Anfernee Simons' EXPLOSIVE Comments | Has Joe Mazzulla ALREADY Won Over New Celtics?

Summary

Locked On Celtics: Anfernee Simons' EXPLOSIVE Comments | Has Joe Mazzulla ALREADY Won Over New Celtics?

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal, Locked On Podcast Network)
Guest: Tom Westerholm (boston.com)

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the shifting mood at Boston Celtics training camp following significant offseason changes, including roster turnover and the arrival of new players adapting to Joe Mazzulla’s philosophy. The conversation centers on the emotional atmosphere post-trades, heightened by comments from Anfernee Simons throwing shade at his former team (the Portland Trail Blazers) and highlighting the Celtics' new defensive focus. The episode also scrutinizes Joe Mazzulla’s immediate rapport with the new roster and how his people-first approach is shaping early team chemistry.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Atmosphere at Celtics Training Camp

Timestamp: 04:02–07:11

• Tom Westerholm: Describes an unfamiliar, "strange" vibe at camp, with uncertainty dominating due to many new faces and the loss of familiar teammates.
• Jalen Brown’s quote (Media Day): “It’s a little bit sad. A lot of the guys I’ve spent a lot of time with – we had such a great group... To see them not be around anymore, obviously, is going to have an effect on our team. But we’ve got five new players that we’ve got to get onboarded and acclimated into the system." (06:36)
• The hosts note this transition is the norm in the NBA, but it’s hitting harder given the stability of past seasons.

Memorable moment:

“[It’s] the Wolverine meme of him laying in bed with the picture frame, and it’s just like Luke [Cornet] and KP and Drew, and he’s just like...” – John Karalis (04:56)

---

2. Tactical Changes: New Offense, New Defense

Timestamp: 08:03–11:10

• The team is not just dealing with new personnel, but also learning new systems on both ends.
• Celtics are practicing at a much higher pace, running more, and shifting away from last season’s offensive and defensive schemes.
• Assistant coaches and players alike are physically exhausted, underlining the intensity—a sign of enforced change.

Memorable moment:

“I saw assistant coaches walking off, like, full sweat. Just full pouring sweat. You probably lost like 3 pounds coaching. How does coaching become a better workout than what I’m doing at the gym?” – John Karalis (10:34)

---

3. Anfernee Simons' Explosive Comments About Defense

Timestamp: 14:45–22:35

• Simons, traded from the Blazers, made eyebrow-raising comments at Celtics Media Day regarding his newfound defensive enthusiasm, implying he wasn’t coached or motivated to play defense in Portland.

  Highlighted Quote:

  “Those things are something I never really worked on or, you know, been taught. And so I was happy that, you know, that was the focus... you could see the impact on those four weeks [of defense work].” – Anfernee Simons (16:51)

• The hosts note: Portland is portrayed as lacking defensive accountability, while the Celtics are making it a core focus.

• Simons’ “petty” jab at his old team is both humorous and damning, sparking sympathy for frustrated Blazers fans.

Memorable exchange:

“It’s like a breakup... She’s like, ‘Yeah, he never paid attention to me.’... And the new girlfriend’s like, ‘What are you talking about? Buys me flowers all the time.’”
– John Karalis (21:53)

---

4. Joe Mazzulla’s Impact on New Players

Timestamp: 26:41–37:27

• Joe Mazzulla’s style is already winning over the new players, creating a sense of belonging and buy-in.
• Joe prefers players call him ‘Joe’ rather than ‘Coach’, signaling a collaborative, peer-like leadership style.
• Simons and others praise Mazzulla for caring about players as people, building trust, and motivating them to accept hard coaching.

Notable Insight:

“He cares about who you are personally... so when he gets on you in practice, you don’t take it personally because you know he cares.” – Paraphrased from Simons via John Karalis (26:54)

• Tom Westerholm analogizes Mazzulla’s ceiling to that of Eric Spoelstra, citing his ability to foster buy-in from both stars and new players.
• The discussion highlights that fostering togetherness and adaptability is an underrated coaching skill, and Mazzulla’s early work could silence skeptics.

Memorable comparison:

“You don’t just get a team of veteran stars to buy in. That doesn’t just happen by accident... the coach has to inspire them.”
– Tom Westerholm (28:41)

---

5. Adjusting the Celtics’ Style of Play

Timestamp: 31:06–36:04

• The hosts address criticisms of Mazzulla (“too many threes”) and clarify that with new personnel, shot selection and style are changing.
• This team will play faster, shoot fewer threes, and rely more on early attacks, cuts, and defensive gambles.
• Emphasis on Mazzulla’s flexibility to adapt strategy to personnel, rather than shoehorning a fixed scheme.

Notable quote:

“People see what happened the past two years and... say, well, this is Joe Mazzulla’s philosophy. You haven’t seen him with these other guys... what he actually did was coach to his personnel.” – John Karalis (33:30)

---

6. The Value of Personal Connections in Coaching

Timestamp: 36:04–37:27

• Coaching effectively requires knowing how each player responds: some need direct confrontation; others require a softer approach.
• Mazzulla’s investment in understanding players’ lives and personalities helps get the most out of the roster, especially through turbulent seasons.

---

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

1. Jalen Brown (via Tom Westerholm, paraphrased):

   “It feels a little bit sad around here right now... I miss Luke Cornet... Kristaps Porzingis... it feels different.” (04:02–04:56)

2. Tom Westerholm on NBA transitions:

   “This part of the season was always going to feel like this... it’s fine to feel a little sad... but this could be a low point. Like this, right now, before games even start, could be the low point.” (05:19–06:36)

3. John Karalis on Simons’ comments:

   “If I’m a Portland Trailblazers fan, I am angry about Anthony Simons. I am angry about what he is saying.” (11:10)

4. Anfernee Simons (Media Day):

   “Those things are something I never really worked on or been taught. And so I was happy that, you know, that was the focus.” (16:51)

5. John Karalis on Mazzulla’s approach:

   “Joe’s like, yeah, I’m just the guy. I’m basically their same age... Don’t call me coach. I’m just Joe.” (26:54)

6. Tom Westerholm on coaching buy-in:

   “You don’t just get a team of veteran stars to buy in... It doesn’t just happen by accident... The coach also has to inspire them.” (28:41)

7. John Karalis on adapting schemes:

   “It’s not about three-pointers, it’s about the best shot available... This year’s team is not going to do that.” (33:30)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Atmosphere post-roster changes: 04:02–07:11
• New offense & defense; intense practices: 08:03–11:10
• Simons’ media day & Blazers shade: 14:45–22:35
• Joe Mazzulla winning over new Celtics: 26:41–37:27
• Adapting Celtics’ style of play: 31:06–36:04
• Coaching through personal connection: 36:04–37:27

---

Summary In Brief

This episode captures a Celtics team at a crossroads: processing emotional departures, establishing a refreshed identity, and adapting both play style and culture under Joe Mazzulla. Anfernee Simons’ public reflections serve as a window into both his rejuvenated commitment and the sometimes-petty soap opera of NBA transitions. Mazzulla is already cementing his grasp, combining empathy with accountability as the franchise embarks on a season of profound change and, potentially, reward.

---

For more daily Celtics analysis and inside coverage, subscribe to the Locked On Celtics Podcast and join the conversation in the comments.

Transcript

[John Corrales]

It's the locked on podcast network. Your team every day.

[Jeff Bridges]

Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.

[Dana]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?

[Jeff Bridges]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T mobile commercial like you teach me. So Dana.

[Dana]

Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at t mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[Jeff Bridges]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[John Corrales]

Nice.

[Dana]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Jeff Bridges]

T Mobile is the best place to.

[John Corrales]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible trade in in any condition.

[Jeff Bridges]

So what are we having for launch?

[Dana]

Dude, my work here is done.

[Commercial Announcer]

The 24 month bill credits on experience beyond for well qualified customers. Plus tax and $35 device connection charge credit send and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256GB $1099.99 and new line minimum 100 plus a month plan with auto PayPal taxes and fees required. Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Ooklip Speed Test Intelligence data 1H 2025 is@t mobile.com meet dan.

[John Corrales]

Hey, how's it going?

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Dan has big life goals.

[John Corrales]

I'd love to own a home one day.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Numerica Credit Union is the perfect partner to help make Dan's goals come to life.

[John Corrales]

They are? Yeah.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

We help you manage your money with confidence using tools and guidance tailored to your goals. So whether you're building breathing room into your budget or saving for your dream home like me, Numerica is there every step of the way because your goals and your matter. Numerica Credit Union money where it matters Federally insured by ncua.

[John Corrales]

Are things a little bit sad around the Boston Celtics? Plus if I was a Portland Trailblazers fan, I'd be really angry at Anthony Simons. We'll talk about it all right now on the Locked on Celtics podcast. Huh?

[Lockdown Celtics Intro Voice]

Be ever ready it's the seas. Who else could it be? What they going to say now Screaming like JT corral lunch we kept the madness every game, every practice prime time Depp and D White on the sideline Renin Jays how we started raising business how we finished Locked on Celtics pot home of the winners.

[John Corrales]

Hey there. Welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics podcast right here on the Lockdown podcast network where it's your team every day. Your team is the Boston Celtics and I talk about them Every Monday through Friday. It's a free podcast. It's available everywhere podcasts exist. It's on YouTube, so you can get in there and get into the comment section. Share your thoughts with your fellow everydayers, the people who are with me every Monday through Friday. And with me. I'm John Corrales, beat writer for Boston Sports Journal. I've written a couple of books about the team. I'm doing a version of this job for about 20 years or so, and this time my job is taking me to Celtics training camp where they've had a couple of practices. And it's just, I think the word of the camp is pace. We'll talk about that. We'll talk about Joe Missoula and his impact on the new guys. We'll talk about Anthony Simons and why, if I'm a Blazers fan, I would not want to be paying attention to what Anthony Simons is talking about. But let's get to a couple of early takeaways here with Tom Wesserholm. Tom, how are you?

[Tom Wesserholm]

I am good, man.

[John Corrales]

How are you? I'm great. You can find Tom Celtics [e-mail] Tom. We're a couple of days into camp. The Celtics actually have a. An off day on Thursday. So this is just a kind of process, everything. Maybe there's a film session, guys are going to be in the gym. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of individual work, but it's a chance to take a. A little bit of an assessment quickly. Do you have any big takeaways from the early going of Celtics camp?

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah, I mean, it's. It's such a strange vibe in the start, at the start of this camp. I mean, it's. It's such a strange. It's going to be such a strange season, right? And I think that you get a weird, like, I think everything feels very uncertain right now. There's just like, I like, nobody knows what to make of anything. Everything. You know, these guys are all getting to know each other. I think to me, the, the biggest quote, like, the most I, I think the quote that kind of captured the vibe the best was Jalen talking about it feels a little bit sad around here right now. I don't, you know, I don't. I miss like, you know, Jayla in paraphrasing, like, I miss Luke Cornett. You know, like, the guy just gotta, like, there's. There's a bunch of guys who are gone. I miss. I, I miss Kristaps Porzingis. Right? Like, a lot of Guys are not here. It feels different. And I think that it's like the.

[John Corrales]

Wolverine meme of him laying in the bed with the. The picture frame, and it's just like Luke and KP and Drew and he's.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Just like, oh, yeah, yeah, exactly. And I think I. I think that it was. This part of the season was always going to feel like this right there was always going to feel a little bit just like, huh, well, this is. This is different.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Wesserholm]

I don't know about this. So, I mean, I think it's interesting and. I mean, I know we can get into it, but, like, I think that there's a. I think that it's. It's very possible and very. Yeah, I think it's very possible that this. This could turn very quickly into not sad. Right. Like, I think it's important to remember that. I think, you know, Brad always talks about never get too high, never get too low. And I. I think that's really important right here. Right. Because it's like, we don't know what's going to happen this season. It's. It's going to be weird. We know we. We can make, like, a lot of very educated guesses as to what's going to happen this season, but, like, as of right now, it's fine to feel a little sad when you look out there and you don't see Drew Holiday and you don't see Kristaps Porzingis, if that makes you sad. I know a lot of Celtics fans have kind of soured on him pretty quick, but it's fine to look out there not and feel sad that Luke Cornett isn't out there. But things. I mean, it's a long season. A lot of things are going to happen, and, like, there will be some good, some bad. But, like, there could be some good. This could be a. This could be a low point. Like this right now before games even start. Could be the low point when you don't see Drew Holiday out there. Hey, I don't know. That's my big takeaway is just how early it is, how uncertain everything is at this stage.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. The. The Jalen quote from the. From Media Day where he says, it's a little bit sad. A lot of the guys have spent a lot of time with. We had such a great group over the last couple of years. To see them not be around anymore, obviously, is going to have an effect on our team, but we've got five new players that we've got to get onboarded and acclimated into. The system. So there's the original. Like, you know, things were so good. And you know what? Things were really good. Things were great and things were better.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Even I think we better say that quite confidently.

[John Corrales]

And, and like, even Brad Stevens acknowledged that the guys that they had in the locker room the past two seasons, good guys, quality people, you know, good. Like the locker room was as positive and uncontroversial a place as you're gonna find in the NBA. A league that thrives on petty crap. You know, like everywhere you look, people are taking shots. And there were no shots being taken. No in, in the Celtics locker room. But all of these, all of these great people are gone. And that's, you know, Drew. Kp. KP became one of Jalen's great friends. Al Horford.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah, I didn't even say him.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, yeah, we're seeing him being introduced in Golden State with like wearing a Golden State jersey and it's like watching that, you're like, God, that looks so weird. But it, it's just, you gotta, you gotta get past it because as Jalen said, there are five new players that you have to get onboarded. You have no choice. I think last year was such an aberration that, you know, it was easy for guys to kind of let their guards down a little bit. What happened this past off season is normal. That's normal NBA stuff. It's going to get more normal too. Yeah, it's going to get a lot more normal. But having five guys come in and be new guys, that's how the league generally works. And you know, on top of it, having your, your, you know, one of your superstars start the season, you know, watching from the sidelines. So yeah, I think that's a great place to start because this is such a different training camp. You're on top of learning all of these new guys, they're learning a new style of play. Like this is a completely new Boston Celtics. They're playing faster. They're not playing the same style of offense, they're not playing the same style of defense, which we'll get to in a second. But like the defense that they played before, you can't play the same style. So everything about how they're playing on the floor, there's some carryover, but that's just some building on some things that you did before. But it's still a new offense, a new defense, a new approach. Playing fast versus playing that walk up, look for mismatches kind of offense. The mentality is different. The, the leaders are different. The role players. Everything about this team has some level of newness to it. And I think the first couple of practices probably hammered that home because one thing I heard from everybody being there is, man, we're really running. We're really getting after it. We're lots of guys screaming. Like, we talked to.

[Tom Wesserholm]

It sounds exhausting. I'm not, man.

[John Corrales]

I. I saw assistant coaches walking off, like, full sweat. Just full pouring sweat. Like, you're like, you probably lost like £3 coaching. How is that? Like, how does that translate to the players? Yeah, to like, execute everything that you're sweating. Like, that was a great coaching. How can coaching be a better workout than what I'm doing at the gym?

[Tom Wesserholm]

Right.

[John Corrales]

That doesn't make sense.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Well, I mean, it does, given we. We just talked about this the other day, how the assistant coaches run with NBA players. It's like, you know, I try to get to the gym pretty consistently. I'm not out there running with NBA players.

[John Corrales]

So, you know, yeah, I was. I was trying to be, like, cool about it, and you had to pull back the curtain. It makes perfect Sense. And I'm 52 at the gym. There's no possible way that I'm working as hard as they are. I'm just trying to get through it. How do I make my knees not hurt as much? But I tell you what, you want my first takeaway? My first takeaway is if I'm a Portland Trailblazers fan. I am angry about Anthony Simons. I am angry about what he is saying. I will play you the quotes that I'm like, wow. When I heard, I was like, oh, man. Okay, that is coming up next. Today's show is brought to you by Peloton. Peloton is shaping the future of fitness. Talking about fitness, if you don't get a chance to run around on the floor with NBA players, try the new peloton cross training tread plus. Powered by Peloton iq, it's their most advanced equipment yet. Designed to give you real time guidance and endless ways to move. Whether you're running, lifting, or cross training with your favorite instructors, it's training reimagine. Peloton is built for breakthroughs with tools that help you plan, stay motivated and reach peak performance. The Peloton IQ system offers real time strength coaching. It actually tracks your reps, it suggests the right weights, and it corrects your form, which might be the most important part of lifting. Because with the right form come the right gains, making every rep safer and smarter. The swivel screen is a game changer. You can go from running on the Tread plus to strength training without missing a beat. And the personalized class recommendations keep you engaged. You get workouts tailored to your vibe and energy level each week, so let yourself run, lift, flex and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training TREAD plus [e-mail] Today's show is sponsored by Indeed.

[Indeed Sponsor Voice]

If you've ever been a hiring manager, you know just how challenging it can be to find the right candidates and to do it fast. But with Indeed sponsored jobs, there are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com LockedOnSports just go to Indeed.com LockedOnSports right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com locked on sports terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

[John Corrales]

Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Go check out the Lockdown NBA feed, two podcasts I host Lockdown NBA Game Night on Wednesdays with Jake Madison. During the season, it'll be all the games played on Tuesday night, breaking everything down. And then the afternoon show covers all the big storylines in the NBA. So go check that out. Two podcasts on the same feed there. All right, Tom Anthony Simons. Like, I, I love the fact that he, I know that the first part of his quote from Media Day kind of made the rounds and was like, oh really? Defense is about you wanting to try and like it's that simple. Which is, that's like the first thing about if I'm a Portland fan. Like, oh, oh, so you, so you didn't want to try. You didn't care about that.

[Tom Wesserholm]

And before you keep going, I would like to just say he's right.

[John Corrales]

He's right. No, he's right.

[Tom Wesserholm]

That's just defense. I mean you can have physical tools that, that like add on for sure. But like most, most people in the NBA have those physical tools and Free Simon certainly does.

[John Corrales]

So yeah, but he didn't use them in Portland. He didn't use them there. Portland Trailblazers, a rebuilding team looking for their stars, looking for their next generation. And Simons is there scoring, scoring, scoring and not playing defense. And they're like, so they ended up trading him. The Blazers traded him a guy you love for Drew Holiday on a bad contract. What ended up being like a Bad contract and, you know, holidays in his mid-30s. Like, and they were like, we'd rather have this guy than Anthony Simons. Partly because, like, what more message do you need to send? You just got traded for one of the best still at this age, One of the best defenders, individual defenders in the league. Like, we love your offense. That's great. You're one of, you know, Jordan pool. Like. Like, you got, like, plenty of guys out there that can score and put up numbers.

[Tom Wesserholm]

I think he's. I think he's a. Definitely a richer man's Jordan pool, I will say, but sure.

[John Corrales]

But he's in class right now.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Your point is well taken. Yes.

[John Corrales]

Right. He's in that class. He's. That's the. That's the team picture that he's in.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And so to hear him say, basically say, like, yeah, the, you know, defense is effort, and I just. I just gotta do it. And, like, what were you doing for the past few years with the same.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Kind of voice as somebody who's like, being told, like, I mean, veggies are good for you. I gotta. I gotta eat them.

[John Corrales]

Gotta eat them.

[Tom Wesserholm]

I know.

[John Corrales]

I mean, I'll do it Tuesday at practice, a Wednesday at practice. Anthony Simon says this about the defense that he's learning, and just. Just listen.

[Anthony Simons]

That's one of the first things when I got here, that's the first things we worked on is just being a playmaker in that way, whether it's stabbing at the ball, you know, trying to steal the ball, look at passing lanes, being in the right spot each, every time. And so that's one of the things we drilled for the first four weeks I was here, you know, before training camp. So those things are something I never really worked on or, you know, been taught. And so I was happy that, you know, that was the focus. And, you know, we could see, you know, the impact on those four weeks of, you know, just working on that stuff.

[John Corrales]

So on one hand, the Celtic side was. The Celtic side is. He's been at camp, like, four weeks before. So he's basically a month.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah, he showed up early.

[John Corrales]

Like, showed up early. He's been working on the defensive principles, is excited about them, it seems. It seems the Celtics are going to have to take chances to force steals and, you know, get out there and, like, turn. Get those turnovers that Joe's been talking about for a couple years. Like, this is the year you have to start getting those turnovers. Because, side note, you don't have the defense that the Celtics had before Holiday White Jalen, Jason Porzingis protecting the rim or Horford protecting the rim. You didn't have to gamble for steals. In fact, gambling for steals would put you out of position. And that's not the. That's not the type of defense you want to pull out of position. That's the defense. Let's just challenge shots. We got rebounders. Let's grab the rebounds and let's just go to the other end of the floor and run our very efficient offense slower, but still very efficient, and let's just score points and win games. But now you have to take more chances because you don't have. You can't just challenge shots because your rebounds, rebounding is not as good. You don't have the same level of defenders. You're going to. If you just give up certain shots, you're going to get burned. So Simons is part of that. So great. I'm psyched to hear Simons be part of that. But on the Portland side, like, if I'm hearing that from a Blazers perspective, like, buddy, you never. You're telling me you were never taught defense. So either Simons is taking shots, which probably is true, or. Or Chauncey Billups should be, like, fired and never coach again. I think. I think it's obviously, Simons is like, oh, yeah, you traded me. Watch. Watch me throw you under the bus. Yeah, exactly. Again, remember what I said before Petty league? Like, this is the pettiness right here. It's hilarious from the side, but, man, it is wild.

[Tom Wesserholm]

I missed it so much. It's so beautiful to have some soap opera back in our lives.

[John Corrales]

Oh, my God.

[Tom Wesserholm]

It's. It's been missing. It's been missing. You know, Jayla's like, I'm a little bit sad. It's like, sure. For sure.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Wesserholm]

I mean, for sure. Counterpoint the content, though. It will be better.

[John Corrales]

No, I mean, I was like, we never worked on defense. I was never even taught defense. I didn't even know. I blacked out after I crossed half court. I blacked out for 24 seconds and I crossed back over. I'm like, oh, what? Oh, we're back on offense.

[Tom Wesserholm]

You could stand in front of the guy and then move your feet and stay in front of the guy.

[John Corrales]

Do you guys. Do you guys know Hortland never told us we could stand in front of a guy? I stand between the guy and the basket. I thought that was illegal. Chauncey Billups told me it was illegal. That's the next step.

[Tom Wesserholm]

I mean, it's. It's Very funny. And like, you know, I think. I think to your point, though, right, it's like, I think if you're the Celtics, this is great, because what you're getting is an Anferty Simons, who. One seems spurned enough by being traded to lob these. To lob these shots at. At his old team. But I think, more importantly, right, I think you're getting an Anthony Simons who. Okay, like, I. I, like, I. I don't know, but it seems like you're getting an Anthony Simons who got traded to the Celtics, looked around and said, oh, dip. I got traded to the Celtics. Like, this is. This is a real team. Like, I got traded. My teammates are now Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. These are well respected veterans at this point in the NBA who are winners. And, like, I just got traded to a team that, like, you know, is really focused on winning. I mean, that's great. If you're the Celtics, you're getting a guy who's like, like, okay, yeah. Should he have tried on defense a little bit before this? Should he have learned a little bit more about defense before this? Yeah, absolutely. But, like, you know, that's a promising sign. He showed up a month early to work on defense.

[John Corrales]

It's like. It's like. It's like a breakup where, you know, she's like, yeah, he never paid attention to me. Like, we never. He never gave me flowers, never did me anything nice. And, like, the new girlfriend's like, what are you talking about? Buys me flowers all the time.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Corrales]

You know, cook me dinner last night. Like, I never asked for it. He's just. He's just doing. He writes me notes. He's like, perfect boyfriend. I don't know what you're talking about. And the other. There's like, what. That doesn't make any sense. That's not that. No, no. You're talking about Anthony Simons.

[Tom Wesserholm]

You're not Anthony. You're talking about Anthony Simon.

[John Corrales]

Anthony Simon. No, no.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Ph, Right. That's what you're talking about.

[John Corrales]

No, Anthony. Anthony, the guy with the prayer hands tattoo on his shoulder? Yes. No way. Yeah, that. That's. That's where we are. From a Boston perspective. It is great. It is great because obviously, I. I will take a year of spiteful defense out of Anthony Simons. Then, you know, over the. The. The year of, like, well, he's just who he is, and we got to deal with it, you know? I mean, like, that's. And let's not rule out, like, the Joe Missoula aspect in all of this and we'll come back and talk about because Joe, the new guys, the way they talk about Joe is for the people who are like, not into Joe Missoula. This, this should be like one of the early takeaways as well. Just two days in, I think this Simon stuff, some of the other stuff like Joe Missoula I think is already should be winning people over. We'll, we'll come back, we'll talk about that stuff. Today's show was brought to you by FanDuel. If you're a new customer, this is the time to get involved with FanDuel because if you make a five dollar bet as a new customer and you win, you get $300 in bonus bets. So pick a bet, put down five bucks. If it hits you, unlock 300 in bonus bets to use across the app. So make it count. You can take that into a football game on Sunday. Maybe it's a, maybe it's a game that doesn't involve your favorite team, Patriots or not Patriots or whatever. You can sit there and say, okay, let me see what the live line is. After one quarter, whichever team is up, let me see what the live line is. You can get in on that. You can build some player props built on touchdown passes, rushing yards, you know, sacks, all of that stuff. If you want to have a little extra fun watching a football game on a Sunday afternoon, you can have a little bit more fun with FanDuel because you get a little something riding on the action when you sign up for FanDuel.com FanDuel.com when you sign up, you're going to get the alert to set your budgeting, set your limits, do that. Whatever you can afford to lose, that's your limit. This way, if you hit a losing streak happens. You can. It just stops you in a couple of weeks, you come back, you pick it back up. Maybe you get a little bit of a heater, maybe you hit that five dollar and you get the 300 in bonus bets and you can pick right back up. So have some fun over [e-mail] Download the FanDuel app today and get started.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Meet Olivia.

[Dana]

Hey, what's up?

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Olivia dreams big.

[Dana]

I want to go back to school and get a pet and buy a house and save for retirement and travel the world.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

That's quite the list.

[Dana]

Thank you.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Numerica Credit Union is the perfect partner to help turn Olivia's dreams into reality.

[Dana]

Really?

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yep.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

We're all about helping our members create a life that feels like theirs. And we have the tools, expertise, and guidance to make it happen.

[Dana]

I'm in. Let's get started.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Numerica Credit union money where it matters. Federally insured by ncua.

[John Corrales]

Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Go check out Lockdown Fantasy. It's fantasy season, right? Your draft is coming up. Josh Lloyd is the goat when it comes to fantasy basketball. Check out Lockdown Fantasy. Wherever you get this podcast and get caught up on everything. I've done a preview for. For the Celtics and all that stuff, you. If you're playing fantasy basketball, locked on Fantasy is the way to go. All right, let's get back to the conversation here, because Anthony Simons and his defense, like, I think one of the important things was Joe Missoula. And it was revealed at practice on Wednesday, it was Joe that initiated the conversation about the defense. And Joe was basically like, hey, you got to be better. You're not as bad as people say you are. But, like, you gotta. You gotta be better.

[Tom Wesserholm]

And this is what I. I said that. I called that. I said that.

[John Corrales]

Anyway, continue. This is. This is not the place for victory lapse. Okay. Anyway, I was right about.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Well, that's. That's bad news for me because I do them all the time.

[John Corrales]

This is why this is locked on victory lap for sure. You hear. You hear Simons talk about Joe, and like, yeah, this guy is, you know, doesn't want to be called coach. Just. Just call me Joe. And. Which I think is normal but also kind of indicative. And Joe's like, yeah, I'm just. I'm just the guy. I'm basically their same age. You know, don't call me coach. I'm just Joe. But. And you. You. You can tell the guys appreciate. I think somebody said it, too, where I think it was Simons who's like, this guy cares about who you are personally. And so when he gets on you in practice, you don't take it personally because, you know, he's. He's. He. He cares about, like, who you are. Ask about the kids, he'll come by the house, he'll do these things. And, like, in return, he's just like, I'm gonna coach you, and you gotta listen. And when I say things like, Joe's gonna get frustrated. He's gonna MF people. And Simons has said it. I talked to Josh Minot a little bit. Josh Minot's, like, all in on Joe Missoula already. So for anybody who's just been a Joe Missoula hater, the new guys who've come in and joined the team. There's no incentive for them to be, you know, crazy Joe Missoula lovers, but they immediately have taken to him. And I think when we talk about Simon's defense and him finally, like, coming through and playing it, some of it is petty. Like, I'll. I'll do it because Portland traded me, and, you know, I'm gonna do it just to spite them. But also, Joe Missoula is asking for it, and he's been really good to me, so I'm gonna kind of do it for him, too.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, you know, it's. I think that's one of the things that I'm the most interested in watching this year because we've talked. We talked during the off season about, like, how this is an interesting year for Joe Missoula because, you know, like, the. The Eric Spolster thing, right, where it's like he walks in to. To the Heat and he's coaching, you know, like, super duper stars, and it's like, okay, wow, oh, did you win championships with that? So good. But then it turns out, like, no, he's actually, like, an awesome, like, one of the best coaches that we've seen in the last few decades. And it's like, you know, I. I think that there's some real potential for that with Missoula. You know, I think certainly, you know, the X's and O's will be interesting. The. The. The schematics will be interesting this season, but I think, you know, you don't just. Like, it doesn't just happen that you get a team of veteran stars to buy in. Like, that doesn't just happen by accident, you know, like, that doesn't just happen because they want to win. The coach also has to inspire them and has to. Has to have the kind of personality that can. That can connect with you. And. And he's. He did such a good job on a team full of. Yeah, okay. The guys are all good guys, for sure, but good guys can clash too. You know, like, good guys cannot get along too. Like, it doesn't always go smoothly. And Joe Missoula has been so good at. At getting people to buy in and so much. You know, that's. Simons is a perfect example of this, right? Because the thing that Simons needs to do is the part of the game that requires almost exclusively buy in. Like, defense is all about just buying in. Like, it's one of the reasons, like, yeah, okay, He. You know, he's talking about how. How Portland didn't teach him X, Y and Z. It's possible Portland's coaching staff just isn't as good at getting people to buy in on things as Joe Missoula is. Like, that seems very plausible to me. And I think what's one of the most underrated things about Joe Missoula? It's one of the things that the people don't like him, really miss, you know, because it's hard to quantify.

[John Corrales]

Right, sure.

[Tom Wesserholm]

If you're not, if you're not on the inside, it's hard to, it's hard to quantify, like the way that he connects with players and the way that he gets the best out of players. But like, he's got a pretty good, you know, the track record so far is, yeah, pretty good, not bad.

[John Corrales]

So I'll point to this. Anthony Edwards recently was talking about how the Minnesota Timberwolves need to be more together. Like, you can say you're together, you can say your brothers, but you got to live it. You got to be that. And I think people will by and large say Chris Finch is one of the best coaches in the NBA. And that first of all is true. Chris Finch is an incredible coach, has gotten the most, or I would say the most. It's hard to say not being in Minnesota, but he's gotten, if not the most, close to the most out of his team. And for Anthony Edwards to be like, yeah, we still need to be more together. That's, that's not something you've heard about the Celtics. If nothing else, they are together. And I think, and I, I will say that the, the Missoula critics will be like, yeah, that's all great. We're not questioning that. We're questioning the three point shooting and the volume of three pointers and the, the in game execution and stuff like that, which, you know, we'll see, we'll see. I think the other side of the Missoula stuff is, well, it's obvious that this year's team is not going to shoot as many three pointers. And speaking of victory laps, I plan on taking one this year. I'm already stretching out for it because I have been saying over the past two seasons, I've been trying to tell people this is not about three pointers, it's about the best shot available. And this Celtics offense over the past two years, Holiday, White, Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, Horford, Sam Houser off the bench, Peyton Pritchard off the bench, everybody there is a three point shooter, at least at the very worst, you're a good or an average three point shooter. Right. Jalen Brown had a down year, but like most guys are at least around average. So it makes sense. You shoot those shots and, and you, you attack a defense, they collapse and you kick it out, catch and shoot three pointers for all of these guys, it makes perfect sense. This year's team is not going to do that.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Right.

[John Corrales]

And so what's happening with this, this year's team, we're already hearing it, we're already seeing it. It's going to be up tempo, push the ball, early attacks, multiple attacks. They're going to play a different style. We're going to see a different style of defense. I mean offense, we're going to see fewer three pointers. We're going to see that stuff. People see what happened over the past two years and with no real context, said, well, this is Joe Missoula's philosophy. You haven't, haven't seen him with these other guys to say, well, is it his philosophy or did he do the actual smart thing that a coach should do? Just coach to his personnel, which is what he actually did. And this year he's going to coach to his personnel and that's going to require the things we talked about, more chances taken on defense, trying to force more turnovers, more steals, all of that getting into your offense quicker, starting your offense earlier in the shot clock, multiple attacks, you know, screens all over the place, cuts all over the place and trying to score that way. So yeah, that's all important.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah, I, I think that there's probably like a connection to, to the. Joe Missoula cares about his, his players as people and thinks about his players as people and then is able to play to his personnel, partly because he's thinking about these guys individually, you know, because, I mean, of course, like, yeah, I mean, yeah, he's asking about their kids, he's asking about like, you know, their home lives. You know, he wants them to, to feel welcome. He wants them to, to, to be a part of the team. And then also he's also thinking about them as basketball players individually. He's not trying to force them into some. My. I'm guessing. Right. I don't think he's, I don't think he's going to try to force them into some mold that he thinks it should be. I think you're right. I think that he's, he's looking at the strengths of these guys as people and as players and is going to try to take that and turn that into a winning basketball team, if this team has enough talent for that, that, you know, I'm interested to see. But I think that that's one of the reasons that I, I do think that, you know, we earlier when in the summer when we talked about, like, yo, is this team going to be a lottery team? And it's like. And probably not, because I think there's enough talent on this team. And I think Joe Missoula is going to get that talent out by being cognizant of everybody's strengths and, and, yeah, putting those on and putting those in a position to succeed.

[John Corrales]

My final word is going to be by getting to know people the way he does, you. You figure out how to coach guys.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Exactly.

[John Corrales]

You know, exactly who can take what. This is where I lean on a little bit of my personal experience, especially in college, where my coach. My coach would yell at me when somebody else messed up because there were guys on the team that really couldn't take it from him, but I could. And so he would yell at me and that's. That. That was just understanding. All right. Corrales can, can handle this. I probably screwed up too. So, but, but like this, if I, if I yell at this guy, he's going to throw into a shell and I'm. This is not going to be. That's not going to be how he responds. And I think that's how you, when you get to know guys the way Joe knows them, it's who can take it, who can't. How do you talk to this guy? How. Because then you observe in their family life, how do you interact with. How does he interact with his wife, how does he interact with his kids? You start to understand, like, okay, this is, this is who this person is. And so when it comes to coaching, you can. How do I get the most out of this guy? Well, this is how he gets. This is how his family gets the most out of him. This is how I'm going to get the most out of him.

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And so that. That is all super important and that. That is NBA coaching. All right, well, we'll see Thursday off day for the Celtics, but Friday, Saturday they will practice. And so that's all going to be in the Monday show. For now, wrapping this up, Tom, thank you so much. Appreciate it as always. I appreciate all of you listening, watching the everydayers here. Monday through Friday. The show's free, so you don't have to pay for anything. Shows daily Monday through Friday when the season starts, Friday game, Saturday game, post game podcast here. So make sure you're you're subscribed. Plenty of stuff here. It's all available for you everywhere. Get into the comments section. Share your thoughts with me. Share your thoughts with the fellow Celtics fans and then share the podcast. Tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics Podcast here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. To our team every day.

[Dana]

Want to show your cat just how much you love them? Start with Wellness Pet Food for meals that turn love into well being that your cat can taste and you can see if your kitty loves real shreds of chicken and fish. Or maybe they prefer culinary crafted recipes packed with protein with vet recommended scientifically proven nutrition and high quality ingredients in wellness recipes, every picky kitty can find a meal with taste, texture and variety they adore. Wellness Pet Food Feed well. Be well.

[John Corrales]

Rated M for mature. Who are you? A wandering spirit seeking vengeance. You live. I thought we killed your whole family, but here you are little wolf. My name is atu. Every member of the Yotei Six will suffer. Get lost in the hunt.

[Commercial Announcer]

Forge a new path at the edge of Japan.

[John Corrales]

Ghost of Yotei available October 2nd on PS5. Meet Dan hey, how's it going?

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Dan has big life goals.

[John Corrales]

I'd love to own a home one day.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

Numerica Credit Union is the perfect partner to help make Dan's goals come to life.

[John Corrales]

They are?

[Tom Wesserholm]

Yeah.

[Numerica Credit Union Narrator]

We help you manage your money with confidence, using tools and guidance tailored to your goals. So whether you're building breathing room into your budget or saving for your dream home like me, Numerica is there every step of the way because your goals and your life matter. Numerica Credit Union Money where it matters Federally insured by NCUA.