616: Is Bill Chisholm a Good Fit for Celtics Family w/ Cedric Maxwell

Summary

Celtics Beat – Episode 616: "Is Bill Chisholm a Good Fit for Celtics Family?"

Host: Adam Kaufman
Guest: Cedric Maxwell (1981 NBA Finals MVP, Celtics broadcaster)
Guest Contributor: Evan Valenti
Date: March 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on monumental organizational change for the Boston Celtics: the announcement of the team's sale, with Bill Chisholm set to become the primary new owner. Adam Kaufman and Evan Valenti are joined by Celtics legend and radio voice Cedric Maxwell to discuss whether Chisholm is a cultural and operational fit for the franchise, the implications of new ownership, and the current state of the team as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. The conversation is steeped in Celtics tradition, concerns about possible disruption, and reflections on what makes the "Celtics Way" so unique.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celtics’ Recent Performance and Playoff Outlook

• Adam sets the stage: Celtics have won 9 out of their last 10, starting a road trip strong, and are holding the second seed in the East.
  • ["No problem against the tanking Jazz. The Celtics five games behind... but does it matter?" – Adam Kaufman, 02:09]
• Return of Kristaps Porzingis after illness—playing at a high level over the last three games.

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2. The Sale of the Boston Celtics: Bill Chisholm Era Begins

Background and Initial Reactions

• The Celtics have been officially sold to a group led by Bill Chisholm, a local, lifelong fan, and private equity leader.
• Hosts joke about Chisholm being a "fanboy" and invite him to connect on the podcast.
  • ["If so, please reach out directly or have your assistant reach out DM me on Twitter at Adam M. Kaufman. We'd love to have you on the show. We, we can geek out some more here." – Adam Kaufman, 04:45]

Maxwell’s Perspective: Lessons from Ownership Changes

• Cedric Maxwell draws from experience spanning three decades in Celtics broadcasting; he's seen major ownership transitions before.
  • ["This is year number 30 for me right now." – Cedric Maxwell, 05:29]
• Maxwell hopes for continuity given the team's current trajectory: All-Stars (Tatum, Brown), elite coaching (Joe Mazzulla), and executive stability (Brad Stevens).
  • ["I hope that he keeps most of the car together and doesn't change too many parts." – Cedric Maxwell, 07:12]
  • Notes that even with new ownership, the CBA and NBA's "apron" rules will eventually force tough roster decisions not necessarily tied to the owner's willingness to spend.

Chisholm’s Local Roots: Importance of the "Celtics Way"

• Maxwell underscores that Chisholm growing up in New England and absorbing the region's sports culture is meaningful.
  • Shares an anecdote about visiting the Encore casino and seeing a large Celtics mural, quoting Red Auerbach:
    • "The Celtics aren't just 18, they are a way of life." – recounted by Cedric Maxwell, 10:27
• Traveling support and national appeal evidence Celtics tradition transcending just basketball—ownership must respect and uphold this culture.
  • ["So I don't think that he's coming in like a person say that bought it from another country... because he's in the general vicinity, I think this is a really cool thing for the Celtics and a real good thing for the NBA and the Celtic family." – Cedric Maxwell, 11:41]

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3. Ownership: Hopes, Risks, and the Need for Non-Interference

• Adam voices a major concern with high-profile, wealthy owners: the urge to “meddle.” He draws comparisons to other ownership groups and emphasizes the importance of not disrupting the Celtics’ current success.
  • ["You want to be involved. You want to Jerry Jones the thing. You want a medal, don't meddle. And this thing can continue going in a great direction." – Adam Kaufman, 20:11]
• Maxwell responds succinctly:
  • ["All I hear, I keep hearing you say over and over again, don't f*** it up?" – Cedric Maxwell, 21:09]
  • Fundamental wish: new ownership simply preserves what works, while financial realities under the CBA may dictate the eventual loss of some key players.

Financial Reality and Roster Management

• Discussion about challenges of the NBA’s new luxury tax rules (“the apron”), which will eventually force hard decisions.
  • ["There are going to be a point where it's going to be one of those top tier players that you're probably going to lose and the sub. The fans have to be ready for that particular thing and not blame him. But it's just the new rules of the NBA." – Cedric Maxwell, 07:46]
• The hosts and Maxwell analyze core players: Tatum and Brown are “untouchable,” but sustaining others (Porzingis, White, Holiday) will be a challenge.

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4. The Present Core: Who Must Remain Untouchable?

• Maxwell's priorities for maintaining the championship core:
  • ["Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, White would be the next person. Then after that I think you have to start thinking and prioritize who you can keep and how long you can keep them." – Cedric Maxwell, 24:35]
• Recognition of the team's “super team” status and the difficulties of keeping all star-level talent under the new CBA.

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5. Injury Management & Playoff Readiness

• Jalen Brown's minor knee issue: Adam says he isn’t worried unless he misses significant time; Maxwell disagrees, citing the importance of recent minutes together for postseason chemistry.
  • ["No, no, no, let's not say that. Go ahead. You do care. You do care. You need to have these guys, the five guys, your five starters need to be back probably at least three games together, you know, for the end of the year." – Cedric Maxwell, 26:07]
• Starters' limited time together (about 20% of games)—far less than Maxwell's teams in the '80s.

Porzingis’ Impact since Return

• Praises Porzingis’ seamless reintegration and high-level numbers since illness.
• Maxwell lauds Porzingis' unique offensive skillset, especially his ability to punish switches and create mismatches.
  • ["The thing that he does better than any big that we have...he punishes the other team and gets the other team in foul difficulty and really gets the subjects off to really good starts." – Cedric Maxwell, 29:04]

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6. Celtics Lore and Memorable Moments

• Maxwell quips about the tradition and atmosphere around the Celtics, sharing moments like Tatum’s recent “Pele” soccer-style play as a light, fun aside.
  • ["I'm just a little surprised that we didn't talk about one of the greatest plays that we ever saw in last night's game when Jason Tatum did like Pele and kicked the ball as it was running behind him. Kicked it and it popped up and it hit him right in the hands." – Cedric Maxwell, 31:27]

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Notable Quotes

• On Ownership Transitions:

  • “You can win up on him. With the man paying $6 billion for a team, you. You can win up on me all day long.”
    – Cedric Maxwell, 05:15

• On Preserving the Celtics’ Culture:

  • "The Celtics aren't just 18, they are a way of life."
    – Red Auerbach via Cedric Maxwell, 10:27

• On What Makes a Good Owner:

  • "You want to Jerry Jones the thing. You want a medal, don't meddle. And this thing can continue going in a great direction."
    – Adam Kaufman, 20:11

• On Fan Concerns:

  • “All I hear, I keep hearing you say over and over again, don't f*** it up?"
    – Cedric Maxwell, 21:09

• On Roster Priorities:

  • "Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, White would be the next person. Then after that I think you have to start thinking and prioritize who you can keep and how long you can keep them."
    – Cedric Maxwell, 24:35

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Highlighted Timestamps

• 02:09 – Celtics’ current standing, Porzingis’ return, breaking news around the team’s sale
• 05:29–07:46 – Maxwell reflects on previous ownership changes, hopes for continuity with Chisholm
• 10:27 – Red Auerbach quote and meaning of Celtics culture
• 20:11–21:09 – Discussion of owner meddling and what Celtics fans fear most from new ownership
• 24:35 – Maxwell’s ranking of roster priorities under the new CBA
• 26:07 – Importance of starters getting reps together before the playoffs
• 29:04 – Impact of Kristaps Porzingis’ return

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Conclusion

The episode is a candid, insightful look at a pivotal moment for Boston’s storied franchise. Adam, Evan, and Cedric dissect both the hope and anxiety that comes with new ownership, emphasizing the need to fiercely protect the fabric and culture that make the Celtics special. Maxwell’s deep ties and historical knowledge anchor the perspective, reminding fans that through change, it’s the ‘Celtics Way’—both on and off the court—that must endure. The hosts close with mutual gratitude and tease more in-depth discussions to come as the team heads toward another playoff run.

Transcript

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[Adam Kaufman]

Today is Saturday, March 22nd and this is Celtics Beat on the CLNS Media Network, the leading online provider of audio video coverage of the Boston Celtics. I'm Adam Kaufman. Episode 616 features the MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals, Cedric Maxwell.

[Evan Valenti]

And I'm Evan Valenti. And today's show is powered by Prizepix and Game Time. Prizepix is the official daily fantasy partner of CLNS media. Download the prizepix app today and use the code CLNS to get $50 instantly when you play $5 and download the gametime app, create an account and use that code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.

[Adam Kaufman]

All right everyone, welcome in. There's. Oh, there's just so much happening with this team. So much good that is going on with this team. Wins in nine out of ten, of course on the road for the next four. 5 After an emphatic win to begin the road trip in Utah, no problem against the tanking Jazz. The Celtics five games behind. The coming back down to earth just a little bit. Cleveland Cavaliers here late in the regular season for the top seed in the East. Will they catch them? No. Does it matter?

[Cedric Maxwell]

No.

[Adam Kaufman]

Firmly second in the conference and maybe the Cavs get knocked out before you see them and then home court advantage can go through. You in the Eastern Conference come the postseason. We got a long time to get into stuff like that. Since our last show, some big news. One, Kristaps Porzingis has returned, shaken off whatever illness he had and has looked great in the last three games. And of course the thing that we have been waiting for, we wondered when it would happen. The Celtics have been sold. At least the announcement has been made. Whether all the eyes have been dotted and T's have been crossed and all of that, I have no idea. But it's going to happen. So welcome to the family and Bill Chisholm and company. More on that in just a moment. Cedric Maxwell is here with us. Evan Valenti, I am Adam Kaufman. Max, good to see you bud.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Good to see you guys this early morning out here on the West Coast. Nice being with you.

[Adam Kaufman]

Great to have you here with us. And look, let's, let's start with the sale and this is, this is two pronged. You know, I want to celebrate ourselves because if we don't, nobody will. Look there, there was just a, a release that just a few days ago Best 80 Boston sports podcasts from this company, Million Podcast.com. i have no idea in fairness how the metrics are determined, the rating system, reviews, how the like, what algorithm puts this list together because I don't think it's a human but the reason I bring this up is because Celtics beat checked in at number five on the list behind only some sports hub and wei programing. So outside of your mainstream radio station shows that have been sent out into the podcast either, the only true podcast which might call us number one on the list is Celtic Speed. I say that not to really. I joke about celebrating ourselves. Really. It's a testament to you out there watching, listening. We thank you. But I bring it up also to say, hey Bill Chisholm, I know I saw you on NBC Sports Boston the other night geeking out over being a fan of Chris Forsberg and Abby Chinn and the product. And you're from Georgetown and, and you're just so amped up to be doing this, you root for the team. You're a fanboy like the rest of us. If so, please reach out directly or have your assistant reach out DM me on Twitter at Adam M. Kaufman. We'd love to have you on the show. We, we can geek out some more here. Ev.

[Evan Valenti]

No question, no question about that. Love to have him on but you know, it's, it's tough to look tough to one up the the MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals, who we have on our show right now, and we got to get to.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Oh, no, no, you can. You can win up on him. With the man paying $6 billion for a team, you. You can win up on me all day long. I mean. Yep.

[Adam Kaufman]

When did you start on the radio broadcast? I'm trying to remember what year?

[Cedric Maxwell]

Oh, this is this year coming up. This is year number 30 for me right now.

[Adam Kaufman]

Okay, 30. 30.

[Cedric Maxwell]

All right, so.

[Evan Valenti]

Holy.

[Adam Kaufman]

All right, so then you. So you were early on in your radio broadcasting career with the Celtics when Grossbeck and company bought the team. So you've been through this. You've been through this already. So you, you know, all the conversation, all the potential angst around, what is a new owner going to do? Like, where we're getting. All right, now, we're hearing everything that fans want to hear. Georgetown native, grew up rooting for the team. Johnny Most, listening to him on the radio, all that stuff. Like, you know, he's. He's met with Brad, he's met with Joe, he's met with, you know, not the players yet, but everyone at a higher level of importance and talked about sustaining what is going on right here and being competitive annually and chasing championships and all. Again, everything a fan would want to hear about. An incoming owner who, candidly, we don't know anything about, you know, comes from the private equity circuit and. Or sector and, you know, like managing director, chief investment officer of Symphony Technology Group. You know, obviously nobody around here is familiar with this group. In California, we just hear local Guy pays record $6.1 billion to lead a group to buy the Boston Celtics. Now, what's going to happen going forward if you're. I mean, you're part of the organization in many ways, but, you know, outside of that, you are a fan. You root for their success. So what are your concerns with a new owner coming in?

[Cedric Maxwell]

The concerns I have. I just think that I hope he keeps things status quo. This team right now is on a great trajectory to be a team that could perennial All Stars. You have on this team, you have Tatum, you have Brown, you have Joe Missoula, who is one of the best coaches around. Brad Stevens has done a tremendous job in the front office. So I hope that he keeps most of the, I guess most of the car together and doesn't change too many parts. Obviously, it's his team. A lot of things are going to go his way. The fact that Wick is going to be around for a while, for the next two or three years, maybe that might be something that you know, might be good because people are going to be familiar, but if you pay that kind of money for a team, you also want to be the face of the team also. So it just seems like it's going to be a great marriage for a guy who is from New England, who understands the Celtics, who is. Loves the Celtics. And money won't be the object, but the new rules which come into place are going to be the object. And that those rules are going to say you're, they're going to be a point where it's going to be one of those top tier players that you're probably going to lose and the sub. The fans have to be ready for that particular thing and not blame him. But it's just the new rules of the NBA.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah. What's interesting to me is, and this has come up a lot on Celtic City, that documentary series that Bill Simmons put together and the idea of Celtic basketball. What's up?

[Cedric Maxwell]

What.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah, right. We have no idea.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Oh, good.

[Evan Valenti]

I, we've seen you a little bit already, Max, in the, in the show a little bit. But you know, the Celtic way. I think it's discussed in this, in this documentary, in the documentary series, in, in an interesting light. Right. Like it, it's, it's, it's a way of life. It's not just like, it's not, for lack of better word, Cedric, it's not. This is real. And keeping that rich history together as it goes through each era is extremely important. And so as you look at a guy coming in who's a fan and probably understands that better than most people, I would find that I would guess to be a big positive here, but at the expense of possibly a new face. Come in. You have Pags who's been sitting there, you know, as a minority owner for a long time. He already understands this. So is there any concern from where you're sitting on like, look, yes, you, congratulations, you purchased the team. It's a huge accomplishment. But like understand what you're coming into. There's history here. There's. There's a lot of culture built through this team. Like, you have to understand that and you have to be willing to not only carry that legacy but add to it. Is there any concern of like an outside guy coming in and maybe screwing that up? Because that's really important.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Well, let's hear what you go to Encore and the casino in Boston right now. Go to the bathroom. And on going into the bathroom, there's a big picture of Bill Russell and Tom Heinson. And all those guys coming off the floor. And there's a quote in there from Red Arback. The quote is the Celtics aren't just 18, they are a way of life. And if you go out in the general public, you go out around this country. We've seen it again last night in Utah. When the Celtics travel, they travel probably better than any team right now in the NBA because of the way of life, the, the culture. You can see that we go to Utah and look like half the building was, was green because so many Celtic fans got get this one chance to see the Celtics coming to Utah. So saying that, I think that he would get an understanding immediately of what this is like. And if he's grown up here, he's grown up also would talk radio. He's also grown up with the Celtics, he's grown up with the Bruins, he's grown up with the Red Sox. And for him to know Johnny Most and listen to the game on the radio, that's a whole nother fabric which comes into play and dynamics of it. So I don't think that he's coming in like a person say that bought it from another country, bought this team. You know, there's a gentleman I think who bought the team from Sacramento who is from India and they're having a lot of different things which are going down. But because he's in the general vicinity, I think this is a really cool thing for the Celtics and a real good thing for the NBA and the Celtic family. I think that Brad Stevens, who is always really kind of running the operation there, just wants one thing. He wants the continuity of his staff and people who are around. But he also, he understands at the same time is that Mr. Chisholm is going to bring in maybe some small cosmetic changes that you would think about.

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[Evan Valenti]

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[Cedric Maxwell]

Oh, you didn't know?

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[Evan Valenti]

Game time?

[Adam Kaufman]

Well, a couple things. One encore. You could have done better than putting that thing by the bathroom. That's just from the outset.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Look, I'm just giving you a fact. I'm just telling you where it said. I'm just saying any more than that.

[Adam Kaufman]

A pretty nice thing don't, you know, stuff it over there, you know, like, like an airport terminal or something.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Go to the bathroom than anything else in the encore either they're sick because they lost and going, oh my God. So I'm sure that thing gets plenty, plenty of mileage over there.

[Adam Kaufman]

The other thing, look, we've been talking about this not so much on recent shows, but you know, when the announcement of the Grossbeck family selling the team first came up and, and a little bit along the way it was all right, who is going to be next? And you're talking about, you know, pros and cons of potential buyers. Not, not necessarily names, although in some cases names. For instance, you know, like there was a lot of like Jeff Bezos and all that money that could come in and maybe build you a new arena and you know, but does he have any like Celtics ties? Does he have any Celtics loyalties? No, of course not. But he's, he's a no name commodity with, with of course, billions of dollars. And then it was like Fenway Sports Group. Holy crap, what a nightmare. Please don't let that happen. Like that would have been your, you know, at least as far as we believe it from the outset. Like your worst case scenario, a team that, or a group that went in and revitalized the Red Sox in, in so many positive ways and then sort of after a period of time checked out and treat them like a line item on a spreadsheet in, in a portfolio of teams at this point in time that includes, you know, Liverpool and Fenway Sports Race, Roush Sports Racing and Pittsburgh Penguins and wants an NBA expansion team and all this stuff. It's like you're not important a guy coming in now who obviously does not own a team. You mentioned all the positives of, of being a local guy and what that can mean. I think the biggest thing, and I would say this, this, this is not specific to Belchism. This is, I would say this about literally anybody. Like you said, they got a great trajectory, they got a great thing going right now. You keep Brad Stevens obviously, so long as he doesn't want to go anywhere. You keep Joe Missoula so long as he doesn't Want to go anywhere. You keep footing the bill for all of these players and, and yeah, you do have some, some mathematical gymnastics to bear out a little bit as it relates to luxury taxes and the second apron and all of that. You can't keep everyone forever. It's not the old days and the recent old days in the NBA, but, but you. There are ways that you can sustain this. Obviously, it's just a function of don't get in the way. And there are a lot of people that believe that, you know, people with billions of dollars, again, just categorically want a medal, right? Like, you've got that kind of money, you got that kind of power. You want to be involved. You want to. You want to. Jerry Jones the thing. You want a medal, don't meddle. And this thing can continue going in a great direction. That, that would be my only concern about any owner. This is not so far. Again, Bill Chisholm has said all the right things that would get fans excited. I just like, you don't need to drift off into the background and not be seen like, you know, sit there on the sidelines for as many games as you want and meet with the media and be kind of that, you know, be the face like you said, like Wick Rosbeck has been for so many years and will continue to be in a figurehead role, I suppose, for the next few. But just don't send this thing sideways.

[Cedric Maxwell]

I think all I hear you got this is, and I know this is a family show, but all I hear, think I keep hearing you say over and over again, don't it up?

[Adam Kaufman]

Don't it up? Exactly.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Yeah. I think that's all, you know, people who are around. I think that's what you think, you know, with the org, with the organization and. But people do have visions and it's like Wick and Pags. They had a vision of winning another championship and the whole ownership group, Banner 18 to get there. They did their part. They got those pieces in place. And I am sure that Mr. Chisholm has a great idea about what he wants to do for this team, and that's continue to win. So I don't. I don't see a problem, you know, especially on the basketball side. The only thing you see in the horizon is that eventually you're going to have to probably give up a player. Now, I don't think it's Brown, I don't think it's Tatum. You have solidified and kept those two guys. But can you keep Porzingis? How long can you keep him? You signed Jrue Holiday to a long term deal. Derek White has a long term deal. Pritchard is a long term deal. So your key players are in place. But tell fans they have to remember that one thing. It's an apron which says you cannot do this. They're trying to even the floor all together with these NBA teams and not have these super teams. And right now, frankly, the Celtics are a super team.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah, it's, it's going to be interesting. And of the, of the core group we know Tatum and Brown are. Well, we hope we don't know anything. That's the. We gotta, we gotta back up. We hope that Tatum and Brown get to play together for their entire show is number one.

[Cedric Maxwell]

You just all of a sudden you do exactly what I always tell people. Don't act like you know it all. All you have to do is say look, yeah, this, this, this. And then, and then you say, you know what we really don't know and you let things happen. That's the way I feel in broadcasting. I learned that from Tommy Hindson. I can't come in there and predict the game with all the stats because Sean, my broadcast partner has all the stats already. So if I gave you stats on top of his stats, then we're giving you a show full of just numbers. So you have to have some imagination. What you said about your show, when you say look, we really don't know. We're just right now, we're just in the business right now of thinking what could possibly happen. And that's what's going to keep your show, gentlemen. That's what's going to keep you guys relevant.

[Evan Valenti]

Totally agree. Yeah, but it's, it's one of these things, you look at that core group and it's you know, a lot of valuable pieces on there. And of the, of the, you know, I, we hope that Jalen and Jason stick around for the long haul. But of the, the other guys, the KP's, the Derrick Whites, the Drew Holidays. Which one of those guys are you prioritizing the most to make sure that we maximize this window with Tamen Brown as much as possible.

[Cedric Maxwell]

I would love for it to be Porzingis. Derek White definitely has to be in there. I think if you the, the at the true an older player right now, there's going to be some transition with him. Although he is playing great and I think he is essential to them winning. But Derek White's younger KP is the unicorn that you can't figure out how to Guard this guy yet when he's on the floor, he's hitting shots and defending with Brown and Tatum. That three headed monster already is far beyond anything that I've ever seen wearing Celtic uniform. So yeah, I figured though that would be me. I would say Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, White would be the next person. Then after that I think you have to start thinking and prioritize who you can keep and how long you can keep them.

[Adam Kaufman]

So down the stretch of this season, right now the Celtics have played on the nose 70 games. So we're down to the dirty dozen here. I know it's coming, man. Playoffs are right around the corner. Fun stuff's coming. Jalen Brown has, you know, team released a statement. He's missed a little time here and he has been diagnosed with a bone bruise, posterior impingement in the right knee. And he's going to miss at least the next two games, be reevaluated on Monday. And personally this is not alarming or concerning to me. I don't care if he doesn't play again till game one of the playoffs. You know, just, you're, you're right now.

[Cedric Maxwell]

No, no, no, let's not say that. Go ahead. You do care. You do care. You need to have these guys, the five guys, your five starters need to be back probably at least three games together, you know, for the end of the year. And I know that, you know, you, the injury could be there, but you have to have them back right now for timing sake. They need the Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, holiday, you know, White. Those guys need to be on the floor and I hope before the end of the regular season because you're trying to work on these different things to help your group get better from a standpoint of just knowing each other. The percentage I think somebody said that the starters had played this year, I think it's maybe 20%. Something crazy when you think about the teams I've been on when you had starters who played 85% or 90% together. So, and I'm not saying, you know, it alarms me, but I want them back just to be familiar again in their time and to be together.

[Adam Kaufman]

That's fair. Makes sense. So fine, game 79, sit for a little bit, get yourself right.

[Cedric Maxwell]

We'll get 79, play what, five minutes together? Is that it?

[Adam Kaufman]

Yeah, just make sure. Look, I mean there's all this conversation right now Max around, you know, like, can, can the Celtics win the whole thing without poor Zingis? You know, like that. That's been a big talking point. And, and you know, like, no, they can't beat the Cavs if KP isn't healthy. Maybe true, maybe not. I don't, I don't personally agree with it. I think the Celtics team is incredibly deep and a well oiled machine and when everybody is right, obviously they are on another level and when someone is out, you know, that has them a little bit restricted. But just the thing that has wowed me about Porzingis in particular is he misses all this time, you know, multiple weeks with this, you know, plague or whatever he had and now comes back and in, in three games max. And like consistency does matter to me. This is a guy who has scored in double figures every game he's played this year except for one when he scored nine and 13 minutes these last three games, 24 points on nine of 16 shooting. I know the three wasn't falling. That was the first game back next game, 25 points, 13 rebounds. The next game last night, 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He is five for 16 from three in these three games. He's shooting roughly 60% from the field across the board in the three. The minutes are, you know, right around 27, 28 on average. He's playing awesome, like he didn't miss a beat. So I don't think anyone needs to, you know, tune into this show and tell me about the importance of Kristaps Porzingis. We know he's important. The fact that he has shaken off whatever illness that he had and come back and is such an immediate factor, the way he is should only get people excited.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Yeah, it should. The fact that the thing that he does better than any big that we have and it was no offense at all when you had Rob Williams around. But the pick and roll with KP and he gets you in the post with that small guy that he says to pick for and they find him right there at the free throw line or in the paint. He punishes the other team and he's going to score and he's going to get them in foul difficulty when Rob Williams was there. And sometimes I look at Al in that situation catching the ball under the hoop two feet away and you look to pass it out quickly and you don't even explore the possibility of scoring. That's what he brings to the table, that he can score and punishes the other team and gets the other team and foul difficulty and really gets the subjects off to really good starts. I feel in that way. So I'm very happy to see that he's, he's come back and. But every time he falls, I think we all just kind of.

[Evan Valenti]

Yep. He feels like it's like Rob Gronkowski all over again, man.

[Adam Kaufman]

This is.

[Evan Valenti]

I. I shiver.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Man.

[Adam Kaufman]

All right, well, listen, I remember on clns, Bobby Manning used to, if I'm remembering this right, used to do like, a Celtics minute podcast with, like, here's your latest, like, daily news with the Boston. I think he did that. Maybe I'm misattributing it, but I think.

[Evan Valenti]

Mike Walsh had something to do with that, too. So I'm gonna throw up. Mike Wallace, we love Michael, but by.

[Adam Kaufman]

Our standards here on Celtics beat, you know, 20 minutes is basically the Celtics minute. So we hit all, all of the, the important things, right? Celtics sold Porzingis back and awesome Brown dealing with an injury. And you out there, listener and viewer, are incredible, which makes us great and we appreciate all of you. But Max, stretch one of the regular season here, playoffs right around the corner. Normally we keep you much longer. We greatly appreciate you hopping on for a short time. We'll do it again real soon, even sooner, just so we can get more expansive thoughts, because I do want to know, you know, there are some issues with this team that I want to address with you, and I want to know your thoughts on this Celtic City documentary and what you've thought a few episodes in. Because we're, as we sit here now, we're about to, you know, enter the, the bird era and the 80s and, you know, you will be more of a focal part. So very excited about that.

[Cedric Maxwell]

Well, I'm very excited about, you know, coming back on your show. I'm just a little surprised that we didn't talk about one of the greatest plays that we ever saw in last night's game when Jason Tatum did like Pele and kicked the ball as it was running behind him. Kicked it and it popped up and it hit him right in the hands. I've never seen that play before. So, yeah, I want to come back and explore all these wonderful things about the Boston Celtics. And guys, thank you for having me on. I appreciate your time.

[Adam Kaufman]

We didn't explore it because it was illegal and it shouldn't have counted, but I loved it. I loved it. It was awesome. For Cedric Maxwell, for Evan Valenti, I'm Adam Kaufman. We'll do it again real soon. Thanks for tuning in. We'll catch you later.

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[Evan Valenti]

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[Cedric Maxwell]

Oh come on.

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