Celtics Beat, Episode 647: "Are the Celtics Any Different?" w/ Cedric Maxwell

Release Date: October 26, 2025
Host: Adam Kaufman (CLNS Media)
Guests: Evan Valenti, Cedric Maxwell (Celtics Radio Analyst, 1981 NBA Finals MVP)

Episode Overview

This lively episode marks the first in-season edition of Celtics Beat for 2025-26, with the Boston Celtics opening the year at 0-2. Host Adam Kaufman, co-host Evan Valenti, and special guest Cedric Maxwell (longtime Celtics broadcaster and former Finals MVP) dive deep into the team’s early struggles, what might realistically change under coach Joe Mazzulla, and how the retooled roster stacks up both tactically and competitively. The episode also pivots into the explosive NBA gambling scandals making headlines, and closes with Max’s characteristically candid insights.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Celtics’ Rocky Start: Two Games, Many Questions

• Early struggles in crunch time: The Celtics blew a lead vs. the Sixers, prompting much reflection.
  • Kaufman: “That first game against the Sixers that the Celtics decided to defecate all over themselves in the fourth quarter…that should have gone a different way.” (02:21)
• Rebounding Problems:
  • Maxwell highlights the glaring need for better rebounding, with Tatum’s absence especially felt.
    • “Celtics going to have to find somebody who’s going to rebound the basketball…Knicks got second and third and fourth chance opportunities.” (03:42)

Offensive System: “Are They Playing Any Different?”

• Shot Selection and Playing Style:
  • Kaufman critiques the continued reliance on 3-pointers despite a drop in shooting talent.
    • “Are they going to play the same style of basketball where they’re hucking up, you know, 45 three pointers a game with considerably less individual shooting talent?” (05:24)
• Maxwell’s Response: No Other Options?
  • “I don’t see anybody that is…has the post up skills of a Cedric Maxwell or Kevin McHale. I don’t see those guys that you want to lean into.” (06:52)
• Pushback from Valenti: Signs of Change?
  • “Boston has outscored their opponent in the paint the first two games…which would tell me this is a little different than what they’ve done in the past.” (09:19)

Adapting with Limited Personnel

• Maxwell on Changing Offensive Philosophy:
  • “Personnel has made you change what you do…Your game is definitely going to evolve.” (10:49)
  • Shares a tidbit from Joe Mazzulla: “This is going to be a bumpy ride…We’re going to make it dirty…play hard and try to play harder than our opponent.” (11:02)
• Late-Game Decision-Making:
  • Maxwell questions not involving Brown on the final plays vs the Sixers:
    • “Somehow I would have loved to see Jaylen Brown at least touch the basketball…supposedly the leader of your team right now at least touch the ball to move it, attack the rim, and then kick the ball out.” (11:20)
• On Leadership and Growth:
  • “He has to step up to and rebound the basketball…He has to be a more efficient rebounder. He’s a willing facilitator, but the big thing…is not turning it over.” (12:37)
  • Compares Tatum and Brown’s development as passers and playmakers.

Evolution and “Bright Spots” on a Transition Year

• Evolving Roles and Expectations:
  • Maxwell: “It’s just going to be a work in progress…trying to get balance.” (14:26)
  • Brief praise for rookie Ugo Gonzalez’s basketball IQ and energy. (15:42)
• Big Picture:
  • “The cupboard’s not bare, gentlemen…You have an MVP in the Finals…You have Derrick White, Peyton Pritchard, and I think Joe Mazzulla is still a hell of a coach. You have a lot of things you can build on…It’s just frustrating thinking about where you were last year.” (18:04)

Notable Player-Specific Talk

• Anthony Simons as the New Sixth Man:
  • Kaufman: “There’s a pathway…to him being Boston’s third sixth man of the year award winner in a span of four years…First two games for Simons they’ve been–eh. Right?” (23:16)
  • Maxwell: “Incomplete right now…He can put the ball in the basket…A little disappointed some of the other guys” (24:14)
  • Valenti: Notes the budding on-court chemistry between Simons and Brown as “something to watch for” (25:09)

The NBA Gambling Scandal [27:14]

(Deep-dive discussion 27:14–43:57)

• Background:
  • Scandal involving Chauncey Billups (Portland, ex-Celtic) and Terry Rozier (ex-Celtic), ranging from poker rigging (with mob connections) to insider prop betting.
• Maxwell’s Skepticism and Perspective:
  • “Do you have any friends…that can come up with $200,000 to bet?” (28:14)
  • “Very seldom that you have players who normally have more money than their friends.” (29:07)
• Wider League Context:
  • Kaufman lists Jonte Porter, Malik Beasley, Tim Donaghy, and the long NBA history with gambling whispers (32:10).
• Maxwell on Integrity:
  • “I've never been in that situation…The FBI would come to us before each season and they'd say, gentlemen, this is what you can't do…” (33:44)
  • “If I had a friend like that that needed $200,000 and I've made $20 million, I'd give you the $200,000 instead of jeopardizing my career.” (35:53)
• Critique of Commentary:
  • Maxwell calls out Charles Barkley’s hypocrisy on gambling:
    • “The same Charles Barkley that went to the casino and owed them all this money?” (36:41)
• Maxwell on High-Stakes Poker:
  • “Basketball players or athletes in general are the worst poker players of all…because I want to play, I want to respond. In poker, you have to be really smart and very patient. And that's something that athletes aren’t…” (45:10)
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • Never invited to high-stakes, celebrity, or illegal poker games; only casual games with friends (38:13, 39:02).
  • Noncommittal but careful about whether team staff can gamble on NBA due to access to inside information (41:20).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Maxwell on the Celtics’ New Reality:
  • “The cupboard’s not bare, gentlemen…You have a MVP in the Finals…You have Derrick White…You have a lot of things you can build on.” (18:04)
• Maxwell on Gambling Temptations:
  • “If I had a friend like that…I'd give you the $200,000 instead of jeopardizing my career.” (35:53)
• Valenti’s observation on roster tone:
  • “This is a roster that is depleted of a lot of Hall of Fame, All-Star, All-NBA talent. And this is what happens when you lose all that stuff.” (15:51)
• Kaufman on NBA hypocrisy:
  • “At the bottom of the screen they're advertising the ESPN sportsbook…This is where we are obviously…the genie's out of the bottle, it's not going back in.” (31:46)
• Maxwell reflecting on player behavior:
  • “Basketball players or athletes in general are the worst poker players of all…because I want to play, I want to respond. In poker, you have to be really smart and very patient.” (45:10)

Segment Guide & Timestamps

• [02:11] Celtics’ opening week woes and rebounding worries
• [05:10] Offensive identity and reliance on threes
• [09:19] Are they playing any different? A look at shot charts, paint points
• [10:49] How missing core personnel changes everything
• [11:20] End-of-game execution and Brown’s leadership
• [12:37] Tatum, Brown, and the evolution of playmaking
• [18:04] The “cupboard’s not bare” argument and being patient with the rebuild
• [23:16] Early take on Simons, the new sixth man
• [27:14] NBA gambling scandal: breaking down recent news, history, and impact
• [36:41] Maxwell on Barkley, player logic, and gambling “hypocrisy”
• [45:10] Why athletes don’t make great poker players
• [47:06] Is Billups done as a coach? Final notes on scandal’s reach
• [48:11] Maxwell teases upcoming guests on his own podcast

Tone and Style

The discussion is candid, rooted in real basketball logic, and laced with humor plus healthy skepticism—particularly from Maxwell, whose old-school perspective balances out Adam and Evan’s analytics and present-day worries. There’s an underlying current of “patience” about the Celtics’ choppy start, agreement that this is a gap year, and a mutual lament about the social/financial temptations confronting modern NBA players.

Takeaways for Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The Celtics’ 0-2 start has clear root causes: rebounding woes, shooting regression, lack of interior threats, and inconsistent late-game execution.
• The coaching strategy may look the same, but the numbers (and opponent paint points) hint at subtle adaptation—necessitated by the personnel drop-off.
• Jaylen Brown’s role is under a microscope, with his leadership and passing in focus, especially with Tatum out.
• Simons is still finding his groove and could develop into a sixth man of the year candidate if the chemistry with Brown continues.
• The NBA is in the throes of a gambling crisis, and while scandals may not directly touch Boston, their prevalence has the whole league on edge.
• Maxwell offers unique authentic perspective, always delivering hard truths and personal anecdotes, whether discussing X’s and O’s or high-stakes poker.
• Patience is the watchword: there are enough “building blocks” that, even after a very different start to this season, there’s still a foundation to hope for brighter times.

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