How Boston Bigs Can CHANGE Celtics Summer Plans | Post-All-Star Needs

Summary

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Locked On Celtics – "How Boston Bigs Can CHANGE Celtics Summer Plans | Post-All-Star Needs"

Air Date: February 18, 2026
Host: John Karalis (w/ guest Tom Westerholm)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into how the Boston Celtics’ big man rotation could dramatically influence the team’s summer strategy and roster moves. Hosts John Karalis and Tom Westerholm break down what the Celtics need to see from their roster after the All-Star break—focusing on interior depth, evolving roles, Jaylen Brown’s development, and which bench wings might crack the playoff rotation. The tone is conversational, filled with deep Celtic analysis, road trip metaphors, and a shared optimism mixed with reality checks about team building.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Jason Tatum Update Fatigue

• Theme: Tatum's medical status & return timeline remain ambiguous, leading to media and fan speculation fatigue.
• Main Points:
  • Karalis expresses exasperation at repeated non-committal Tatum updates.
  • It’s clear Tatum simply won’t fully commit until cleared by medical staff, and that's his prerogative.
  • Quote:

    "He's never going to say I'm coming back. On this day, he's never going to say, I'm coming back. Can we just move past this?" – John Karalis (04:24)

  • Westerholm uses a cross-country road trip metaphor, likening Tatum's recovery to a trip with potential "car trouble" – you hope for smooth travel, but must prepare for setbacks.
  • Both agree recent “mile markers” (practice with G-League Maine, media appearances) are signs Tatum is nearing a return.
  • Quote:

    "All of these things are mile markers that are getting a heck of a lot closer to return this season than the alternative." – Tom Westerholm (06:03)

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2. The Big Man Rotation Will Define Summer Moves

• Theme: Vucevic (referred to as "Vuch"), Neemias Queta ("Keda"), and Luka Garza could provide affordable, effective center depth—freeing resources for other roster upgrades.

a. Reassessment of Rotations Post All-Star

• Tom’s top post-break need: Clarifying the bigs’ roles. How much do Vucevic, Keda, and Garza provide—and are they enough for deep playoff and future contention?
  • Vucevic likely to start; Keda as a key bench energy/rebounder; Garza as a third-string insurance.
  • The Bulls game highlighted Vucevic’s offensive fit—he can punish opposing benches and stretch the floor.
  • Quote:

    "The number one on my list is figuring out the big rotation...I think the Bulls game really changed [my mind]. Just seeing the amount of space that Vucevic had..." – Tom Westerholm (15:12)

b. Summer Implications – Resource Allocation

• If Vuch/Keda/Garza prove good enough, Brad Stevens and the Celtics' front office are freed to use bigger assets (MLE, trade exceptions) elsewhere.
  • Quote:

    "If you say yes, then that changes who you try to sign with that mid-level. It changes who you're trading for with that 27.7 million..." – John Karalis (17:19)

  • The “cheap center” formula (three centers for ~$10M) makes sense: Celtics have historically maximized value from budget bigs.
  • The door opens to chase higher-impact wings or guards (e.g., the returning Anthony Simons at the MLE) rather than splurging on a marquee big.
  • Quote:

    "That feels like the amount of money that this Celtics team should probably be spending on centers...put all your money into the other guys." – Tom Westerholm (19:22)

c. Ripple Effects on Roster-Building

• How the bigs perform in the stretch run/postseason could reshape the pecking order and priority of summer signings —i.e., pivoting away from big men and toward scoring wings/shooting.
  • Quote:

    "This is, I think, one of the...biggest non-Tatum storylines because it really gives us a hint as to how far this team can go and then what happens next." – Tom Westerholm (21:05)

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3. Jaylen Brown’s Evolution and Efficiency Crusade

• Theme: Brown’s ability to balance aggressive scoring and playmaking is critical, both while Tatum is out and after his return.

a. Key Needs for Brown Post-Break

• Karalis wants to see Brown:
  • Regain early-season midrange efficiency
  • Avoid old habits of over-driving into traffic (especially when teammates are cold)
  • Sustain his improved playmaking numbers (potential assists, passes per game up from last season)
  • Quote:

    "The Superman thing for Jalen is drawing the defense and kicking. That's your superpower. It's not going up against three guys and scoring over everybody." – John Karalis (27:15)

• Westerholm notes that Brown’s slumps often correlate with teammates missing shots he creates; urges him to keep making the right read and leveraging his gravity.
  • Quote:

    "If you're not open, chances are something has collapsed somewhere else...and you need to be willing to find that every time." – Tom Westerholm (28:06)

b. Statistical Context (31:00–32:00)

• Brown’s "potential assists" are up to 8.8 per game (from 8.3 last year); actual assists at a career-best 4.7/game.
• The hosts emphasize the need to squeeze out those “occasional stinker” games and keep the All-NBA efficiency rolling.

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4. Bench Wings & Backcourt: Playoff Rotation Questions

• Theme: Depth on the wings is an embarrassment of riches, but no one has firmly claimed the 7th/8th-man role, especially crucial for playoff matchups.
  • Westerholm: Who emerges from the glut of competent “tall dudes who play a little defense and knock down the occasional three”?
  • Karalis: Surprised there’s still no clear separation in the wing group; all are “pretty good,” but none exceptional yet.
  • Quote:

    "A lot of times when nobody separates themselves, it's because everybody stinks. And it's like this year it's been...everybody's been pretty good." – Tom Westerholm (32:46)

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5. Payton Pritchard as the Ultimate Sixth Man

• Theme: Pritchard thrives in a bench role—his numbers and impact soar when he's not a starter, suggesting a return to a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
  • In five bench games: 51.2 FG%, 39.5% from three, 21.8 PPG (vs 16.8 as a starter).
  • Quote:

    "He's too good to be on the bench. But he's not quite...he should be on the—he's right on that cusp, which makes him the perfect sixth man." – Tom Westerholm (35:10)

  • Karalis extols Boston’s rich tradition of legendary sixth men, asserting that excelling off the bench could cement Pritchard’s place in Celtics lore:
    • Quote:

      "If you excel in this role, all of a sudden you become part of the lore...Oh, the Sixth Man tradition...your name is being mentioned with all of the greats because you went to the bench and you're good in that role." – John Karalis (36:23)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "It's no longer a story. He can't be committal to it because you don't know if something's going to happen in tomorrow's scrimmage...Tell me when he's playing." – John Karalis (04:24)
• "The number one on my list is figuring out the big rotation...I think the Bulls game really changed [my mind]." – Tom Westerholm (15:12)
• "If you say yes, then that changes who you try to sign with that mid-level...It could influence the decision making on what to do with those tools to acquire players over the summer." – John Karalis (17:19)
• "Realistically, that feels like the amount of money this Celtics team should probably be spending on centers...They're so good at getting value out of cheap centers." – Tom Westerholm (19:22)
• "The Superman thing for Jalen is drawing the defense and kicking. That's your superpower." – John Karalis (27:15)
• "If you excel in this role, all of a sudden you become part of the lore...the Sixth Man tradition...your name is being mentioned with all of the greats because you went to the bench and you're good in that role." – John Karalis (36:23)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Tatum’s Status & Road Trip Metaphor: 02:25–10:04
• Defining the Big Man Rotation, Summer Cap Planning: 15:12–21:38
• Jaylen Brown’s Efficiency and Role: 23:53–32:04
• Bench Wings & Pritchard as Sixth Man: 32:04–36:39

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Episode Tone & Style

Conversational, analytical, and often humorous with deep dives into roster construction and player development. The hosts balance optimism about the Celtics’ depth and flexibility with honest acknowledgment that the next few months will reveal which current contributors are truly foundational—and which positions need outside reinforcement.

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Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• The Celtics’ approach to their big man rotation for the rest of the season could free up cap space and trade assets to chase higher-ceiling upgrades elsewhere—if Vucevic, Keda, and Garza are “good enough.”
• Jaylen Brown’s ability to maintain efficiency, elevate his playmaking, and blend seamlessly with Tatum’s return is seen as a pivotal storyline for both playoff runs and legacy building.
• Sorting out the glut of capable bench wings and confirming Payton Pritchard as a Sixth Man icon are under-discussed keys to Boston’s playoff ceiling.
• All eyes are on the team’s depths—not just for the stretch run, but for how it shapes Brad Stevens’ summer plan.

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For listeners wanting to understand the Celtics' post-All-Star priorities and how big-man depth could set the tone for 2026–27, this episode provides insightful, context-rich analysis with plenty of inside perspective.

Transcript

[John Corrales]

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

[Unknown Renaissance Fair Enthusiast]

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They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs?

Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Getteth with the times, with the tines.

[John Corrales]

You're playing the loot.

[Unknown Renaissance Fair Enthusiast]

Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right?

[Tom Westerholm]

Discover is accepted at 99% of places.

[John Corrales]

That take credit cards nationwide, based on.

[Tom Westerholm]

The February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Jake from Lockdown]

This is Jake from Lock Dawn. When the game's on the line, the best know when to pass, because the right assist can change everything. And off the court, it's no different. That's where your State Farm agent comes in. Whether it's protecting your car, your home, or helping you prep for the unexpected, they'll help set you up with a game plan that works for you. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability and eligibility vary by state.

[John Corrales]

Now, on the Lockdown Celtics podcast, Jason Tatum. Still wishy washy. Come on, Jason. And the things we need to see from the Celtics after the all Star break. Locked on Celtics pot. Home of the winners, baby. Welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics podcast right here on the Lockdown podcast network where it is your team every day. Your team is the Boston Celtics. I talk about a Monday through Friday, plus bonus podcasts when they play on weekends and bonus podcasts coming up throughout the week just because. So make sure you're subscribed. This show is available Everywhere. It's on YouTube. Get into the comments section. Share your thoughts with your fellow Celtics fans and me. Let me introduce myself. I'm John Corrales, beat writer covering the Celtics for Sports Illustrated Celtics on si. I have been doing a version of this job for about 20 years now. This podcast is 10 years old, and I've written a couple books about the team today. Later on, we're going to spend the second and third segments getting into things we need to see from the Celtics after the All Star break. They're coming back. They're playing out west. Individually, Jalen Brown, Peyton Pritchard, Derrick White. What do we need to see from these guys? And we're going to start, and I say we because it's me and Tom Westerholm.

[Tom Westerholm]

What's up?

[John Corrales]

There we go. Good. How you doing?

[Jake from Lockdown]

Pretty good.

[Tom Westerholm]

Pretty good.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

Good.

[John Corrales]

Good. All right, pause. Out of the way now. Once again. Once again, Jason Tatum through. Was it Ramona Shelburne? Say still? I'm still not sure. I'm not Guaranteeing I'm coming back. Still don't know if I'm gonna come back or not. Can we stop with this? It doesn't matter who asks, how many times we asked, how we ask. He's never going to say I'm coming back. On this day, he's never going to say, I'm coming back. Can we just move past this? It's no longer a story. He can't be committal to it because you don't know if something's going to happen in tomorrow's scrimmage or the. I don't know, Tom. I hear this report and it's just becoming like, enough already. Tell me when he's playing.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, I mean, it feels a little bit like, you know, trying to be like, yeah, I'll be there. You know, I'll be. I'll make it there tomorrow. You know, I'm driving cross country. I'll make it there tomorrow, as long as I don't have car problems. And it's like, well, yeah, obviously we know that if you have car problems, you might not be there tomorrow. Like, we get that the hope is that you won't have car problems. And it, you know, you're on track. Google Maps says that you're gonna get there tomorrow. So we're just kind of following what Google Maps says. We don't need the disclaimer every time of if you have car trouble. Right.

[John Corrales]

Like I think, except, sorry, Tom, go ahead.

[Tom Westerholm]

No, but like, yeah, you. You go ahead. Because, like, I mean, like, I. I think. I think we're gonna get there. I think. I think the car is going to work.

[John Corrales]

My. The reason I interrupt is the thing is we. We don't have. In that scenario, you laid out people along the way who are saying, well, you said you'd be here. Well, you said you'd be here. And like, you, the normal person will say, yeah, I get it. If you just say, oh, man, I. I promised you I was going to come, but then my car broke down, you'd be like, yeah, man, that happens.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

You know, and in the, in this scenario, it'd be very easy for him to be like, I hope to come back by early March. But you know, rehab, you just don't know. There's always a possibility of a setback. I'm not sure if I'm going to be ready. I'm hoping to be back by early March, but it might not be early March. It might not be at all. But I'm. This is what my hoping for. That's what People want. He's not going to say it. He's just not going to say it. We know he's not going to say it, so let's just stop, right?

[FanDuel/Wells Fargo Ad Voice]

And.

[Tom Westerholm]

And let's be abundantly clear very quickly, very early on, which is, he doesn't owe us that. Like, us as in this podcast, us as in, you know, members of the media. He doesn't owe fans that. He doesn't owe anybody anything that he doesn't want to give them. He is so within his own rights to be like, yeah, I don't. I don't. I don't know if I'm coming back or not. Like, valid. Extremely fair. I also think that, like, as people who talk about Tatum and think about Tatum and, like, his recovery and all that stuff, I think that we are within our rights to look at him dropping the first episode of a documentary and all of the little tea leaves that he's left along the way and just the recovery updates that we've gotten, because it's not like we haven't heard from him or the Celtics or anything like that, right? It's, you know, we. We just heard, like, oh, yeah, we, you know, made it through Toledo. Right? We made it through Toledo. Or, you know, coming up on, like, we're starting to get some. Some mile markers along the way from the team and quite honestly, getting closer and closer to that destination. Right? Like, we're getting.

[John Corrales]

We.

[Tom Westerholm]

There was a. There was a Jason Tatum meeting with the media. There was a press release that said that he went to Maine. All of these things are mile markers that are getting a heck of a lot closer to return this season than. Than the alternative. And again, car trouble happens. Like, it. We're not saying it's going to happen, and Tatum certainly isn't going to say that it's going to happen, but, yeah.

[John Corrales]

It'S just another scenario. Are you going west to east? So is Toledo, Ohio, like, on the way?

[Tom Westerholm]

It's. It's on the way from Boston to Michigan. So I just kind of threw that one out there because, like, Toledo would be, like, almost back to Michigan, you know? Okay, so that wasn't. That was. Yeah, it was just kind of.

[John Corrales]

You weren't. You weren't doing, like, St. Louis, and now we're gonna make it to Toledo and we're gonna get to Boston. Like, that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Halfway through that metaphor, I was like, am I doing, like, cross country? Am I going, like, you know, New York to la? Like, what am I.

[John Corrales]

What are we doing here?

[Tom Westerholm]

And then I just kind of was Like Toledo did other cities. So. Yeah, yeah, I got a little mixed up with that one. To be clear. That one was Boston to Muskegon, Michigan. Yeah.

[John Corrales]

A drive. You've done a drive that you've done many times. Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, fair enough, fair enough. I don't know, I'm just trying to, you know, trying to lock in that metaphor. Just trying to, you know, because you never know if Jason's gonna break down somewhere around Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

[Tom Westerholm]

Well, here's the thing. I think in my, in my metaphor, it feels like we've passed Toledo is what I would say. Right. It feels like, you know, close to Grand Rapids, which is quite close to Muskegon.

[John Corrales]

I mean, I feel like at this point where now I'm going the other way. My, my scenario, we're going, we're going west to east, we're making it to Boston. So I'm going.

[Tom Westerholm]

Probably better for the Locked on Celtics listeners. Yes.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. So like, if we're, if we're somehow have passed Toledo, I think, I think he's like right now getting through New York City traffic.

[Tom Westerholm]

You know what I, I think what we should do is we should do the pike, right? So it's like, where is he? On what exit? Like where, where is he on the pike?

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Jake from Lockdown]

I don't know.

[John Corrales]

You probably avoid New York City traffic because then you'd go up north. Wow, this is really fun podcast thing. This is where Tatum is though. We are trying to like, figure out like, is he, has he, is he New Berkshires? Has he crossed into Massachusetts or. Or is he like still somewhere in Albany? Like where, where are we here on this road trip, this theoretical road trip? Where is he going to run out of gas? Is a flat tire going to happen? And that's why he's non committal. But you can't. My honest opinion is I just feel like he's, he's maintaining some level of mystery. So he can still have the big reveal. You know, we know what's happening. The reveal is the secret is basically out. But he still needs some level of mystery. Be like, haha, I am coming back. And like, yeah, buddy, we knew you were coming back. Like, ah, I didn't tell you. I was like, yeah, we always knew. And like, I still think he needs that kind of thing. So. But there is, there is still the. It's all still rehab. You could, you can, you know, have a hamstring thing. You could. You never know what's going to happen in the rehab. We presume it's all going to Go according to plan and we'll see him in early March. Like that's whether it's March 1st or 4th or 6th or whatever.

[Tom Westerholm]

But we'll see in February 27th is when we'll see him. But. I would say he's in Worcester at this point. Like I, you know, 10 days out, I think he's made it to Worcester.

[John Corrales]

But if that's the case, man, he's like pulled over at a rest stop eating a d' Angelo's number nine. Like that's like, that's the only place you can get a d' Angelo sub is at one of those restaurant rest stops at the Pike.

[Tom Westerholm]

But get some gardettos and hit the road again. You'll be all right.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, yeah. I gotta, I gotta call up the d' Angelo's folks. That seems like a, an easy, an easy sponsorship to have. Yeah. All right. So Tatum, Tatum is one of the things that we're watching for post all star break. But what are the other things we need to see from the Celtics? Big names, role players, that's all coming up next. Today's show is brought to you by fanduel. If you want to get yourself to the NBA Finals, you can log on to FanDuel and they might help you do that because they're giving you a chance to turn that dream into a reality with their NBA sweepstakes. You just got to use a profit boost on any NBA future and you'll automatically be entered for a shot to go to the NBA Finals of fully paid flights tickets, whole experience trip for two to the NBA Finals. So if you're thinking about which team's going to make a deep run, who's going to get to the conference finals, who's going to win, whatever these futures bets you want to make, the championships, conference titles, all that stuff, it's fun. It's exciting to see if that, you know, cashes in. But it could also send you to the NBA Finals. So you got to go to FanDuel.com to get started, use your profit boost on an NBA future and get entered for your chance to win a trip to the NBA Finals. When you log in, they will ask you, set your limit, set your budget, Please do that so you can gamble responsibly. FanDuel will help you do that player game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Today's show is also brought to you by Quo. It's a new year, their new systems, and this is when we look at the messier parts of how we run our businesses and think there has to be a better way. Streamlining your communications with one of the quick is one of the quickest upgrades you upgrades you can make. That's why today's episode is brought to you by Quo, spelled Q U O the smarter way to run your business communications. When your team is reachable, organized and communicating in one place, you you're not working just cleaner. You're creating more opportunities to connect with customers. I know when I call a customer service line when I'm trying to talk to a company. If they're not organized and they're not communicating from a shared number, if they're not communicating from the same page, I'm done. I'm looking for a new business to deal with. And your whole team can do all that. With Quo, everyone sees the full conversation thread. It makes replies faster and more personal. It's all done right from your phone or computer. You can keep your existing number. And with Quo's smart AI tools automatically logging calls, summarizing conversations, and highlighting next steps, a detail never slips through the cracks. It's no surprise Quo is the number one rated business phone system on G2, trusted by more than 90,000 businesses. From solo operators to growing teams. Make this the year where no opportunity and no customer slips away. Try quo q u o for free plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.comlockdown mba q u o.comlockdown mba quo no missed calls, no missed customers. Thanks for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen. Every day we get a lockdown for every team. If you're a New England fan, lockdown Patriots, lockdown Bruins, lockdown Red Sox. If you're a fan of other teams, if you're one of those folks that just is in another city and you happen to like the Celtics, check out a lockdown for your favorite other team. We have them available everywhere, so check those out wherever you found this podcast. Tom All Star break is just about over. This is the Wednesday show. Thursday night, they play in Golden State. Reunited with Al Horford. That's nice. I wonder if Al's gonna be like, take me with you. Bring me back. I want to come back.

[Tom Westerholm]

Wouldn't be the first time.

[John Corrales]

Hey, yo, you know, listen, man, I love Al Horford to death. I'm glad he got his championship ring.

[Tom Westerholm]

Absolutely.

[John Corrales]

There is like a tiny bit of like, is there an Al Horford curse when he goes to Philly and it's not his fault, but like, Philly fell apart. You go to Golden State now after you leave Boston and that kind of fell apart. Maybe not leaving Boston was. Should have stuck around. Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

But anyway, no, let's, let's spend 25 minutes talking about it. I think there's.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, man. I think Boston Celtics fans are very much grabbing their torches and pitchforks and want to hear us trash Al Horford for leaving.

[Tom Westerholm]

I think that's what it is. I think everybody's, everybody's over that guy.

[John Corrales]

It's about time. It's about time someone had the guts to just trash the most professional, nicest.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Guy in the world for making a what seemed at the time a very strong, reasonable decision. Reasonable decision. But, you know, let's, let's do it. Let's trash this guy. Let's, let's look at what, what do we need to see from the Celtics in the second, second half if they make it to the finals, if they make a deep run. This truly is halftime. It's, they've played 50 something games. You play 100 something when you get to the champion. So, you know, this could actually be, we hope it's the second half of the season. So what's, what's tops on your list?

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, I think the number one on my list is figuring out the big rotation. I think that's going to be, I think that's, that's really, I mean, like, obviously, setting aside anything Tatum related, I think. Right. That's obviously not what we're talking about here. I, I think I, I think to me, the biggest thing is I want to see what happens with the bigs. I want to see, like. Yeah, does, does Nemi head to the bench? I, I, I am, I think so. I'm, I think probably makes sense.

[John Corrales]

Yes.

[Tom Westerholm]

I wasn't sold on it at first because I, I kind of liked the idea of, you know, Pritchard and Vucevich coming off the bench and just like, killing second units. I thought that was, I thought there was some utility to that, but I think I, I really, that Bulls game really changed Just, just seeing the amount of space that Vucevich had, I just, I was, yeah. Kind of blown away and, you know, I think realistically just really felt that, okay, healthy Porzingis vibe from him in that.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

At least on the offensive end. So I'm really curious to see how that goes. I'm really curious to see how Vucevic starts to fit in. I think that he could just be such a big weapon for this offense. I think. Can Keda keep doing this off the bench? Because if so, if they can have some kind like a similar level of plus minus success of just very clearly he comes in and just does wonders for the defense and, and holding everything together and rebounding and all that stuff. If, if bringing Vucevic in and having Keda there to help with the rebounding a little bit coming off the bench, if that all kind of coalesces. I mean I think we're looking at something, at something really cool and I think Garza, I mean I feel bad for him. I, I, I'm curious to see if the Celtics can find something of a role for him. Some like carve out some minutes for him somewhere. I mean he, I think there's something to be had especially you know, in moments down the stretch where they just need guys to, to, to play. Somebody might be resting. But anyway, I think, I think the big rotation is one for me where I'm, I'm really interested to see where that goes.

[John Corrales]

Well, let's, let's, let me ask this question. Do we actually think that a, a rotation of Vuch starting, let's just presume he's starting Vuch, Keda and Garza as your third string big. Is that enough next year with Vuch being 30, he's 35 now, he's 36 at some point next season. Is that enough? Is that good enough with the, you know, Tatum and Brown and presumably you know, White and Pritchard and you know, Guy signed with the full mid level and Guy traded for with the Simon's traded player exception. Is that enough? Because if you say yes, then that changes who you try to sign with that mid level. It changes who you're trading for with that 27.7 million or who is available for 27.7 and who is available for the mid level impacts how that big rotation ends up being next year. So I think, I think the to pile onto your point, figuring it out and figuring out if it works could influence the decision making on what to do with those tools to acquire players over the summer. If they sit there and say yeah, vouch man, we love him, we think he's great, Nemi great, you know, off the bench now, Garza effective enough as a third string guy where you keep him on the minimum and you have look, Keda is on a minimum, Garza is on a minimum and you could get Vuch for as low as the minimum at this point in his career. Maybe I think no higher than 5 or 6 million. But even that you're looking at three centers for $10 million, which I mean.

[Tom Westerholm]

Realistically that feels like the amount of money that this Celtics team should probably be spending on centers. Right? They're so good at getting value out of cheap centers. It's like, yeah, like, put all that, all your money into all the other guys. Like, like, just keep that center budget pretty low.

[John Corrales]

How about. How about this scenario was. Since we're. I'm going to get way off track, way off the monorail, so to speak, for people who. Looking at my shirt. How about you? How about V being good enough? Like, yeah, let's. Let's give him, you know, whatever that little bit of money is and all that stuff I said works. And hey, mid level. How about Anthony Simons at the mid level? Hey, he's coming back. He said he's open to coming back. He'd like to come back. He.

[Tom Westerholm]

So from your lips to God's ears is what I have to say about that. And so now Brad's ears is what I mean to say. I apologize.

[John Corrales]

Same thing. So now what about a scenario where you resign, you bring Simons back at the mid level, $15 million, and now you've got it. You've got the Simons traded player. So you have Simons and the exception that is essentially a shadow of Simons to trade for somebody who can be, I don't know anybody. It could, you know, could even be Anthony Simons. No, it's. So I think there's a scenario there where, like, everything you're saying does kind of like, it could be the most pivotal thing to shaping what this summer is.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Which also just gave me an idea for something I'm going to write for Sports Illustrated after this.

[Tom Westerholm]

So you're welcome. But, yeah, no, I mean, I think. And the fun thing about it, right, is it's not only does it have these massive ripple effects, it also is going to have a huge impact on how far the Celtics go in the playoffs. Right. It is. This is, I think, one of the. It's one of the biggest non Tatum story lines because it. It does will really give us a hint as to how far this team can go and then what happens next and. And all of that stuff. So, yeah, the bigs are big.

[John Corrales]

They're. They're big. You're welcome. Yeah, there you go. I'm gonna focus on Jaylen Brown as what I want to see post All Star for a couple of reasons, which I will explain when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by. Indeed. Hiring is tough, and you don't want to just hope that somebody stumbles into your lap as you dealing with deadlines and workplace chaos and an overflowing inbox and a stack of resumes that's like this high and you don't you it's tough. It's tough. I've been there. I've seen that stack of resumes and just been like Sigh. Indeed Sponsored Jobs actually helps you reach the people who fit with what you're looking for. Skills, experience, locations. So you're not just hoping for the right candidate in the minute that I'm going to be talking to you here. Companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed according to Indeed Data Worldwide. So spend less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs. It's stress free time saving and you get more results when you need the right person to cut through the chaos. This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs listeners of this show. You get $75 in sponsored job credits to help you get your premium your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast just go to Indeed.com podcast right now and support the show by saying you heard about it on this podcast. Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Need to hire this is a job for Indeed Sponsored job to be a Team USA skier.

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[John Corrales]

Thanks for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen. Every day you're in every day you're with me every Monday through Friday you're here for the bonus podcast. Why not join the Locked On Celtics every day or club you get access to Ad Free audio. I put out an ad free version so you didn't hear all of the stuff I just said for the last minute and a half with this Ad free version. It's compatible with Apple Podcasts, Spotify and every other major podcasting app. You've got the Everydayer Club Discord Server, a group chat for Celtics listeners and NBA fans. So go check that out. Plus a whole lot more and more at lockdown celtics supercast.com lockdown celtics.supercast.com I'll have the link in the show notes as well. All right, let's get back to the Conversation here with Tom Westerholm and Tom, I think my top thing is I want Jalen Brown. Two versions of what I need Jaylen Brown to do in post. All Star number one is when Jason Tatum comes back, I need him and Jason Tatum to figure out how to merge their skills at full strength. There's going to be an adjustment and I do think that both Tatum and Brown are going to have to make some tweaks to their games to accommodate what Brown has become, what Tatum is currently with his injury and moving forward, they have to get on the same page. I have no questions about that. I'm not going to expand on it because I've said this before. I trust them to do so. They're professionals, they are champions, they're high level, high IQ guys. They will do it. In the meantime, I want Jalen to get back to some of the efficiency that he was experiencing at the beginning of the season. The mid range shot has kind of gotten away from him a little bit. Those percentages have dipped below that range. I know when we were talking to him and it was like Atlanta, I think he was like, yeah, people always used to tell me, don't shoot the mid range and now they're telling me to shoot him as much as I want. And that was great when you were shooting 50% at the mid range, but now that's dipped into the mid to low 40s and that's not where the efficiency lies. And so if you're going to do it, fine, do it. Make that your signature shot. They have to start falling again at a good enough rate for, for the, the offense to, to be clicking the way it should be clicking. So I just want Jalen to be more efficient. And part of that is just making sure that you are getting everybody involved, making sure that you're not trying to do too much. Yeah, I do think that he sometimes falls back into a bad old habit of trying to do too much because I think, because like Derek White's shots aren't falling and the other guy's shots aren't falling in the team is shooting 17% from three and he's like, all right, I'm going to do the Superman thing and go out there. But the Superman thing for Jalen is drawing the defense and kicking. That's your superpower. It's not going up against three guys and scoring over everybody. It's, you've done your job, you've drawn the two on one, sometimes three on one.

[Tom Westerholm]

Boom.

[John Corrales]

Kick it. Let's move it. Go. Get it back. And do that, because when he does that, that's all NBA Jalen Brown.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

So that I just kind of want to see him get back to that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. The thing about Jalen's mid range is that early in the season, what was working. And honestly, midway through the season, I think, let's be clear, that stretch of basketball was long. Like, it was not an outlier stretch of basketball. I think that's why he got himself into MVP conversations, is because he made those mid range shots at a super efficient clip. Long enough that everybody had to be like, whoa, this guy is hitting a lot of freaking mid range shots. A huge part of that for him. And the number one biggest thing to me was that he was getting to his spots and creating the space to make those easy shots. For him, getting the shots wasn't easy.

[John Corrales]

Get.

[Tom Westerholm]

You know, creating that shot isn't easy or everybody would do it. He just was doing it so well that the shot then was easy. Those mid range shots are easy if you're that open. And I think the thing for Jalen is if you get to that spot and you're not open, chances are something has collapsed somewhere else to prevent you from getting that shot that you want. So you need to be able to find that and be willing to find that every time. And if you do that, that is how you stay in the MVP conversation, right? Because then you're going to start racking up assists. And look, I mean, I think, you know, that, that Knicks game, I mean, you know, he created a lot of opportunities for people that. That missed. And that has happened to him sometimes. This year he's had games where he has created stuff for people and they just brick their way through it. And hey, you know what, like you were saying, right? If Derrick White is missing shots, of course Jalen's gonna be like, all right, well, maybe I'll take a couple more, see if that works. Maybe they're not great shots. I don't think that it's. I don't think that it's all Jalen's fault when he does, you know, take a few too many shots or whatever it might be. But I think that's the biggest thing, and I think that's one. One of the areas where Vucevich coming in could make a really big difference is having that other offensive outlet that you can just pitch the ball to and say, yep, go. All right, I attracted some defensive attention. Here's the ball. Get a bucket. And obviously Tatum coming back would have a. A similar effect. But yeah, to me, I think that's the biggest thing is if, if you've created the shot effectively, it's going to be an easy shot. And if it's not an easy shot, you got to dump it to somebody because he puts so much pressure on that defense that something is probably cracking to stop him. So exploit that.

[John Corrales]

So I'm, I'm doing, as you're talking, I'm doing the, I'm looking at the, the potential assists. Jalen Brown is averaging almost nine potential assists per game. So which Derrick White and Payton Pritchard at 9.6. Jalen is at 8.8. And that, that just goes to show like none of these guys, like, there's a lot of bad shooting that's been happening. So he's at 4.7 assists per game. That's, that's a, a pretty good. In fact, you know what, I'm just going to do a quick. What was this last year? Because that his potential assists last year were at 8.3. So. And he's making 32.5 passes a game last year. This year it's at 36. So he's passing the ball more. He has another half of a potential assist, but his actual assists are up too. So he's moving the ball. He is moving the ball. Yeah. And so yes, some of this, some of this is just bad shooting that, you know, his assist numbers could be better. But I think as is the case with Jalen, he has out of 10 games, seven or eight where you're like, man, dude is MVP. Man, MVP candidate. Then he has two where you're like, okay, is this 20, 23? Like, what, what's going on here? Why, why are those turnovers happening again? Why is he, why isn't he making that pass now? And I think, I just think that sometimes he just gets a little too tunnel visioned. But all I'm saying is just try to eliminate those as much as possible and get back to, you know, the beginning of the season. But you need, you definitely need to be. I, I want, I want to see that efficiency come back so you can finish strong and, you know, let's make, make some shots. Next one, we got a couple. Let's rapid fire. Anything quick.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, sure. Speed round. So I think I'm interested to see which of the. Obviously I'm interested to see which of the wings, which of the backup wings guys, which one looks like he's going to be in the playoff rotation. You can't have. There's too many of them. There's too many too Many of these, these, these tall dudes who play, play a little defense and knock down the occasional three running around out there. One of them is going to be in the playoff rotation, I think maybe one and a half. You know, like, about that. I'm, I'm fascinated to see who's going to be in there.

[John Corrales]

I, I wonder if anybody's going to be able to separate themselves. That's been the thing this season.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Where you're like, yeah, I'm hoping somebody separates themselves and no one does. So you like.

[Tom Westerholm]

Which is funny because a lot of times when nobody separates themselves, it's because everybody stinks. And it's like this year it's been. No, no. I mean, everybody's been pretty good. Nobody's been exceptionally good to where there's no question about it.

[John Corrales]

My, my rapid fire one is. Is. Is Payton Pritchard's return to the bench real? Like, are the return to the six man of the year numbers real? Because his splits already is a reserve. In five games as a reserve, he's shooting 51.2% as compared to 45.6 as a starter. His three point shooting is 35 as a starter, 39 and a half as a reserve. And that means he's averaging 21.8 points per game as a, as a reserve versus 16.8 as a starter. And you know, the minutes are basically the similar. The same. He's just more assists per game, more points, better efficiency. Is that, is that a real thing? Is, is. Is Peyton just built to be your bench guy?

[Tom Westerholm]

I think that one of the things that we're learning this year is how many guys on last year's teams were. Last year's team were in the perfect role for themselves. Right? Like, Derrick White was in the perfect role for himself last year. Peyton Pritchard seems like he was in the perfect role for himself, I think. Yeah, I mean, I think get like, let's see, let's see what happens with Keda, right? But get Busovich in there, get Tatum back, and all of a sudden everybody's just kind of back to like, okay, this is where I'm supposed to be. I am playing exactly the role that I was meant to play.

[John Corrales]

It's kind of funny. Obviously, getting Tatum back helps because you get Jason Tatum back, of course, but also it helps because of all the things you just say like, oh, and all of these guys go back to not having to do too much. Derek, Derrick White is. You like, he's perfect in that role as the third guy with those other Guys, he's just perfect in that role. Pritchard is perfect off the bench. It just all works. He.

[Tom Westerholm]

Peyton Pritchard is like. Is. You know, as far as starting goes, he's like a. He's like a 5.5. You know, he's like. He's like the.

[John Corrales]

He's just.

[Tom Westerholm]

He's right on that cusp where. Where he should be almost starting. But he's. But he's too. He's too good to be on the bench. But he's not quite. He should be on the. He's right on that. Right on that cusp, which is.

[John Corrales]

Makes him the perfect six man as a bench guy. Oh, yes. Oh, my God. And there is so much glory to be had as a perennial six man of the year.

[Tom Westerholm]

It's just the Boston Celtics. Yeah.

[John Corrales]

I mean, talk about the. All of a sudden you go from. Think about this, man. Well, I'll end it on this, man. Pritchard just goes from a guy's like, yeah, man, this is fun. This is fun. And he's just. He's. He's a guy that you go back and you're like, yeah, man, he was a good player. If you excel in this role, all of a sudden you become part of the lore. Yeah. This is his way of becoming part of Celtics just folklore. Oh, the, The. The six man tradition. You go to Havlich, you go to K, you go Mikhail, you get. And Peyton Pritchard, all of a sudden, all of a sudden your name is being mentioned with all of the greats because you went to the bench and you're good in that role. That's.

[Tom Westerholm]

He's even got his thing. He's even got his thing which is like the end of quarter shots. He like, oh, man, you know, like. Like Mikhail, like his drop step, he had all his post moves. Peyton Pritchard, he had a half court shot in the finals. Like, yeah, it is written in the stars for this man.

[John Corrales]

It's so funny. It's so funny that you can go from like, he's an NBA player, he's a solid NBA starter. And you know, usually like, okay, you wonder, like, okay, he's a smaller guard, how long is his career going to be in this way? You know? And the guy that's Starting that's averaging 16 points a game, like, that's nice. That's nice. He's going to have a nice NBA career. It's not going to be a hall of Fame career or anything like that, but it's. It's nice. You move him to the bench. He's already won a six man of the year. If he can be in that conversation some more. I'm a big proponent of the Celtics creating a Hall of Fame so you can properly. Like. Isaiah Thomas belongs in the Celtics hall of Fame. They're never going to retire his number. They shouldn't retire his number, but he belongs in a Celtics hall of fame 100%. Peyton Pritchard can now become a Celtics hall of Famer by moving to the bench and excelling in that role, which is nuts because most people will be like, I can't believe you want to move him to the bench. He's a starter. Like, no, actually, this. This move makes him a potential legend, so.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

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[John Corrales]

All right, well, I'll end there because we're at 35 minutes, so.

[Tom Westerholm]

Every time.

[John Corrales]

Every time. Tom. Appreciate you, man. I appreciate you, man. So that's. That's the show today. Thank you so much for listening and for watching. Tomorrow I'll get into some. We will look into some future moves. Just talked a little bit about future moves. We'll get into some. Some future moves with the. The next two. There's two roster spots that are open, so we'll talk about that in tomorrow's show. So make sure you're subscribed and all that stuff. Watch the show on YouTube, get into the comment section there and then share the podcast. Tell everybody that they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast here on the Lockdown Podcast Network your team every day.

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