Locked On Celtics - Flashcard Friday: Celtics Banner 19 Timeline & Tatum’s Prime

Date: September 5, 2025
Host: John Karalis (with guest Tom Westerholm)

Episode Overview

This episode of Locked On Celtics features a lively "Flashcard Friday" format, where host John Karalis and Celtics analyst Tom Westerholm draw random, fan-submitted topics and offer unscripted thoughts. The main theme circles around the future of the Celtics—specifically, when Banner 19 (the next championship) will come, and whether Jayson Tatum’s prime will be wasted. Along the way, they tackle Celtics Mount Rushmore, favorite non-Celtics, draft pick regrets, player development, and the challenge of being a “regular fan” after working the beat. The tone is conversational, honest, and sometimes nostalgic, with insights for diehard Celtics followers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Celtics Mount Rushmore

[04:29]

• “Your Celtics Mount Rushmore. Four players.”
• Russell and Bird are untouchables for both hosts.
• Debate over the last two spots:
  • Karalis prefers: Russell, Bird, Koozie, and Pierce (with Tatum likely to replace Pierce in the future).
  • Westerholm: Russell, Bird, Havlicek, and Pierce (swapping Koozie for Havlicek).
• Quote:
  • “You can’t tell Celtics history with four guys.” — John Karalis [06:28]
  • “Mount Rushmore, the Celtics — you can’t get it right, and you can’t get it wrong.” — Tom Westerholm [07:06]

Favorite Non-Celtics

[07:16]

• Tom picks Steph Curry: credits him as the greatest and admires his swagger and trash talk.
• John picks Grant Hill, noting Hill’s potential to be an all-time great if not for injuries, even though he played for teams John hated (“Without the injury...we aren’t talking about Michael Jordan or LeBron, we’re talking about Michael Jordan, Grant Hill or LeBron.” [07:54]).
• Other nostalgic faves: Kemba Walker (Yukon tie), Hakeem Olajuwon, Sean Kemp, Clyde Drexler, and Ricky Rubio’s electrifying rookie stretch in Minnesota.

Most Hated Celtics Draft Pick

[14:12]

• Tom:
  • Terry Rozier pick (“absolutely mystified me” [14:19])
  • Fab Melo pick (2012), and the stash picks (Yabusele, Zizic) as disappointments.
  • “The absolute number one with a bullet: worst one was drafting Desmond Bane...and then immediately trading him.” [15:19]
• John:
  • Hasn’t been a huge draft head, but hated the lack of flexibility that led to the Yabu pick. Dislike wasn’t about the player, just how asset-strapped the team felt.

Jordan Walsh’s Development

[17:35]

• Both agree: The G League isn’t an ideal developer, and Walsh risks stagnation if not tested at an NBA level.
• Karalis:
  • “He’s better than G League players...but he’s still not, I think, an NBA-level player.” [17:52]
  • “He plays too fast, still a little kind of hectic. I still don’t believe in that jumper yet. He fouls too much.”
• Westerholm:
  • This is a “last opportunity” year for Walsh—if he doesn’t earn a bigger NBA role, he’ll star overseas.
  • “He’s gonna have a long, highly paid basketball career...maybe some with the Celtics, but this is his last shot.” [21:16]

Building the Perfect Celtic

[22:04]

• Fun exercise constructing a “perfect Celtic” by mixing current player skills:
  • Tatum’s build and shooting
  • Pritchard’s handle
  • Derrick White’s passing/decision making (“I call Derrick White the best pure basketball player on the team.” — Karalis [23:25])
  • Hauser’s shooting, Jalen’s explosion, Tatum’s footwork
• “If you took last year’s team and tried to build a perfect player, you’d basically just build Victor Wembanyama.” — Tom Westerholm [24:12]

Banner 19: When’s the Next Championship?

[24:59]

• “Not to put you guys on the spot, but when will they win Banner 19?”

Outlook:

• Both agree: It will take a few years.
• Karalis:
  • “Next best chance will be the 27-28 season. If they don’t win it by then, it’ll be in the 2030s.” [27:14]
  • Urgency: “That might be the last, like, really good Derrick White season ... by that 27-28 season, it’s going to be like, ‘Oh, crap, I’m pushing 30, and this is all going to go away.’” [28:18]
• Westerholm:
  • “2028 is just ... there’s a chance.” [29:22]
• Factors: league’s evolving CBA, the fate of Jalen Brown, Tatum’s future, a shifting league landscape.

Will Tatum’s Prime Be Wasted?

• Implicit in the championship timeline debate: concern over wasting Tatum's prime if Celtics can't rebuild quickly enough.
• No direct answer, but both hosts' urgency about the “window” and referencing aging core (“everybody’s...pushing 30”) signals the risk.

Being a Regular Fan After Working the Beat

[31:31]

• Can you ever be a regular fan again?
• Tom: Found fandom again in soccer (Tottenham), but not basketball.
  • “Feels good to, like, be super invested, but not from a super analytical perspective.” [31:52]
• John:
  • “I don’t know if that’s possible. ... The job forces you to remove that from your whole thing.” [32:19]
  • No emotional highs/lows for team results anymore; job changes perspective, age mellows passion.
  • “Part of the job is taking that out of me, but part of it is...I’ve got bigger things to be emotionally invested in.” [33:23]
• Both agree: Still passionate about the sport’s beauty, less so about outcomes. John says he’s closest to “being a real fan” at WNBA games, but even there, analysis seeps in.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Karalis:

  • “Without the injury...We’d be talking about Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, or LeBron.” [07:54]
  • “You can’t tell Celtics history with four guys.” [06:28]
  • “He (Jordan Walsh) plays too fast, still a little hectic. I still don’t believe in that jumper.” [17:52]
  • “I don’t know if that’s possible ... the job forces you to remove that (fandom).” [32:19]

• Westerholm:

  • “Terry Rozier pick...that one absolutely mystified me.” [14:19]
  • “The absolute number one with a bullet: worst one was drafting Desmond Bane...and then immediately trading him.” [15:19]
  • “You almost get more excited for feats of athleticism than the results.” [34:16]
  • “You can’t get it right, and you can’t get it wrong.” [07:06]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:29] Celtics Mount Rushmore debate
• [07:16] Favorite non-Celtics, Grant Hill and Steph Curry love
• [14:12] Most hated Celtics draft pick
• [17:35] Jordan Walsh’s development and G League critique
• [22:04] “Build a perfect player” using Celtics skill sets
• [24:59] Banner 19: predicting when the next championship comes
• [31:31] Will you ever be a regular fan again?

Tone & Style

The hosts’ tone is candid, casual, and infused with humor and mutual respect. Banter frequently drifts into personal nostalgia and quick asides, but the basketball analysis remains sharp, especially on roster-building and player evaluation. Across discussions of hope and frustration, the affection for the Celtics community is clear.

For diehard Celtics fans or NBA followers, this episode offers a mix of insight, therapy, and genuine behind-the-scenes perspective—especially valuable in a “transitional” post-championship phase.

Share your own answers to the flashcard questions in the comments, and tune in all week for more Celtics analysis as the show returns to five episodes per week!