Mailbag Part 1
Here's the first part of the mailbag from Wednesday
You may have noticed I’ve added a ‘gameday thread’ in the notes section for any of you who use the Substack App. I will be posting one of these ahead of every game as somewhere for you to throw whatever you want in there - takes, frustrations, observations or questions. Substack has some amazing community features, so I want to make the best use of them possible.
If you don’t have the app, I highly recommend downloading it for free. Also, shoutout to my good friend
— he’s been doing this with his newsletter, and I have 1000% borrowed the idea.ALSO: I’ve split this mailbag into two parts. Today is my daughter’s birthday, and the celebratory meal ran longer than planned. I didn’t want to not post something today, so got to a couple of questions with the aim of hitting the rest over the weekend :)
With that covered, let’s move on to today’s mailbag!
Aart-Jan asks: What do you see as the biggest threat or issue for the C’s on the field?
My response: Hey, Aart! I hope you’re doing well! This is a super open-ended question, so I will answer it as ‘who is the biggest threat to the Celtics.’ To answer this, I will split it into three parts: East, West, and Final Choice.
East: They might be inconsistent right now, and the Cleveland Cavaliers might have people shaking their heads in disagreement, but I’m still firm on the New York Knicks being the biggest obstacle in the Celtics path.
Look, if we’re being honest, we might not see the best out of the Knicks until next season. Adding three big-time contributors in such a short space of time usually leads to a ‘figuring shit out’ period. Karl-Anthony Towns said as much last night.
“Miami Heat years ago with LeBron had a whole year before they figured out how to put a banner up,” Towns said after the Knicks’ loss to Atlanta. “…I can’t tell you. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I think we show what we could be when things click at a high level… I can’t tell you an exact time, but I can tell you that every day we’re working to be the best version of ourselves.”
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are both elite wing defenders. They will be one of the sternest tests Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have faced if the two teams go toe-to-toe during the playoffs. Brunson is the kind of shifty guard the Celtics usually struggle with, and Towns gives Tom Thibodeau an elite five-out that can help match Boston’s offense on both sides of the floor.
West: The West is a mess right now. The Nuggets are, well, meh. The Timberwolves don’t look as dominant as last season. The Warriors are all over the place and both the Clippers and Suns have been disappointing. However, every team I just named is a threat for one reason or another.
But do you know what team I didn’t name? The Oklahoma City Thunder. Why? Because they’re ridiculously good. I mean, really, really good. A product of smart drafting, patience, elite coaching and some luck along the way. The Thunder are by far my choice for the Celtics’ biggest threat out of the West…I don’t think it’s particularly close, either.
Overall: This is a tough one. The Thunder are the biggest threat overall. I expect them to make a push for the NBA Finals, and if they do, that’s going to be one hell of a seven-game series. However, the Celtics will likely have to run through New York for that to happen. I’m confident that Mazzulla’s team can handle their business out East — however, next season, the Knicks could be for real, real. That means I have to go with the Thunder as the biggest overall threat.
Joel asks: I'm curious about your thoughts on the psychology of BOS winning last year and returning to the same team. In some ways this year feels more like an exercise of preparation (for the playoffs) as opposed to trying to "prove" their place in the NBA hierarchy. Many of the questions over the last few years have been answered: "Can Jaylen & Jayson win together?" / "Can White be more than just a role player?" / "Can KP be a winning player?".... So, what would be your focus for the rest of the season?
My response: If we listen to the team's messaging during post-practice media availability, post- and pre-game news conferences, and any other time someone talks to the media, the Celtics are just as hungry as last year.
If you had asked me this after a summer where the Celtics had been praised for the past few months, my response would be: Honestly, I’m not sure that’s possible. But they weren’t praised. They were slandered at every turn. Their run was discredited. Their talent was questioned. Every excuse possible came out of the media. So, personally, I do feel like there’s a similar level of motivation to last season.
BUT! The second part of your question is true! They don’t have these micro questions to answer. We know Tatum and Brown can thrive together. We know White can be a borderline All-Star. We know KP can be a winning player.
So, for me, the focus is simple: First, get back to the level we saw from you last season. Then, make sure you get back to the NBA Finals and win another chip. Not because it’s what you’ve said you want to do but because you’ve got to prove that your 2024 run wasn’t a fluke or a product of favorable matchups.
Focus on winning it again. Because if you do, nobody can question a team that just went back-to-back in an ever-improving league.