Locked On Celtics – Celtics' Preseason GOOD and BAD | Did Josh Minott WIN a rotation spot?

Host: John Karalis
Guest: Tom Westerholm
Date: October 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Karalis and Tom Westerholm break down the highs and lows from the Boston Celtics’ preseason. They take a close look at who stood out (notably Josh Minott), discuss the team’s biggest concerns (namely turnovers and rebounding), and share insights into player roles, chemistry, and the state of the rotation as the regular season approaches.

Media vs. Coaches Game: The “Competitive” Debate

Timestamps: 01:23–16:11

• Recap of the Celtics Coaches vs. Media Game:
  • John shares tales of soreness and frustration from the media team’s paltry 4-point outing ("I was mad at myself...If we get to 10 points...but 57-4 was...random people texting me out of nowhere." — John, 03:15).
  • Tom and John discuss Joe Mazzulla’s hyper-competitive approach and how it extends beyond the court, citing his full-court press and postgame attitude.
  • On media competitiveness:

    “Do you really think that beat reporting is not competitive? That is an unbelievably competitive environment…”
    — Tom Westerholm, 06:02

  • Joe Mazzulla’s “test people’s mettle” mentality is dissected: John explains it’s less about bullying and more about testing one’s love for the game.
  • Notable quote:

    “When you’re that competitive, you’re like, yeah, you love it, but...are you willing to die for this?”
    — John Karalis, 13:02

  • The coaches stuck around postgame, mingled and encouraged the media team, demonstrating some camaraderie.
  • Both hosts agree: Mazzulla left with a new respect for the media’s competitiveness, even if it required 57-4 to get there.
  • Tom’s critique:

    “I feel like the fact that he needed that to understand how much reporters love the game of basketball...kind of lazy. And I didn’t like it because I...got defensive.”
    — Tom Westerholm, 15:22

Preseason Positives

Timestamps: 18:20–28:35

Josh Minott’s Breakout Preseason

• Josh Minott was a clear preseason standout.

  • John takes a “victory lap” for highlighting Minott ("I think Minott is going to be The Ron Harper Jr. – step on up, you’re getting a start." — 19:33).
  • Praised for versatility, athleticism, and fit (“He accentuates Tatum and Brown, gets them a rest...he just wants to stick.” — John, 21:29).
  • Tom echoes: Minott’s skills plug real holes from last season ("Just having that...do everything, at his athleticism, at his size, at his length...versatility there that the Celtics are going to really need," 19:57).

• Notable quote:

  “I love his shin tattoos…the ‘now and later’ thing. I just, I think that’s really important in the life of a professional athlete.”
  — Tom Westerholm, 22:22

The Bigs: Garza, Tillman, Keita, Boucher

• Discussion of unique strengths among the four bigs.
  • Each has limitations, but their varied skill sets allow for matchup-based rotation.
  • John: "No one big’s…going to rise to our starting center...It’s going to be such a mix and match." (24:55)
  • Tom stresses self-awareness: accepting role changes game by game key for bigs’ collective success.

    “Can these guys all just kind of like, say, like, okay, I accept that I will play a lot against this team and I might sit the bench a lot against this team.”
    — Tom Westerholm, 25:45

Other Rapid-Fire Positives

• Hugo Gonzalez:
  • Both hosts are high on his long-term potential (“He’s gonna be good. Not this year necessarily, but he’s gonna be good.” — John, 27:07).
• Derrick White:
  • Admired as the “perfect basketball player;” more shot volume will be “awesome.”
• Peyton Pritchard:
  • Noted for aggressive rebounding and hustle.
• Overall team character:
  • Tom: “This team is competitive...preseason made me more confident they reach their ceiling this year.” (27:51)

Preseason Negatives and Concerns

Timestamps: 30:15–39:27

Turnovers & Rebounding

• Both major pain points throughout preseason.
  • Some improvement in defensive rebounding against the Raptors (70% D-rebound rate), but general consistency lacking.
  • Tom’s tongue-in-cheek logic: More turnovers mean fewer defensive rebound opportunities ("If you do more turnovers...maybe your percentage goes up." — 31:09).
  • Xavier Tillman’s candid solution:

    “We’re looking at the film and there’s too many of us just standing and watching.” (31:26)

  • Turnover problems may improve with regular lineups but highlighted as a season-long battle ("If they turn it over...that's going to be the difference..." — Tom, 32:20).
  • John: Defensive rebounding must at least be league-average, with strong offensive rebounding to offset weaknesses.

Disappointing Individual Preseason Runs

• Baylor Scheierman:
  • Labeled a “negative” — rough summer league and preseason, now a question mark for the rotation.

    “He had a bad preseason.” — John Karalis, 32:14

• Jordan Walsh:
  • Light mention as a negative; not enough impact to stay in rotation conversation.

Anthony Simons (“Simon’s” Segment)

• Anthony Simons showed flashes but underwhelmed as a primary creator.
  • Tom felt Simon’s role as lone primary ballhandler exposed him ("I didn’t always think that he did very well." — 32:23).
  • Wants to see Simons attack at three levels, play faster, and show greater on-ball maturity ("I want to see him play faster...he can be such a dangerous weapon on this team," 36:40).
  • Defense still a concern; John wishes he had a veteran like Jrue Holiday to help him learn screen navigation.
  • Key summary:

    “Anthony is a big old incomplete. And I’m with you. I wish there was a little bit more that we saw.”
    — John Karalis, 38:37

Key Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media-Competitiveness:

  "You want to kick everyone's butt so bad all the time...if I had a story, right?...I immediately start sweating..."
  — Tom Westerholm, 06:02

• On Joe Mazzulla's Coaching Style:

  "He wants to test people’s mettle. He is, you know, in a lot of ways he does have that warrior mentality...he likes to test people."
  — John Karalis, 07:49

• On Minott's Attitude:

  "I like where my feet are at...grounded, present mentality. That's really important."
  — Tom Westerholm, 22:43

• On Big Man Rotation:

  "Every big is unique. It’s going to be mix and match all year. But that might actually be a silver lining."
  — John Karalis, 24:55

• On Turnovers:

  “The turnovers are the bigger problem...that’s your own fault. A lot of it is your own fault.”
  — John Karalis, 33:43

Segment Timestamps (Highlights)

• Media Game / Mazzulla’s Media Philosophy: 01:23–16:11
• Preseason Positives (Minott, Bigs, etc.): 18:20–28:35
• Preseason Negatives (Turnovers, Rebounding, Player Struggles): 30:15–39:27
• Anthony Simons Analysis: 32:20, 35:48–38:37

Summary Takeaways

• Josh Minott looks like a major preseason winner; he brings needed flexibility, defense, and youthful energy — already generating contract extension chatter.
• Boston’s big men are varied and situational, not standout stars, but can cover by committee provided roles are clearly understood and accepted.
• Turnovers and rebounding remain the two most glaring issues, albeit ones that may improve as the regular rotation solidifies.
• Anthony Simons flashed as a shooter but did not elevate as a creator or defender — leaving questions about his upside and fit to start the year.
• Derrick White, Peyton Pritchard, and Hugo Gonzalez all brought encouraging signs, and the team’s overall competitiveness is viewed as a strong positive.
• The coaching staff — and media — left preseason games with a refreshed understanding of each other’s love for basketball...and who needs more practice breaking the press.