Locked On Celtics – Celtics DEMOLISH Cavs’ B-Team | But ALARMING Flaws PERSIST

Hosted by John Karalis

Episode Date: October 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Karalis recaps the Boston Celtics' 138-107 preseason blowout win against a severely shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers squad. While the victory was resounding on the scoreboard, Karalis raises significant concerns about persisting rebounding and defensive issues that were evident even against a non-competitive opponent. He breaks down standout player performances, the stuck-on-repeat rebounding problems (with direct words from coach Joe Mazzulla), and shares both optimism and worries as the preseason winds down.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Celtics Crush the Cavs' Bench – But What Did We Learn?

• Game Context: Celtics routed the Cavaliers’ ‘B-Team’ in a 31-point preseason win.

  • The Cavs were missing all key starters (Jared Allen, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Max Strus, etc.), with a lineup of Jalen Tyson, Dean Wade, Larry Nance Jr., Tyrese Proctor, and Craig Porter Jr.
  • Celtics rolled out a near-regular starting group.

• Karalis’ Frustration with Preseason Quality:
  "I wanted to see the Celtics against the best team in the east for a quarter, for a half...and we didn't get any of that...we didn’t get any of that because once again all of those guys were unavailable." (03:10)

The Alarming Rebounding Issue

• Game Stats (Rebounds & Shooting):

  • Cavs outshot the Celtics by 20 field goal attempts (Cavs: 102 FGAs, Celtics: 82).
  • Celtics "won" despite the Cavs’ huge shot volume because Cleveland shot abysmally (36/102 FG, 12/60 3PT).
  • Celtics only pulled down 39 defensive rebounds on the Cavs’ 66 misses (about 60% rebounding rate).
    • Well below league average, and would have been dead last in NBA last year.

• Karalis’ Assessment:

  • "If this was a regular season game… the Celtics not only should not have won by 31... they really should have lost this game. Given that they gave up 102 shots...Any reasonably okay shooting night would have changed the entire complexion of this game in a big, big way." (05:40)
  • "Their defense I think is going to be a problem. Mostly because of the rebounding." (06:20)

Joe Mazzulla’s Blunt Take on Rebounding

• Coach’s Quotes:
  John Corrales directly asks Coach Joe Mazzulla about the rebounding problem postgame:

  [07:30] John Karalis: “Joe, they missed 66 shots. You guys finished with 39 defensive rebounds. Third straight game where you're somewhere in the 60%, 60 something percent range. What do you see as a solution for the defensive rebounding?”

  Joe Mazzulla: “Just keep playing. Find guys that will rebound.”

  John Karalis: “...Do the wings have to do more?...What's the philosophy?”

  Joe Mazzulla: “Find five guys a rebound. ...I don't see five guys rebound. So then I go get five and they rebound. It's that simple. Doesn't matter about wings, bigs, doesn't matter. Find five guys that are rebound, rebound, go. It's that simple.” (07:43-08:01)

• Karalis’ Commentary:

  • Mazzulla was notably curt and frustrated, cycling through substitutions every time someone missed a rebound.
  • "This is gonna be a killer this year. ...They are in the, I think 60 over three games. It's like somewhere around 63% which would have been dead last in the league last year by a mile by multiple percentage points." (09:15)

Standout Player Performances (Positives)

Timestamp: 14:16+

• Peyton Pritchard

  • Statline: 14 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl in 23 min.
  • Aggressive on the glass despite his size: "...the smallest blankety blank on the team is in there mixing it up."
  • Karalis notes his “boxing out” will feature on film review for what everyone else should do.

• Anfernee Simons

  • Statline: 21 pts (6-12 FG, 6-9 3PT).
  • Looked “more natural, more like himself”—showed why he’s an elite scorer.
  • Still a work in progress fitting into the Celtics’ fast system: "You want guys to be themselves, you want guys to fit into the system. So there's a little give and take there and I think that's just going to take a little time to smooth out. But he's a big time shot maker..." (15:40)
  • Question of who should carry the bench scoring load: Simons or Pritchard.

• Derrick White

  • Statline: 16 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk in 22 min.
  • “Easy work,” and Karalis is especially excited for White’s season.

• Josh Minott

  • Statline: 16 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl, 1 ast (2-5 3PT).
  • Karalis not a fan of Minott's jump shot but recognizes effectiveness.
  • Wants to see Minott against elite competition, not just preseason “G-leaguers.” "I want to see how much of it is real..." (18:45)

• Jalen Brown

  • Took only 6 shots, focused more on facilitating (team-high 6 assists).
  • Had a notable 2nd quarter stretch: three straight assist baskets, a couple of steals, a steal-and-dunk.

Other Game Highlights

• Celtics’ defense sparked with 7 steals in the 3rd quarter. (22:50)
• "Shout out Wendell Moore's dunk – with 30 seconds to go, big poster dunk. ...incredible." (32:45)

Persistent Negatives

• Rebounding (again)

  • Defensive rebounding effort and technique are both lacking.
  • Offensive rebounding, however, has been solid.
  • Everyone, including wings, must commit; right now, "they’re just not doing the dirty work on the defensive end." (24:20)
  • Stats:
    • Derrick White (7 reb), Josh Minott (6), Peyton Pritchard (5) led the way. Bigs were mostly absent from the rebounding numbers.

• Rotation/Minutes Notes

  • Namish Keda barely played (7 minutes, 15 seconds) despite expectations; reason unclear.
    • "Maybe nothing, but also maybe something. ...He looked kind of sloppy when he first got in, but he did get in and get a couple of rebounds.*" (25:20)
    • Karalis wanted to see him adjust to NBA game speed.

• Baylor Scheierman’s Shooting

  • Poor 1-of-5 night.
  • Karalis concerned about the repeatability, mechanics, and confidence of his NBA three-point shot.
  • "I've never really been a fan of how his three, his NBA three point shot looks. Sometimes it looks like he's really forcing and pushing...Sometimes his shot, it's—I don't know if it's in his head, it just leaves him." (27:00)
  • Still thinks Scheierman could contribute, if shot “finds itself.”

Big Picture / Tone

• Karalis’ Disappointment with Preseason Quality
  • The lack of a real “test” bothers him; feels like the team still doesn’t truly know its weaknesses until they face NBA-level competition.
    • "I don’t want the first real opponent to be the Sixers… Even if Embiid doesn’t play, it’s going to be a culture shock..." (33:20)
  • "I come out of this game, I’m just like, okay, 31 point win kind of result is kind of meaningless, but gotta fix that rebounding, though." (33:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Karalis on the nature of the win:
  "You win by 31 points in any way…it doesn’t matter. Preseason, whatever. You win by 31 points, you generally feel like, okay, come away with it. You feel good... However…another non-test. This is the thing that bugs me about this game." (02:59)

• Coach Joe Mazzulla on fixing rebounding:

  • "Find five guys that will rebound." (07:34)
  • "I don’t see five guys rebound. So then I go get five and they rebound. It’s that simple. Doesn’t matter about wings, bigs, doesn’t matter. Find five guys that are rebound, rebound, go. It’s that simple." (07:50)

• On Jalen Brown’s subdued scoring:
  "He might have been just trying to kind of facilitate a little bit more...knowing that Jalen doesn’t really need the preseason. He’s fine." (17:30)

• On Minott’s shot:

  • "Doesn’t have to look pretty. It just has to go in." (18:10)
  • "I’m not a fan of his jumper at all—a couple of them fell. He got an and-one...so good for him."

• On Baylor Scheierman’s struggles:
  "I don't like the way his shot looks...sometimes...I've seen him shoot well...but sometimes his form is all over the place. ...He couldn't hit a damn thing in summer league, he's struggling to find consistency this preseason...if he can find it, he can be a great contributor to this team, but not like this. Not like this." (27:45)

• On the broader preseason malaise:
  "I'm upset about that [no real test]...this preseason is not—we’re not learning a whole lot from this..." (33:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:54] – Show opens: Immediate focus on the win/result, and the ongoing rebounding issue
• [03:10] – Frustration with playing against Cavs' backups, lack of competitive test
• [05:40] – Celtics’ rebounding problem becomes apparent through stat breakdown
• [07:30] – Joe Mazzulla’s postgame rebounding comments (full exchange)
• [09:15] – Detailing how the coaching staff is dealing with the rebounding woes (constant substitutions)
• [14:16] – Transition to positive takeaways and detailed player-by-player performance analysis
• [15:40] – Simons’ fit and role on the team discussed
• [17:30] – Jalen Brown’s low shooting volume and assist focus—breakdown
• [18:10] – Minott’s scoring and jumper critique
• [22:50] – Note on Celtics’ third quarter defense (seven steals)
• [24:20] – Returning to rebounding—why it’s an all-hands issue
• [25:20] – Namish Keda’s limited minutes: speculation and implications
• [27:00] – Detailed breakdown of Baylor Scheierman’s shooting mechanics and concerns
• [32:45] – Wendell Moore’s poster dunk callout
• [33:20] – Karalis’ season-prep frustration: No quality preseason test, real challenges ahead

Conclusion

This episode underscores the Celtics’ preseason strengths—offensive firepower, multiple contributors, and flashes of defensive intensity—while ringing alarm bells about structural rebounding deficiencies that could loom large against real NBA opponents. Despite the comfortable win, both John Karalis and coach Joe Mazzulla make clear: rebounding, defensive effort, and rotation clarity are top priorities needing urgent attention. The Celtics’ true quality and progress remain to be tested when they finally face a real, full-strength opponent.

For questions and mailbag: johncorralis.com/mailbag
Next up: Celtics’ final preseason game and reactions to Monday’s practice.
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