourth quarter

10:59He was utterly perfect last night between shooting the basketball

11:03Guarding Damian Lillard on the perimeter, which was fun to watch

11:08Moving the ball around getting the ball reads to be

11:11Last night at the end of the game. I'm sitting there thinking I'm like, I can't believe I'm gonna say this

11:15But I think I'd rather have Tatum than Giannis at this point because of what he allows you for spacing wise

11:21What he allows you to do moving the basketball Giannis

11:24You know

11:25It doesn't feel like the connectivities there with the honest terms of passing it usually when he gets it and honestly

11:30If I'm Janice, I'm probably give the ball up either

11:32I'm just gonna go to the rack and get followed or I'm gonna you know finish through contact

11:35But I think with the way Tatum can impact the basketball game

11:40Specifically the fourth quarter where you I'm not nearly as nervous

11:43When Tatum goes to the free-throw line this when Giannis goes to the free-throw line. I think Tatum may

11:49And tell me from crazy I

11:52Think Tatum is surpassed Giannis as in terms of like hierarchy in the NBA. I think at this point if

11:59You're looking at

12:01every guy in the league

12:03The only guy I feel comfortable saying is better than Tatum right now is Nikoli Okic and that's it. Am I nuts?

12:11Now hang hang on one sec before you answer that because I I just want to paint the clear picture like all of that's fine

12:17But that wasn't what you texted

12:20Specifically what you texted and I'm bringing it up because I think it's a totally fine question

12:25But I let's present the question. The question was

12:29Do we all is Giannis potentially overrated at this point?

12:33It wasn't the like who would you rather have Giannis or Tatum because that's fine

12:38Like I want Tatum for sure, but it was his Giannis potentially overrated, you know

12:42And meaning like just within that top five, you know

12:46Do we put him higher than he actually belongs and and then it's the whole Giannis versus Tatum thing, but go ahead Keith

12:52Yeah, I think today is Giannis overrated part of it. I would say

12:57not

12:59Not in general when he plays like when he plays he has such a massive impact

13:04He's still like almost impossible to guard

13:06I mean shout out to Al Horford like it's ridiculous that you know

13:09This guy is one of the oldest players in the league is still giving Giannis trouble

13:13You know this at this point like unbelievable

13:16I mean he had some defensive possessions in the fourth quarter where he just stayed in front of them and and you could tell you

13:21It was almost a little Joel and bead like but it's like I'm done trying to work on this guy

13:26I'm just gonna shoot jumpers now, you know, I'm gonna settle for these and that's just I don't even understand how Horford still doing that

13:33But I think when you look at the overall picture

13:37Yes, I would take Tatum over Giannis only because I know Tatum's gonna play 75 games a year in the

13:46567 games he misses are because the team makes him sit like it's it's not generally that he's he's never hurt

13:53Like he's he gets banged up, but it's never like a major injury for him to be out

13:58I mean his durability and availability as a superstar in this league again

14:03It's really kind of second only to yoke itch

14:05You look at all the rest of the guys that you would call and look at in the top ten

14:09They almost all miss games

14:11You know almost all of them misses chunks a chunks of the season and Tatum just doesn't do that and Giannis at this point

14:18We're two consecutive playoffs in a row where he hasn't been able to finish the season

14:23He's been injured and that's you know, things do happen

14:26But I kind of wonder like I can this guy get through 82 games and then be really good

14:33In the postseason. I think we're gonna see the box if they can

14:37Yes, they lost the Boston, but they've been playing really well

14:39If they can kind of keep that form going and create some distance for a playoff spot

14:44I think you're gonna see them start very liberally spotting rest days to Giannis and Lillard

14:50It'll be you know, it'll be I like to call it like Tuesday night in Charlotte when it's not on TV

14:55So they're not gonna get in trouble and it'll be let's just sit some guys out

14:59but I think you know, that's where it is, um,

15:02That that's the differentiator

15:04For me with a guy like Tatum and Giannis right now and then you add in the age and all the other stuff that goes

15:10Along with it. But yeah, it's it's it is funny

15:15The conversation I had with some people is it's crazy that he still stands out like this in this

15:21Collection of talent that the Celtics have he very clearly stands out

15:26This is no knock on Jalen Brown and I love Jalen Brown

15:29But Jason Tatum is the best player on the team and it's not even really close

15:32Like you just see they win the Tatum and reserve minutes all the time and they look really good when it's Brown and reserves

15:40It doesn't look quite as good and that's that's not again. Not a knock on Brown. It's just that's where Tatum is as a player

15:47Let's take a quick break

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18:11Let's get back to the show

18:13He's been incredible. There's no doubt about it. But I I do want it. We don't spend enough time

18:17I feel like on this show at

18:20Tatum and Brown to death

18:22deservedly, so

18:23We Pritchard gets a lot of airtime as he should yes, you know since his return

18:29we've spent some Lord knows we praise Al and

18:32And you know has you know gotten the the increased

18:37Recognition within the program that that he is absolutely again deserved. We don't spend

18:43Probably enough time this year

18:45I think we did last year but not enough time this year on drew holiday who last night went for 20 points

18:51Which would be a season high if not for oh, by the way

18:54he had 21 the last time he faced the Bucs earlier this season and

18:58also

19:00You know four of nine, you know

19:01it's the best he has shot from three since the last time he saw the Bucs when he went four of seven the

19:08seven of 14

19:10shooting overall

19:1150% great obviously, but the I bring that up because the 14 field goal attempts was you know

19:17The most he has taken in a month, you know, he has been

19:21Something of a well, this is this is not a slight and calling him a complimentary piece of the offense, obviously

19:27But you know, it's it last night was just a nice reminder and I don't know it look

19:32If you're a better the fact that he's done this twice now against Milwaukee this year

19:36Just plays right into that whole like narrative Street revenge game kind of thing and that's fine

19:40If you want to buy into those

19:42but I think it was just a nice little reminder of what he is capable of being within the offense when

19:50You know Tatum and Brown are solid

19:53But you need three and whites having an off night white did not shoot the ball

19:57Well last night and here's drew holiday to just sort of pick up the slack and be oh, hey guys a couple time champ

20:04And you know former all-star former 20 point per game guy, you know, I I got you tonight

20:11Yeah, the best part though. Just real quick

20:13The best part is the the dagger of the game, you know

20:17I know we went to free throws at the end of the game

20:19The aggregate game was was drew holiday off a pass from Jason Tatum trying to cut to the basket drew holiday little floater

20:25From like 15 to just to ice. It was just

20:29Beautiful beautiful stuff. Sorry Keith. No, you're fine. Yeah, I was gonna bring that play up to ya

20:34He made a bunch of plays lay made it made some good defensive plays late as well

20:38And it's got to be like the ultimate security blanket for Joe Missoula to be like Harry Peyton Pritchard

20:44Who's been our guy all year? He's you know filled it up. He's done all these things already doesn't really have it tonight

20:50It just couldn't shake loose like I think the Bucs really

20:53you saw the last time they played doc lost his mind because Pritchard got one of those buzzer beaters and

21:00Pritchard Missoula put him in and it was like three bucks were like surrounding him and he still got the he didn't get it off

21:06But he still got the ball. It was like they were trying to not even let him touch it and they were there

21:11But I think for Missoula again, it's a guy Pritchard doesn't really have it tonight white struggling

21:16Alright, I'm gonna give drew holiday a couple more minutes

21:19I'm gonna call a couple more sets that are really gonna involve him and

21:23Then we're just gonna go like it's got to be it has to be almost like looking around and be like, all right

21:28We're good. Like I I you know, I just I have this other guy I can just go to and and I think drew holiday

21:35This guy's been an all-star, right?

21:37He's been a big-time player in the league when he came in last year was basically like hey

21:42I'll take the backseat in the starting five. I'll be the fifth guy

21:47I'm not gonna be able to push anything, but I'm here when you need me to that's like that can't be you know

21:53knocked like the way

21:55Holiday Porzingis came in sacrifice some stuff Orford that one was very visible, right? Cuz he went to the bench

22:02It wasn't you know, that was much easier to see but holiday sacrifices, you know for this team have been huge and knowing again

22:09But I can be there when you need me to and I thought it was really good and guarded everybody

22:14Yesterday really, you know, he picked up Giannis on a bunch of plays. He picked up Damian Lillard some I

22:21Thought Boston did a really good job kind of getting a box off kilter at times of Jalen Brown pressing

22:27Lillard in the backcourt

22:28I thought that was a really smart thing and Brown clearly had a little extra at the start of the game

22:33I think he was a little uh, you know, are you want to talk you want to play stupid fake handshake games?

22:39And all that kind of goofy stuff. I've got something for you and you know played really really well just to open the game

22:45And yeah, it's just the day. I one of the best comments. I got I'm over on blue sky

22:51Somebody goes I'm a huge Bucs fan and I hate this Celtics team so much because of how good they are

22:57He's like I like it he goes and then I hate myself cuz I'm like, I like that guy. I like that guy

23:04I like that guy's he's like it's not even like real hate now

23:07I was like, there it is like that kind of tells the story

23:10Well, you know Washburn had a it was a quote from postgame press or last night

23:15Doc Rivers for anyone that hasn't seen it comparing Bucs and the Celtics and obviously, you know as much as we

23:21Tease doc from time to time here on this show. He is a champion. He won one in Boston. He knows what it takes

23:27He's been through the ringer. Obviously a lot of deep playoff runs that have ended poorly as well and in comparing the two teams

23:33He said it's night and day the difference in the two. They're a made team. They've been through it

23:38They've been through the war together. They understand it. They play that way. They have the ultimate trust

23:43They pass it till one second on the clock to try and find something. They did that a couple of times

23:48It's why they are what they are. That wasn't them two years ago. It is them now

23:54It's what makes them the champions and so, you know, nothing but respect obviously in that comment

23:59Nothing but truth in that comment as well. I

24:02Do want to circle back to something on holiday, but since we're on this how

24:07Bar because because the Bucs were, you know, not quite like Philly level laughingstock

24:12But the Bucs got off to a real slow start to the year. They've turned it around

24:15They've been hot over the last few weeks to where they're, you know

24:18Never mind, even the play and they're back in the actual top six the playoff mix. We expect to see them there

24:24We always kind of expected to see them there Philly again is sort of the joke in the East that I don't think is gonna

24:28Figure it out, but how far away in your mind is Milwaukee from Boston in terms of you know

24:37These two happen to clash come a postseason series

24:40Yeah, pretty far like I I think there's a pretty sizable gap

24:45Cuz again Boston swept the regular season series and they did it without Porzingis in any of the games

24:51So just imagine that now right? It's like, okay cool

24:55Like now we throw him in the mix and in here we go

24:58And I know people will counter with well

25:00You can't really count on Porzingis if you're gonna say that about Giannis and that's fair

25:04Like there's some truth to that. But right now they you know healthy could have played last night

25:09They're just they're doing the split the games between him and Horford thing. He's gonna play against

25:14Memphis and that'll be how it goes. So I think it's gonna be

25:19Tough for Milwaukee to keep pace offensively

25:22I did Celtics that was not a good offensive game for them last night

25:26They missed a lot of threes. I haven't mentioned it whatever it was, you know by there, but it's a testament

25:31I think you said what are they six and oh after that poor shooting games?

25:36Like that's like I mean, come on. It just tells you that I will find another way and that's what's great

25:42People look at and they're like 53 pointers per game all the things that they do and

25:46Everybody's like they shoot too many threes and they don't have anything else to go to well

25:50That's funny because when they don't fall they still win. So, you know, they're they're they're good

25:54And that's that's why I think that's the huge difference. Milwaukee can't get that volume of threes up

25:59They don't have that kind of offense to play that way

26:02And then I think you you add Porzingis into this mix because what would it happen last night?

26:07We know this is all right the threes aren't fall

26:10Let's run a bunch of those plays with Porzingis at the nail and what we'll kind of stabilize the offense that way

26:16Those plays turned into Brown and Tatum attacking off the bounce and you know making some stuff happen that way

26:21But yeah, it's that that's the the tough part. I think Milwaukee is you'll pretty far away

26:27I think think being fairness to I think they're pretty far away from Cleveland Orlando in New York, too

26:34I think they're the fifth best team in the East, but they're there's there's a pretty wide gap between the

26:40Top two then the next two and then everybody else. It's because they can't stop putting in perimeter. They can't stop

26:46they just can't I

26:48mentioned this

26:49In our little group Tex Coffman. They can't stop anybody in the perimeter you go back. They played the Bulls in

26:55Milwaukee and if it weren't for Giannis having like the best third quarter I've ever seen in my life

27:00They probably lost that game and you look at last night when they really wanted to do they get whenever they really wanted to score

27:07Like really wanted to score they put

27:10They took Brooke Lopez to come out of the paint and they put you know

27:13Damien Lillard somewhere and they would just give the ball the guy who has Damien Lillard

27:17Lillard and Lopez is out of the paint and they just get right by learning in the layup again

27:21They don't have an and they don't have any way to stop any team with any ball handling on the perimeter at all whatsoever

27:26And so when you're the point you're Boston and you have the killer where all killer whale offense and they're like, okay when reality

27:33We really want to score

27:34We're gonna look at where some guys are and we're gonna we're gonna pick at the scab. That is your

27:39Absolutely poorest perimeter defense. And so I mean look unless Giannis goes off for 50, which we've seen him do

27:47For seven games in four games. There's no way that the Bucs are beating Boston. There's just no way it's not gonna happen

27:54Let me say one thing on that to what you just said

27:58There was a play in the fourth quarter last night where Jason Tatum got the ball

28:02He got on the left wing and he basically cycled through

28:07calling different guys up to set the screen until Lillard was forced to switch on to him and

28:13Part of what they had done was he had pulled the Brooke Lopez in

28:16They kind of scrambled out to get Lopez back on the Horford and then he kind of dropped off

28:22But Tatum just kept cycling because Brown came over with Gary Trent jr. On him Tatum was like, nope, you go away go away

28:28I think I think it was I think Lillard ultimately had holiday and

28:33Finally, it was like yes now I have the guy I wanted to get to Lillard, but they were content

28:38They had multiple plays where they weren't right at Gary Trent jr

28:40That he's been wildly overrated as a defender since his Portland days. He was really good with Portland

28:47He was okay with Toronto, but never what people made him out to be and then it was like

28:51Oh the box, you know, it's a good signing. Don't get me wrong, especially for the minimum, but he's not a perimeter shutdown guy

28:57They're probably best perimeter defenders the lawn, right?

29:00And he didn't even play last night because Doc Rivers couldn't find minutes for him because he can't really play with Lillard

29:07So that means taking more minutes away from Lillard to get him on the floor

29:12It's gonna be tough for them to get shots

29:14they have to what they had done good with which Boston didn't allow was

29:19All right, we're gonna you know go to

29:22Brooke Lopez and the extreme drop coverage try to funnel everything to him and that's how they kind of get their defense on track

29:28Well with this Celtics you go to that great. We're just gonna pull three-pointers all game long

29:33So Lopez has to play out higher and it's just a horrible matchup for them

29:37They can look good against a team like Orlando defensively because Orlando's not gonna do that

29:42They're not just gonna shoot pull up off the dribble threes like Boston will and so they they can really go show up in

29:49Those games against another good team but against the Celtics. It's just a terrible matchup

29:54What I wanted to circle back to on holiday is you know

29:58You've spoken obviously Keith to a lot of active players former players

30:02Certainly a just a laundry list of front office executives and decision makers and holidays in so many ways

30:10a just a

30:12Perfect player, you know, whether it's the skill set the fact that he is, you know

30:17Really system proof like fits in anywhere. You can use him anywhere. He is like we said, you know, he's multiple time

30:25like gold medal winner and and and all-star and 20 point per game guy and now

30:31You know

30:32You could bring him off the bench you could start him

30:35You can he's just he's a Swiss Army knife in a lot of different ways in terms of how he can help you and obviously

30:39The defense like the you know, the whole thing we'll talk about Marcus smart with Memphis coming to town

30:44But the the whole thing and in smart getting traded away was oh my god

30:48how do you replace what he had and then obviously all of that was was kind of

30:55softened and and and downright

30:57Ignored by by many in the fan base as soon as you bring in holiday because it was like who's who's Marcus smart

31:03Well, he's kind of drew holiday light to begin with so it was you know

31:06You're upgrading in a way what I'm wondering with holiday and and and you're talking to

31:10people over just over the years about him and about this type of player is

31:15you were talking about the unselfishness and how

31:19He is someone that you know, like it. I think you said like if if you need me, I'm there kind of thing a

31:27Lot of players, you know

31:29And he's 34 a lot of players

31:31Really never get to the point in their career where they're fine

31:34Just like letting ego slide and being that guy that's just sort of lurking in the background in there

31:40If you need me, some guys are like a Derek White type who was very different, you know, obviously, you know is is

31:47They're out of the chute like at the start of his career. He's he's just just trying to make it trying to survive

31:53and so there's this

31:55Dichotomy obviously in in the type of player

31:58but I guess I'm just wondering how you

32:01Have what what type of player sort of reaches that point where they get into?

32:06you know early 30s and and they're fine if not earlier and they're fine just sort of taking a step back and and

32:14Being there and just being helpful and winning truly comes above all else

32:20Yeah, it's a great question. I think

32:23Some to your point some guys are always that way I go back to one of what when I

32:28Really started doing a lot of this and talking to a lot of people around the league in

32:342016 I talked to folks with the Pelicans and

32:37He was coming off the bench for the Pelicans that year because just their roster construction was

32:42Better for him to be their sixth man

32:44And he was he got kind of criminally underrated in the sixth man of the year voting

32:49It was really good and I remember asking them like this is a guy who's always started right started for Philly when he was young

32:56Started when he came over to New Orleans and they're like never even batted an eye

32:59We're like, hey, we need you come off the bench

33:01He's like, okay fine, like I'll like not even like a upset or anything like that

33:06And don't get me wrong

33:07every NBA player wants to start and play more like I always go back to Peyton Pritchard right when he was like

33:13I want to I want to get traded because I want to play it was

33:17Like in some people like I can't believe this guy's attitude and it's like no you want that

33:22I don't want guys on my team. They're like, I'm good

33:24I'm just happy to be on the bench like, you know, I don't care if I ever play you want that?

33:28It's competitive. Like that's what you want out of a guy but going back to a holiday

33:32I think what what with him is that's just who he's always been some guys

33:38When they they figured out late in their career, right?

33:41It's like man

33:42I need to do this if I want to win right like I need to make this change to my game this sacrifice

33:47I need to play less. I need to come off the bench, whatever it is

33:50And then for some players it never gets there, right?

33:53They just never get there because it's I've always been this guy and it's really hard for me to accept a lesser role

34:00And I and I think that's I love Marcus smart. Don't get me wrong. I think for Marcus smart

34:05It was going to be always going to be kind of hard for him to take a step back in the spotlight in Boston

34:12Because he had been like the heart and soul of the team for so long

34:17That I think there was a sense of like if I'm not this here

34:21What am I like like if I'm a lessened version of everything?

34:26I've been like what is it and sometimes it takes a change of scenery because it's funny

34:30He had a game the other night for Memphis smart did where?

34:34Didn't really play very well

34:35But they made a bunch of plays late and really helped them win the game

34:39After John Moran got ejected and I had a handful of Grizzlies

34:43friends reach out and they were like

34:45That's like you like that's exactly what you said

34:48He would do like there'd be some game where you'd be like this guy's been awful

34:51He's gonna lose us the game the next thing, you know, he wins it for us

34:54So but I think with holiday it's I think it with him. It's just always been there

34:58It's just been Barry. What do we need to win?

35:00Like you need me to score you play defense you need to move the ball like those are things I'm gonna do

35:06I thought again this year down a couple minutes per game. He you know missed a couple games

35:12I think they're gonna be very careful with him

35:14I think the full-scale emergence of Peyton Pritchard now has Missoula being like neither one of the guards is ever playing through

35:21Anything, you know white or holiday you're gonna sit and white. We know more often naughty's one of the Ironmen in the league

35:27He will play

35:28But yeah, I think they're in a spot where Drew holiday kind of was that last piece that just makes it all click

35:35It's like everything works

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38:31Kauffman the one thing I'll say just to echo your point here

38:36Last night and I let's say Friday night Friday was a great reminder

38:39And I honestly because I don't think drew has played super well this year

38:43I think you know

38:44He played a lot of played through the NBA finals last year and played the Olympics and it's not like he was

38:49As I made the joke yesterday like it wasn't like Jason Tatum. We didn't get playing time and certain games the Olympics

38:55No, you already played all the time

38:56I think we forgot and I think again Friday night was a great reminder

39:00Drew holiday was the third best player on the team last year in the playoffs like he was

39:05outrageously good

39:07To the point where I will never ever ever ever forget the steel on Nem heart at the end of the Pacers game to seal

39:14That game was one of the best

39:16Plates I've ever seen at the clutchest moment in the game

39:20so I'm really happy you're bringing this up because I

39:23Feel like this year and his shootings been down last year. He was so automatic from the corners this year

39:28I think he's down a hover on like the low 30% from either corner and last year

39:32He was like 60% from the corners, which was just now obviously not a sustainable number

39:36But 30 and 60 is quite quite a difference, but I think last night in Friday night. I should say against the Bucs

39:42great reminder that

39:44When he wants to turn it on he he's arguably one of like the most indispensable guys in the entire league

39:49So I'm glad to give him some flowers your confidence. Very nice of you

39:52Well, I mean well deserved, you know, because it and Keith brought it up like the you know

39:57I mentioned Derek White having an off night, you know, it's it's just as notable that Pritchard did, you know

40:03Pritchard has been this consistent

40:05You know, I know he's not averaging this but it feels like this consistent 20 plus point per game guy off the bench

40:13And he's averaging what like 16 or something. So he's he's in the vicinity

40:17but he has been in terms of that bench unit obviously a focal point of the offense if not the

40:24leader of the offense and

40:27You know, I look excuse me

40:29We were we were on this in the offseason of you know

40:31Talking about like what just just wait like wait until you see what you're gonna get this year out of Peyton Pritchard

40:37But I think even that has exceeded our wildest dreams

40:41Like I didn't think he was going to come in. I thought he was gonna come in and and you know average, let's say

40:4914 15 points or something like that

40:51we're not far off from that but but I guess the difference is in terms of what I imagine versus what we're seeing is

40:58it's I

41:00Thought it would be quieter. Like this is a loud

41:031617 points per game that Peyton Pritchard is putting up, you know Pritchard is just in your face

41:09Every game, you know, like it's it's whether it's dagger threes whether it's someone else's cold

41:15And he's powering the team to a run whether it's him showing up during the you know

41:19The non Tatum minutes, whatever it may be. He is he is really just sort of

41:24emerged

41:25in in many ways Keith is as a guy who

41:28Honestly is probably a lot more important to this team than I think he gets daily recognition for

41:35yeah, I think what's

41:37Important there and what you said is it's it's all very loud with him. Like he is it's the

41:4435 foot jump shots and then turning around and like the whole place is going crazy and people are like laughing like can you believe

41:52He made that in his mind is like why did he even touch the rim at all?

41:57Like it should these should all swish straight through like he he plays with this

42:01Supreme level of confidence that when you're a small guard if you don't play with that, you're not gonna make it in the league

42:07I also think what gets missed often with Peyton Pritchard is people just assume he's like the one weak link defender in the Celtics

42:16Lineup because I think now people are starting to realize

42:19All right

42:19Tim Hauser is not like you can't just isolate and attack him and assume you're just gonna blow by him like he moves his feet

42:26Better shades his guy to where the help is all the time

42:29So I think people look at like, all right, you're putting a six-foot guard on the court

42:33We're gonna go at him and I say this all the time Peyton Pritchard is not a bad defender. He's just small

42:38So Boston does a pretty good job. There's a great play

42:41He got called for really garbage foul on Damian Lillard and thank God they wiped off the three shots

42:47But there was a play he had Giannis in the left corner

42:51Giannis was like, all right, here I go in Al Horford came over and Pritchard didn't even think for a second peeled right out of

42:58That and sprinted out Giannis made a nice cross-court pass and Pritchard end up getting called for a foul

43:03But he knows all right

43:05I gotta get myself out of trouble the team does this when they need to but more often than not if it's not

43:10Giannis which is you know, that's ridiculous matchup for Pritchard if it's not a guy like that

43:16Don't stay like we're just dude do your best right get into them disrupt the dribble, you know bother those guys

43:23I think we've seen a couple times now

43:26he is

43:28Teams who can bother his dribble a little bit and if they can kind of stay with Pritchard off the bounce

43:33He doesn't get into the pull-up threes and that was a little bit of a little bit of trouble for him last night

43:39But it's gonna be hard to do that night after night

43:42The box came in obviously with a supreme level of focus on Friday of we're not gonna let Pritchard go off

43:48He's not gonna get 15 shots and hit seven eight three pointers on us and beat us that way in that

43:54That's just not gonna be an every night thing. Like I bet when they play the Grizzlies on Saturday

43:59He probably is right back to where he was knocking down a bunch of shots and making a bunch of big plays

44:04Yeah, he's really really tough

44:06I I like to we're starting to see now some growth as a playmaker for others and that what's funny is

44:13I think it got referenced by Richard Jefferson on the ESPN call last night

44:18Where he said he called a lot of Pac-12 games and he was like Pritchard

44:23Was a playmaker like he could score but he was much more of a traditional

44:28Driving kick point guard set guys up at Oregon and he's a he's like we've seen him now morph into like he's a shooter and a

44:35Scorer and he goes but he can do some stuff and I just gotta say to one of my favorite things is like what?

44:41He did to Tyler hero a couple games back where he just takes him down on the block

44:46Bodies him out of the way scores on and then he's like you can't stop me down here and it's like you're six feet tall

44:52What are you bodying people out of the way and it's it but again, that's that confidence he has and it is overflowing right now

45:00I'll say Kaufman is you know, this offense cut his his game and this is gonna sound sacrilege

45:07But I promise you

45:09There's a little similarity here. He reminds me of IT

45:13His game getting downhill recently the way he gets downhill right now

45:18It reminds me a little bit of Isaiah back when Isaiah was really humming now

45:23different

45:24Expectations and levels and all that stuff if I say Thomas had what I said the confidence level similar

45:31Yeah, that's and that's and that's kind of the point. It's like he's playing

45:34Kind of kind of like IT right now

45:36I get and I'm glad we brought this up because this is actually like

45:39One of the one of the things I wanted to talk about at some point in the next couple of weeks

45:44I'm at the point with Pritchard Kaufman. I don't know if you've gotten here yet

45:49The only thing I worry about is is he gonna be relegated to the special teams guy?

45:53Like he was last year the playoffs again this year. What can they actually count on him in?

45:58Some of these really big games to be the same guy because last year come playoff time, especially the finals

46:06He's really like at the end of the you know shot clock right end of the the quarter or half, you know

46:12Buzzer beater guy. Can he actually play consistent minutes?

46:16In the Eastern Conference Finals the NBA Finals against some of these teams or will he get picked on?

46:23like he did last season and

46:26And and just get absolutely roasted defensively like this

46:29That's I he has no more bars to clear for me in the regular season. He's spectacular

46:36He's a huge part of what this team does moving forward and how they're going to play

46:41The question now is only about playoffs. Can he hang?

46:45defensively good enough to

46:47Just to keep on the floor and stay playing because you know, I always just think of Jimmy Butler of like

46:53Oh, where's that guy? Okay, bring him up here. Bye. Bye. We're gonna pick on you all game

46:58Can he can he hang with some of these teams?

47:01Because the offense is so good again as Keith said like the playmaking stuff starting to really get there

47:07Can he hang defensively and still give them minutes because I do think come playoff time

47:11They're gonna need a third guard at some point, you know, we'll see with Lonnie Walker, you know

47:16He's still hanging out over there hanging out and it's he's reminding people this week that he's still pretty good

47:21Can they can they play Pritchard in these big games and have him hold up defensively? That's the only question I have left

47:26Well, I want Keith's answer to that. But my question I guess in terms of clarity before he does is

47:34What are you looking for? And what I mean by that is, you know

47:37He's averaging 28 minutes per game now during the regular season last year during the playoffs. He averaged

47:4419

47:46Which is a pretty good number now. I know there were a lot of blowouts in there as well

47:49But he averaged 19 minutes. So are you basically saying like Kenny hang and Kenny average, you know?

47:562324 like up the workload a little bit. Is that basically how we're defining this?

48:02Yeah, I would say that

48:04yeah, I I think the answer is probably yes, I

48:08I

48:09Totally get what you're saying, right? It's Celtics offense in reverse is go find him, right?

48:13Well, we're gonna go killer whale back on you, right?

48:16Like we'll go the difference is very few teams can do that with like four different guys on the floor at a time

48:23And that's where Boston like if let's say they do run into Miami

48:27All right

48:28If Jimmy Butler is gonna go find Peyton Pritchard, then we will send help right like what will will scram him out of it

48:34We'll do what we need to do and that's where

48:37sometimes that stuff looks worse in like the regular season because you're not building a game plan for it because you're not it's like

48:44We know Jimmy Butler's gonna call him in to play get the switch and then try to do it

48:49So here's how we're gonna counter in the regular season

48:51It's hey, we're gonna try to put this in in five minutes and shoot around

48:55Just play it straight up and we'll figure it out like it's yeah

48:58We'll go from there and if we we need to call something different in the last few minutes of the game

49:03We'll do that. But yeah, I think

49:06The other part that's it like is the crowd reaction to him right they love him

49:12It's I had a friend of mine. He'd only just he's typical sports fan, right?

49:17He's like I only really start watching the NBA as the NFL season wraps up and he was watching some Celtics games

49:22And he's like is it crazy?

49:24He's like I feel like Peyton Pritchard is the most popular guy on the team and I said he might be I said

49:29It's it's pretty close

49:31Cuz it it's what's also fun is I think back to those when IT was really rolling

49:36You just knew like you knew in the crowd knew like two shots before like anybody else knew

49:43It's like oh he had a couple of these in a row like now it's coming

49:47We're ready for the avalanche and that same feeling happens with Pritchard where it's like, okay

49:52Here's one or two have gone down now. We're gonna see him unload and I think what's been fun to see is this year

49:59He's doing it. This is there's no stat inflation where he's piling up

50:0420 points in the fourth quarter because Boston was up 30 going in and he played the whole final period

50:09These are all coming in the flow of the game now because now now he's not even always on the floor late

50:14It's he's now turned into all right, you're out because that's how important you are and how good you are here

50:19You know, generally they have their kind of top eight nine guys now that Porzingis is back

50:24he's certainly one of those top eight or nine guys, and I think I

50:28Think they'll find ways to make it work. That'll probably be some of the experimentation stuff

50:32We'll see as the season goes along when you when you race out to these

50:36You know big leads in the standings and like and I get it. They're gonna keep kind of chasing Cleveland

50:41I think Cleveland being out there is their carrot is actually good for them in a way where it is

50:46We want to keep change. We have someone to chase down right there. There's nothing

50:51Otherwise, what's the motivation to continue to push and push and push because it's like just now this team very much

50:58Didn't they've had this at moments in games or it's like just get us to the playoffs like we're you know

51:03We now know what we need to do, but having Cleveland there isn't something to chase, but I think you will see some

51:09All right. Let's try some stuff here where all right

51:12We're gonna perp like I will not be surprised if Joe Mizzou was like I'm gonna purposely let Pritchard get switched on to bigger guys

51:18One let's see how he holds up in these games that don't really matter and two. All right

51:24Well, then let's work on our help in switching principles to switch back or jump switch or scram or whatever way

51:30You want to confront that to get them I get him out of those coverages that that'll be what they'll play with the rest of

51:35The year, but yeah huge part of the team

51:38well, I think the other thing with Pritchard to we're all being honest with ourselves is the

51:43You know the the crowd reaction the crowd loving him

51:46It's you know, a lot of it is it's a stature thing, right?

51:50Like if you're if you're walking around the airport like you you know

51:54You got a what you're going somewhere on vacation and you walk by

51:58Someone who looks like Jason Tatum. I mean physically like the tall

52:04Ripped like just you like just I mean looks like

52:08Like you probably play a sport man. Like just looks like an athlete. You know what I mean?

52:13You see Pritchard and he won you wouldn't give him a second glance

52:17You just walk by him like he'd be like it's that's why I like that video of him playing with a little kid in the

52:22Playground when he was out with his wife that day was so perfect

52:25You know why it went viral is like look at him just like blending in and just bought

52:29He looks like a dude that you run with it the why like he's not this physically imposing, you know, and and all the while he's

52:38you know for this goes back to what I was saying earlier for all the people across the

52:42you know sort of NBA fandom or analysts or whoever excuse me that are like

52:47bitching about the way the game is played now and don't like all the threes or whatever like

52:52When you're in the that may be true for the TV product and that's fine

52:56like sometimes I tire of it too when you're in the building and

53:01You're seeing so like Peyton Pritchard is not Steph Curry, obviously, but when you're seeing someone hit those curry like shots

53:08I mean, yeah, they're loud. Like we said before it gets you out of your seat. So

53:14Much like IT in a lot of same ways like, you know

53:19Smaller guy, you know, you're not gonna like turn an eye, you know

53:23Like double take him when you if you just passed him on the street saying like you must be a pro athlete

53:28like it's it's

53:30Like the crowd responds any crowd Boston crowd or otherwise any crowd responds to

53:36Seeing a dude out on the floor that looks like Pritchard that's doing what Pritchard is doing

53:41And that's part of the thing that makes it so fun. I

53:44Gotta believe all over New England

53:46There are guys and probably if this kind of run and he's playing this big on the bigger stage

53:52Nationally in the playoffs, it'll be all over the country

53:55There's a bunch of dudes sitting in the bar somewhere watching the game with their friends being like my JV coach wasn't such a jerk

54:01I could have been that that's what I would have been right because it that's what you think of, right?

54:05It's like well, he's my height, right?

54:08Like I I would you could have been that good and I guarantee that story's been told a million times

54:12I'm like remember how I used to light it up and the you know

54:15CYO or the bitty league game like I was like Pritchard back in the day and it's like yeah

54:20Sure, you were like didn't it but that's just yeah, we all love

54:23Now

54:25Yeah, right and it's just it's fun man. It's it's it really is

54:28It's a blast like it's just another layer to this team

54:31That makes them so fun as you never know when it's like gonna go off and I'm guessing

54:36After that super quiet game against Milwaukee. He's probably gonna come out, you know firing against Memphis and have a big game

54:43Yeah, I jump on his overs

54:44Let's quickly before we wrap talk about this Grizzlies game and not so much previewing the game because again, you know

54:51People may listen a couple days the games already happened but bigger picture with Memphis

54:56What I think is interesting is like

54:58Okay

54:58See leads the West the Thunder exactly

55:00But we all thought the Thunder were going to be and will continue to be as long as they stay healthy

55:04The Grizzlies Keith and Ev are exactly what I thought they were going to be last year

55:10Except all the injuries happened and you know, it didn't come to reality now while they have still dealt with injuries

55:16They're healthier than they were last year and Morant is available

55:21when he's not getting his ass ejected compared to last year and

55:24They're sitting, you know tied for second in the West at 15 and 8 Marcus smart is now

55:30Poised to not only return to Boston for the second time

55:33He's been back and there was a tribute video and all that so I don't think you'll get all that again

55:37But he was hurt. He didn't play. I think he's gonna play

55:40He's technically questionable with an ankle sprain, but I expect him to be out there and this because he didn't play against them in Memphis

55:46This is the first time that we are seeing Marcus smart against the Celtics, what are you expecting in terms of this game?

55:53And he's gonna get showered with love when he gets on the court for the first time, right?

55:58He's still a very special player to the Boston fans

56:01They're gonna go show him that on the court rather than just you know in a sweatsuit on the sideline, you know waving everybody

56:09They're gonna show him that and then they're gonna want to go out there and beat him, right?

56:12Hey, I'm looking forward to the first time somebody's like like man smarts kind of dirty, right?

56:17Like I didn't realize like he played like this and it's like he's the same guy

56:21He always was he's just wearing a blue jersey now instead of a green one. So yeah, I yeah

56:27It's it this is gonna be a fun test for Boston. John Moran's super-duper athletic

56:31Even though he says he's not gonna dunk anymore, which is a little weird because he doesn't want to get hurt

56:37But he's still gonna make a bunch plays their bigs are tough

56:39This would be a challenge, but I only just found this out the other day

56:43Jason Tatum's never lost to the Grizzlies in his career. They never lost a game to the Grizzlies

56:48So, yeah, well, we'll see how that come comes together tonight. But yeah, it's a it's gonna be a lot of fun to watch this

56:54One, but yeah, I think smart

56:56It'll be a love fest for for a little while until he dies for a ball and knock somebody over and then everybody will be

57:01angry

57:04Yeah

57:05No, I'm happy for him. I just hope everything goes

57:07well

57:08I just want to stay healthy and all those fun things so it seems like he's in better shape and we'll see but

57:13Yeah, I also would enjoy beating him. That'd be a lot of fun

57:17It's our heavy favorites in this game. I do expect them to win

57:20Regardless of who ends up sitting in this game for Boston. I'm just looking forward to Marcus smart jacking like nine three-pointers

57:27See see it's too many threes

57:30Be great Keith Smith spot-track course front office show and we love having him here with us

57:37Thank you. Well to you Keith to everybody out there watching listening all of that and you know rate review subscribe to the podcast

57:45We're back at it again next week where the Celtics continue to roll

57:50This should be a fun one a lot of good big picture thoughts here in this one

57:53We'll do it again next week as we inch closer and closer to 2025

58:00You

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