Jaylen Brown ALL-NBA? | Joe Mazzulla COACH OF THE YEAR? | Jordan Walsh ELITE CEILING?

Summary

Locked On Celtics – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Jaylen Brown ALL-NBA? | Joe Mazzulla COACH OF THE YEAR? | Jordan Walsh ELITE CEILING?
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal, Locked On Podcast Network)

Overview

In this mailbag-focused episode, John Karalis fields Celtics fans' questions on a number of hot-button topics: Jaylen Brown’s All-NBA case and statistical development, Joe Mazzulla’s surprising run as head coach (including Coach of the Year buzz), and the upside of emerging forward Jordan Walsh—with comparisons to elite defensive role players like Shane Battier. The episode also examines whether role players like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard can be All-Stars, the wisdom of Al Horford’s move to the Warriors, and how off-court lessons can impact NBA career choices.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jaylen Brown’s Stellar Play and All-NBA Possibilities

• Player of the Week Recognition:
  John opens by lauding Jaylen Brown for winning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, emphasizing the consistency and expanding versatility in Brown’s game:

  “He had some really nice games this week...42 points, a season-high against the Knicks, 30 against the Lakers, 30 against Toronto...” (03:05)
  Brown’s improvement in rebounds and assists was also highlighted.

• All-NBA Season Case:
  John argues Brown is putting up an All-NBA caliber season, partly due to his consistency and noted that opportunities may open up given some star players potentially missing the 65-game eligibility threshold:

  “Already got Giannis Antetokounmpo out for an extended amount of time...each guy that doesn’t qualify now makes it that much more likely that Jaylen can be a first team All-NBA guy.” (05:54)

• Statistical Trends – Efficiency vs. Playmaking:
  Mailbag Q: More likely—Jaylen finishes shooting 50% from the field or averaging over 5 assists?

  • Brown’s current stats: 49.6% FG, 4.9 APG.
  • John expects assists to climb more reliably than FG%, due both to increased defensive attention and teammates (like Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard) shooting better:

  “It’s hard to shoot 50%. That’s...asking a lot. So I’m going to say that’s less likely than the five assists per game because right now he’s at 4.9.” (07:40)

  • Brown’s assist numbers have steadily climbed since October, with December’s split over 5.7 per game.

  • Memorable Moment:
    John analyzes Brown’s willingness to make the right play in high-pressure situations, reconsidering earlier criticisms:

    “He’s showing the willingness to pass out of even the clutch situations, which is important.” (10:29)

2. Joe Mazzulla's Coaching Evolution and Coach of the Year Talk

• In-Game Teaching and Culture:
  John responds to a question about Mazzulla’s sideline energy, openness to letting assistants (like Sam Cassell) run huddles, and active player development:

  “He’s certainly grown and improved. No one expected him to be a finished product right away...Failure is a great teacher—scientists love failure as much as they love success because failure teaches you what doesn't work…” (16:35–17:52)

• Comparisons to Erik Spoelstra (Heat):
  Multiple callers and John himself note the parallels to Miami’s coach, with both overcoming skepticism and learning “on the job” for championship teams:

  “Can I see a Spoelstra-like future for Joe? Yeah, why not? ... He has a love and dedication for the game and... insane competitiveness.” (18:58)

• Coach of the Year Buzz:
  If the Celtics keep overachieving, Mazzulla could be a strong candidate:

  “If the Celtics win 50 games, I would have a hard time saying Joe Missoula shouldn't get consideration. He definitely should.” (23:02) However, John warns that expectations and narratives often lag results by a season.

• How Other Coaches View Mazzulla:
  Coaches around the league appear to respect Mazzulla, especially after winning a title:

  “I think all of these coaches have a healthy respect for one another...winning a championship is hard no matter what. So having won it all and being a little crazy and connecting with your team, I think he has a very high respect level around the league.” (23:02)

3. Jordan Walsh’s Rising Defensive Ceiling

• Mailbag Q: Can Walsh become a “Shane Battier”-level stopper?
  John says absolutely, describing Walsh’s blend of natural gifts, focus, and rapid improvement:

  “He is super impressive, capable defender. If he continues at this path...he could be Shane Battier, why not? He’s big, he’s got a super long wingspan, he’s figured out how to poke the ball free...” (27:56)

• Development Areas:
  While praising Walsh’s defensive acumen and transition play, John emphasizes he must still improve decision-making and transition play:

  “Getting out into transition is almost like someone who’s falling off the wagon a little bit. He’s been so addicted to playing way too fast his whole life, and now he’s got it under control...” (29:08)

  John urges Walsh to learn point guard tricks for 3-on-1 situations, suggesting work with Sam Cassell, Pritchard, and Derrick White to unlock a new dimension.

4. Derrick White & Payton Pritchard – All-Star Chances

• Mailbag Q: Is White an All-Star, and could Pritchard ever be?

  “I don’t think these guys are playing at an All-Star level this year...they could be, injury replacements. But...unless you’re a 70-win team, you’re not gonna get more than two All-Stars...” (31:56–34:10) John notes format quirks (US vs. World), slow shooting starts, and deep league competition make multiple All-Stars from Boston unlikely.

5. Al Horford’s Move to the Warriors and Life Lessons

• Mailbag Q: Could Horford come back? Does he regret leaving?
  John doubts a return via trade this year but leaves the door open for a future minimum contract. He discusses the broader context—Horford’s role as an NBA father teaching his son about the business of basketball:

  “The one thing we have to take into account is Ian is watching his dad, and his dad has always valued himself...and the Warriors were paying him more and valued him higher than the Celtics did.” (36:23)

  John admires Horford’s decision to take care of family and model professionalism, even if part of him wishes Al had stayed.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Brown’s Statistical Growth:

  “Since November he’s been over five [assists]. The attention paid to him for his scoring means teams will force the ball out of his hands, so I think the assists will keep rising.” – John Karalis (08:34)

• On Joe Mazzulla’s Growth:

  “Failure is a positive result. And so Joe Mazzulla failing early did help him, did help him improve. And you see the timeouts now—no one talks about the timeouts anymore because he calls them...” – John Karalis (17:52)

• On Jordan Walsh’s Defensive Potential:

  “Can he be Shane Battier? Why not? He’s big, he’s got that super long wingspan, he’s figured out how to poke the ball free. You know how hard it is to check a guy straight up and then poke the ball away?” – John Karalis (28:19)

• On Al Horford’s Motivation:

  “This is, after all, a job. And as much as anything, that lesson for his son was as important as where he finishes his career. And would he have liked to stay in Boston? I’m sure he would have.” – John Karalis (37:08)

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Section Timestamps

• (02:04 – 12:54): Jaylen Brown’s emergence, mailbag on five assists vs. 50% FG, playmaking, teammates’ improvements.
• (15:38 – 23:02): Joe Mazzulla coaching clinic, leadership evolution, Coach of the Year, peer respect.
• (26:35 – 31:56): Jordan Walsh’s ceiling, Shane Battier comparison, development path.
• (31:56 – 34:10): Derrick White/Peyton Pritchard All-Star discussion.
• (34:10 – 39:07): Al Horford’s Warriors experience, regret analysis, father/son dynamic and business lesson.

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Tone & Style Notes

• John is conversational, analytical, and candid—deftly mixing stats, anecdotes, coaching philosophy, and personal insights.
• He balances enthusiasm for the team's present with careful, realistic projections and a willingness to call out natural limitations or growth opportunities.

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Conclusion

This episode offers deep, thoughtful answers to burning Celtics questions, blending statistical breakdowns (notably on Jaylen Brown), meta-leadership analysis (Joe Mazzulla’s coaching credibility), and forward-looking player development pieces (Jordan Walsh). The pod is essential listening for those wanting a pulse on the Celtics’ evolving identity, leadership, and future potential, with a human element layered in via player stories and life lessons.

Transcript

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Numerica Credit Union Money where it matters. Federally insured by NCUA I'm answering your questions today about Jaylen Brown, the player of the week. Jordan Walsh. What's his ceiling? Lots of questions about Joe Missoula and Al Horford's regret It's all right now on the Lockdown Celtics podcast.

Huh? Yup, yup, yup. Beam town ever ready it's the seas. Who else could it be? What they gonna say now? Screaming like J.T. corralis we kept the madness every game, every practice, prime time jeopardy. White on the sideline Renin J. How we started raising banners how we finish locked on Celtics pod Home of the winner baby.

Podcast right here on the Lockdown Podcast network where it is your team every day. Your team's the Boston Celtics, and I talk about them every Monday through Friday, plus bonus podcasts when they play in the weekend. They get a lot of bonus podcasts coming up, so you got to subscribe. The show's free. It's available Everywhere. It's on YouTube. Get into the comment section. Share your thoughts with me. If you're new to the show, welcome aboard. I'm John Corrales, beat writer for Boston Sports Journal. I've been doing a version of this job for 20 years now. I've been doing this podcast for 10, and I've written a couple of books about the Celtics as well. Today's show is brought to you by fanduel. If you want to get right in the middle of the action this season, visit FanDuel.com and place your NFL Live bets all season long. Let's open up the mailbag. This week is about figuring out who these guys are. Let's start it out with your questions. A mailbag where mailbags can be submitted. The questions can be submitted@john corrales.com mailbag john corrales.com mailbag to get your questions in. So later on we'll get to Al Horford. We'll get to Jordan Walsh's ceiling. The second segment is going to be all Joe Missoula questions about Joe Missoula coach of the year discussion, all of that stuff. First of all, before we even get to mailbag questions, I want to shout out Jalen Brown, who was the Eastern Conference player of the week, his fourth player of the week. He had some really nice games. This week. Starts off with 42 points a season high against the Knicks, 30 against the Lakers, 30 against Toronto. But on top of that, he had eight rebounds. Twice. He had four assists, four, eight and five assists. He had a steal in each game. He played extraordinarily well. Just a great, a great week for, for Jalen and a deserved player of the week award. He, he should be, you know, he's been nominated every week. He should be in the, in the running for Player of the month. Whenever this month is over, I'm sure he's going to continue this role. And like I said before, Jalen is having what I consider to be an all NBA season. And one thing to monitor here on top of like, no, no one cares if you make first, second or third team. However, there's like bragging rights. If you make first team, you get to be like, hey, first team, all NBA is an accomplishment. No one, like that's an accomplishment at the end of your career. They're not going to say how many first, second or third teams you have if you make it three, four, five times. They're just going to say, hey, five time all NBA. Jalen Brown, right. So no one ever really says which team. You have to go back and look, but there is that kind of like puff up your chest, be like, damn right, first team. Right? And he has a chance to make that. He has a chance to make that on his merits. It's too early to make that determination yet, but.

Already got Giannis Tentacounmpo out for an extended amount of time. He might be out of the running, you know, the 65 game threshold. He might be out of the running. There might be other guys that could be out of the running. And each guy that doesn't qualify now makes it that much more likely that Jalen can be a first team all NBA guy. So not that you need, I, I honestly, I don't even know if he needs guys to drop off. But hey, it's also a thing that's happening. So what? You know, throw that little caveat into the mix. There's, there are going to be guys who drop off. As long as Jalen stays healthy and plays 65, then we're looking to potential first team all NBA season out of him. Which brings me to the first mailbag question which comes from Jude who asks what's more likely, Jalen finishing the season shooting upwards of 50 from the field or averaging more than five assists per game? Well, let's look at the stats. Right now he is shooting 49.6% from the field and he's averaging 4.9 assists per game. So he's right there. You can round up and say he's right there. So what is more likely? Well, if you look at his career, I think the 50 shooting, he's never actually shot 50, but he's also never actually gotten to five assists. He's gotten close. Couple of seasons ago we got the 49.9, so basically 50, but technically not actually 50. He's gotten close a couple of times. The 49.6 gets him into that range.

It's hard to shoot 50%. It's just hard for a wing to shoot 50%. That's. You're asking a lot. So I'm gonna say that that's less likely than the five assists per game because right now he's at 4.9. On top of that, you have a couple of elements here that will, I think, help him get to the above five. In fact, let me just check his splits real quick, because in.

December, so far, he's averaging 5.7. In November and 14 November games, he averaged 5.1. In October, in six games, he averaged 4.2. So since November, he's averaging over five. So the two elements here that. That make five, you know what, I'll even say maybe six the rest of the way.

It's the attention paid on him because of the. The shooting, because he's. The scoring teams might just say, look, man, we're not. We're not buying Jordan Walsh. We're not buying Josh Minot. We're not buying, you know, some of these other guys that are actually making shots. We're going to be a little bit more aggressive in taking the ball out of Jalen's hands. We can't be sitting there watching him drop 30 every single night. So he's going to, I think, moving forward, be passing the ball more and shooting the ball just a little bit less. And when I say shooting the ball less, he's taking 21.6 shots per game. Maybe that drops to 20 or 19 point something. So I'm only talking about maybe two shots per game less than what he's doing, what he's taking. But also it's going to be passing more. And so I think that's going to lead to more opportunities for assists. That's one element. Second element is Derrick White shooting a lot better. Peyton Pritchard is shooting a lot better. Those are guys that Jalen passes to like, especially Derek. He. He passes to those guys on the wings and his assists are going to be up just because those guys make shots. That's the thing with the assist. You need guys to make shots to get your assists. And I think one of the reasons why Jalen had four, what was it, 4.2 assists in October and. And 5.1 in November and 5.7 in December, guys are making shots. I don't think he's making a ton more passes. Although I will say there was that stretch where he was making the Right. Play.

God. I'm gonna have to go back and look at these games, but it was.

Against Cleveland, Against Cleveland where he let Peyton cook at the end, and against New York, that win where he, he gave it up to Jordan a couple of times on the rolls. He's showing the willingness to pass out of even the clutch situations, which is important. So that's a little bit of a long winded answer, but I wanted to get that explanation out. Why will Jalen not shoot 50% or it's more likely that he's going to get five assists per game than shooting. Okay, so the phrasing is upwards of 50%. So that was, you know, 49 is still upwards of 50. So he, he can, he can maintain some of that. I just think that the shooting will level off a little bit. He's doing a lot of work. He's going to get a little tired. I think, I think he'll, he's due for just a couple of rough shooting nights, which is just natural, but it's going to, it's going to keep his percentage down a little bit. He'll probably still finish around 48, 49%, which is, you know, right about where he is now. I expect a little bit of a dip, but not too much of a dip, but I definitely expect the assists to go up. 5.7 assists so far in a few December games. That's great. I, I expect it to kind of stay there, maybe even go up. I wouldn't be surprised if he averaged six or something. Maybe. I don't know. Who knows, maybe more moving forward.

Derek hitting shots, Peyton hitting shots. I don't know about Jordan and Josh. I've talked about this. You know, there's, there's a little bit of a, maybe playing above their head a little bit, but for now they're hitting shots. But I think as other guys start to hit shots and like Namish K, who's, who's playing a lot better, he's even improving as the season goes along. If he finishes better, you know, as Jalen drives a lot of plays where they, they start Nemi in the dunker spot, like doing that a little bit more. It's not just picking roles with Neemi. It's starting him in the dunker spot and having him kind of relocate along the baseline. Some of those dump offs right now aren't being finished necessarily. A couple of them are being, you know, he's being fouled and going to the line. Those can turn into assists. If he can, if Nene can improve a little bit. You get one or two more finishes from him. Now we're talking about six, seven assists instead of five or six. I. I didn't mean to say six, seven. Please put your hands down. Please stop. Stop.

Six or seven assists for Jalen Brown. All right, it's the time to move on. All About Joe Missoula next It's all about Joe Missoula, the coaching clinic, coach of the year talk, his relationship with other coaches. It's all coming up Next. Today's Show Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. NFL Sundays move fast. One big play and suddenly everything feels different. That's what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You're not just watching the game, you're reacting to it in real time. With FanDuel, you can place bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, every highlight moment. Some of these games have been really crazy and those the swings are happening all the time. Live betting it's best when you when the game does start to shift, receiver gets hot, defense tightens up or the momentum flips after a turnover, FanDuel lets you jump into the moment. You got player props that update instantly. Live spreads do the same. Money lines do the same. You can bet on things like the Nets touchdown score, drive results, totals. So check it out. Go to FanDuel.com and get right to the middle of the action this season. Place your live NFL bets all season long. Set your limits. When you log in, they'll ask you to set a budget. Please, please, please do that. So when you hit a limit, they'll stop you. Because sometimes you just go cold. It happens. You can stop. It's called gambling responsibly. Whatever you can afford to lose, that's what you set. And then you can come back later and just pick it up again. Fanduel the game moves fast. So can you.

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Mailbag Episode continues Mailbag questions can go to john corrales.com mailbag john corralis.com mailbag to get those in this is all about Joe Missoula. We start with Ted. We are witnessing a coaching clinic with this year's Celtics. During timeouts and free throws, Joe's talking and coaching up Ugo Walsh Keda after even after successful plays, he pulled D white after a lazy pass the other night. Sam Cassell is allowed to take over the huddle at times. This is good stuff. Do you see a Spoelstra like future for Missoula here? Look, SPO is, you know, obviously a high level coach, one of the most respected, going to be a Hall of Famer. So I will respectfully hesitate to say yes, absolutely, there's a sportster like future, but also, man, can't you see those parallels? SPO took over the Miami Heat.

They were kind of like bad and then all of a sudden they made the move to get LeBron. Suddenly it's LeBron, it's Wade, it's Bosch and tons of conversation. Spo's not the right guy. He might be a good coach someday, but not right now. You need a seasoned voice and blah blah, blah. And you heard so many similar things when it came to Joe Missoula. And no one really looked at the contents, the character of Joe Mazzulla, what he was trying to say, what he was trying to teach. And he has certainly grown and improved. No one expected him to be a finished product right away. But I remember when he took the job and I remember when he was what he was saying at the beginning is very similar, but I kind of understood. I just felt like I understood everything he was trying to do. The he didn't just think the game the same way. He wasn't regurgitating what other people were saying. Even with the timeouts, the whole thing. In his first season with not calling timeouts, I understood now there were times where he should have no doubt and I said so when? When it was happening. But also I do understand the thought process behind it. And that's, that's my big thing. If the thought process is good and this is something that Joe says, if your process, if the way you're thinking and processing things is correct, it's okay. If you make mistakes along the way because you're trying to get to a solution and only through sometimes trial and error. Failure is a great teacher scientists failure sometimes as much as they love success, because failure teaches you what doesn't work and so you don't do that again. Failure is a positive result. And so Joe Missoula failing early does help him, did help him improve. And you see the timeouts now. No one talks about the timeouts anymore because he calls them and he understands a little bit better about sometimes you just need to call them. You need to stop the runs. They, sometimes he lets them through. But he, he still is, has improved and he will continue to improve. Right. He's already won a championship. He's.

Starting a kind of like a new path with this group. The in game teaching like Ted mentioned is. I think it's incredible what Josh said the other day. If you missed it, go back a couple of podcasts when he talked about how much he loves Joe Missoula. In fact, if you're on YouTube, I have a separate segment talking about Joe and Josh. Like, go check that out. It's four minutes. It's. I think it tells the whole story. So can, Can I see a Spoelstra like future for Joe? Yeah, why not? Why not? Because what SPO has accomplished is through experience and trial and error and just an insane dedication to the game. And that's what Joe has. He has a love and dedication for the game and just insane competitiveness. So I don't, I mean you hesitate to say do you see a sports like future? Because it's like saying, like, do you see a Larry Bird like future for a player? Like, I don't, I don't know, it's hard to say that, but I can see Joe being, yeah, like, can Joe, can Joe get to the hall of Fame as a coach? Absolutely. He's already won a championship, right? You, you win another two or three and he's, he's young enough where he has a long time to get to like, you win two or three more, you're up there three, four championships, of course. So yes, he has a long path ahead of him and a lot of years left with good, great elite players, which you kind of need. So, and this season I'll, I will say I'll end with this why the Spoelstra thing is at least worth the consideration is this is the season of.

The expectations were low, but, wow, they're exceeding expectations. If they continue to do that and you have, okay, there's a championship a couple seasons ago. This was supposed to be a gap year. If the Celtics are, you know, a 3 or 4C somehow heading into the playoffs, then all of a sudden it's like, well, wait a second. They were not supposed to be good. And a lot of people who are like, I didn't expect them to be any good at all. Well, how did they become good with all of these players? Must be the coaching. And that's how the conversations start to change. Which gets us to Brad's question. If they stay at the top of the east this year, do you think Joe could potentially be in the run running for coach of the year? I think these things are a season behind. They always are. But Joe, it's certainly like, it's entirely possible that if they finish third or fourth, if they somehow stay up around here, that people will. Will have. You'll have to consider. You will have to consider, Joe. In that mix now are.

Oh, you could also say, like, well, what if the Toronto Raptors stay, you know, in the. In the top three, you know, or top four? Like, they're a team that. That wasn't really considered.

What if the, you know, San Antonio Spur, like, these teams with lower expectations, right? The. The Orlando Magic, if they find a way to. To the top of the East? Let's just say the Orlando Magic find a way to the top of the east. And, you know, it's going to be tough with Franz Wagner out. Thankfully, that was only a high ankle sprain. But.

If Palo Banchero is easing his way back in to the lineup and he's adjusting his game, then people go like, well, there's the coaching right there. You've got Paolo Banchero to change how he plays you to fit more into what the Orlando Magic need, and he would be in consideration there. Mosley would be. So coach of the year is always which team has exceeded expectations the most. So, hey, look, if. If the Celtics are still here, if The Celtics win 50 games.

I. I would. I would have a hard time saying that Joe Missoula shouldn't get consideration. He definitely should. And then we'll wrap this segment up with Seth, who says, what's Joe's relationship with other coaches around the league? How is he viewed among other coaches? I. I mean, I haven't talked to any other coaches like privately about him. But every time you other coaches come into town and, you know, they talk to us before the game, they talk glowingly about Joe. He seems to have a good relationship with them. He not only other coaches around the league, but other coaches around town. I, I think he has a real strong respect for the job. He understands the, the what? The job, you know, the downfalls of the job, the pitfalls of the job and all that. And I think, I think all of these coaches have a healthy respect for one another. And I think all these coaches understand how hard it is to win a championship. So even though some people might be like, still kind of like Joe Missoula sucks, coaches know that winning a championship is hard no matter what. So having won it all and being a little crazy and connecting with your team, I think he has a very high respect level around the league. All right, we'll come back. We're going to talk about Jordan Walsh's ceiling. We'll talk about Derek White and Payton Pritchard as all stars and, and Al Horford's regret. We're going to talk about it all when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by Mint Mobile. You know, there's no reason to let big wireless drain your wallet, especially during the holidays. Right now, Mint Mobile is running their best deal of the year. All of their unlimited plans are 50% off. That means you can lock in three, six, or even 12 months of unlimited premium wireless for just $15 a month. It's the easiest way to take your overpriced phone phone bill and give it the full Scrooge treatment. And what makes this even better is how simple Mint makes it to switch. No contracts, no nonsense, just real savings, real quality service. Switching to Mint just lets you keep your same coverage and for a lower price setup only takes a few minutes. You can bring your own phone number and switch without any issues. Service is fast, super reliable, and it feels good knowing that you're not overpaying just to stay connected. Turn your expensive wireless presence into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint shop. Mint Mobile unlimited [e-mail] locked on MBA that's mint mobile.com lockdown MBA this is a limited time offer. Upfront payments of 45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or 180 for 12 months. Plan required $15 per month. Equivalent taxes and fees. Initial plan term only. Greater than 35 gigabytes may slow when the network is busy. Capable device required availability, speed and coverage varies. See mintmobile.com@boar said. We make game day entertaining, elevated and effortless. Whether you order catering platters ahead from your local deli or create your own spread with premium deli meats and cheeses, you're sure to impress your guests with the very best. Fan favorites like Oven Gold Turkey paired with our classic Vermont Cheddar are sure to score big game winning flavor in every bite, boar said. Committed to craft since 1905.

Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day go check out Lockdown NBA game night. Every game, every night, seven days a week. I host on Wednesdays. It will be with Jake Madison next week. This week I'll be joined with guy Danny Cunningham of Lockdown Cavs. We'll be covering 22 NBA cup games tomorrow night. Every game. Every night unlocked on NBA Game Night. Subscribe wherever you found this podcast. Let's wrap up the Mailbag Mailbag questions again. Go to john corrales.com mailbag and we roll on with Land who says, given Walsh's current evolution, how high do you think his ceiling is as a defensive stopper? Do you think he can hit Shane Battier levels? Shane Battier, Nice poll.

Also, Shane Batty and I could be cousins, it looks like. I think a little Shane Batty. We'll do a side by side maybe. Yeah, yeah, of course, of course he could. Of course he could. Like Jordan. This is so funny for a guy who started this season being like, I don't know about Jordan Walsh anymore. To yeah, it could be Shane Battier. Why not? He's. He is super impressive, capable defender. If he continues at this path. He's only 21.

The fact that he's playing so well. I wasn't kidding when I was saying he was the best player on the floor in the first five minutes of that game.

In Toronto. Like, that was the best basketball I've seen Jordan play. And that's after the Knicks. The finish of the Knicks game where I was like, damn, Jordan is closing this game out. He is incredible. I joked on Twitter that he made a deal with the devil and of course some people took it too seriously. I'm just highlighting that. How do you go from out of the rotation to this good, this fast? And it's more than just opportunity. It's. He, I mean, he's obviously worked hard. It's just certain things just clicked all of a sudden. So yeah, can he be Shane Battier? Like, why not? He's big, he's got the super long wingspan, he's figured out how to poke the ball free. You Know how hard it is to check a guy straight up and then poke the ball away and all of a sudden just, you know, just start a one man fast break. That is incredible. I just do not know how he is.

How he's gotten so, so good so fast. Now he does have other things as, as Land mentions as he continues the question about throwing bad passes. And like, he, he does, like, he has a lot of room to grow. So he, he can be a lot better when he's handling the ball. At some point, as Walsh starts to develop, we hope, better instincts with the ball, better understanding, because right now it's just poke the ball free run. And can I get to the end of the floor faster than everybody else? Oh, no, I can't. All right, now what do I do? I think just being a little bit more under control, there will be a next step in his evolution. Playing too fast has been his problem from the beginning, and he has kind of licked that. But getting out into transition is almost like someone who's like falling off the wagon a little bit. It's like, okay, he's been so addicted to playing way too fast his whole life, and now he's got it under control, but pokes the ball free and he's out there in the open floor. But there are defenders around here like, oh, I'm gonna go too fast. I love this. I love playing too fast. He's got to control that a little bit. And once he gets that a little bit more under control, which it's not too bad. It really is not too bad. But he still has to get a little bit more under control. He'll. He'll be much better on the break as a facilitator. I don't think he really, really ever thought about that. But when you're poking the ball free as much as he is, all of a sudden now you have to start learning some point guard skills. Like Jordan needs to start working with Sam Cassell, and he needs to start working a little bit more with Peyton, and he needs to start working more with Derek. About, okay, when I'm in the open floor and it's a three on two or a three on one, what are the tricks? What do I need to do? How do I need to. Because all of a sudden you're a point guard, and that's not something he ever expected to be. So Jordan's been great as a defender. Jordan is a wing player, but Jordan is suddenly a point guard when he pokes the ball free. And that's going to be like the next thing he has to master and if he gets that then, then he hits another level. And at this age it's good to have these levels to reach and that, that's, that's where he has to go. Brian asks, will Derek White be an All Star this year? Do you think that Peyton Pritchard could be an All Star in the future? I, I think no. Could be. Could be is so open. Like could he be maybe. I, I don't think these guys are, are playing at an all star level this year. But also it kind of depends on.

Some other guys. Like they, they could be injury replacements. I also think the us versus the world format is potentially going to hurt them because.

If there's an imbalance between us and world players, why I don't like necessarily a us versus the world format, but they're doing the round robin multiple team thing, so that's okay. I think you can get like six or seven good international All Stars together, but if a couple of guys get hurt and you start having to reach too deep, then you're, you know, then you're, you know, like Dylan Brooks is going to make it over Derrick White because Dylan's having a pretty good season and he's Canadian and you need somebody for the world team. But Derek White's a better player and he would normally deserve. So there are little things like that they think will prevent it. So I don't think the Celtics are getting two All Stars this year. I think it's going to be Jalen and then they're going to go elsewhere. But these, you know, at their best, Derek and Peyton are certainly in the discussion. Could they be. Yeah, they could be. I doubt if I had to put money on whether they will or won't make an All Star team in their careers. I'm going to bet on they won't. And some of it is unfortunate circumstances. You know, like this year, the, the slow start he's going to have to, Derek and Payton are going to really have to pick it up shooting wise and they starting to. But they're going to have to really hit another level. They're going to have to start putting together some 25 to 30 point games themselves pretty consistently to make it this year. And if they don't, then, you know, Jason's coming back next year. It's unfortunate, but unless you're, you know, a 70 win team or on pace to be a 71 team, you're not going to get more than two All Stars and then you get the weird format stuff. Like, that stuff is going to be.

That'S going to work against them, too. Let's wrap this up here with questions about Al Horford, where Ari says, is there any way the salary gods would allow a trade to bring back Al Horford? And I'm gonna say, no, I don't believe so, because I don't think, I don't think the, the warriors are, are gonna, I don't think they're gonna move them. I know that he's kind of struggled a little bit. I think the warriors have struggled a little bit. I think they're, they're kind of in this, they're going to make their run and whatever. So not this year. They're not going to reacquire him this year. Could he come back next year? Could he opt out, Come back to Boston on a minimum. That that's possible, but. And I wouldn't be surprised. I really, honestly wouldn't be surprised. And this folds in Tanner's question. Do you think he's regretting his decision to go join the Warriors? After comparing both team starts and the difficulty of the West, Seems like it was a bad move for him. And I will agree, it does seem like it was a bad move for him. The warriors were 13 and 12 and eighth in the West. The Celtics are 15 and nine and third in the East. And you can't help but look at it like, he's got to look at the Celtics and say, oh, man, that would have been a lot of fun. Imagine Al Horford as your backup center. And I know he struggles a little bit over in Golden State, and he's been hurt. And I've said from the beginning, I tried to tell warriors fans, don't expect anything from him at the beginning of the regular season. He is going to pace himself. He will get up for some big games. He will show some things, but he's going to pace himself and try to make, you know, a run in the playoffs. But.

I wouldn't be surprised, I wouldn't be surprised if he is having, like, another pang of, like, why did I leave again? I didn't, I didn't learn the first time. I gotta come back. But I, I, I will also say that.

His son is old enough to see.

That you have to make decisions. You know, this is a business. His son is, from what I hear, really good at basketball and.

Has a, you know, a path potentially to the NBA. Think about Al. Horford's father played in the NBA. Al plays in the NBA. He's a Hall of Famer, and Now his son, the lineage is there. And the one thing we have to take into account is Ian is watching his dad. And his dad has always valued himself. And the warriors were paying him more.

And they valued him higher than the Celtics did. Now the Celtics were in second apron hell and had to make decisions. And that was a decision they just couldn't make the same way. Even though they probably wanted to, they couldn't make that same decision.

And so circumstances were what they were. Ian, I think, and I haven't talked to Al about this or anybody around him, I'm just guessing, but knowing Al feel good about this, just felt like he had to make a decision to show Ian at that point, if you ever make it to the league, you have to value yourself because this is a business. And would we like to stay in Boston? Yes. But you can't make emotional decisions because teams will cut you, they will trade you, and they will make their business decisions. So you have to make your business decisions. So we have to learn how to make a move, because that's what. What's best for you and your family and your career and your finances. This is, after all, a job. And I think as much as anything, that lesson for his son was as important as where he finishes his career. And would he have liked to stay in Boston? I'm sure he would have. But when this opportunity came up and he got a chance to show his son, this is how we conduct business in the NBA, I think that's a valuable lesson. And you know what? I respect it, man. I respect it. And if. If that is true, you almost get Al sacrificing something. Sacrificing like me, he moved across the country.

To teach his son a very important lesson and show him something important. And so I. I respect. I respect that decision. And does he personally, privately, maybe wish he stayed in Boston? Maybe. Maybe he'll come back. If he's got one more season left in him, we'll see. Which would be amazing. I mean, Al leaving, coming back, winning a championship, leaving, coming back, maybe win a second championship. Boy, that would be something.

Again, Mailbag questions come in@john carales.com mailbag thank you for submitting your questions. We'll get back to discussing discussing these guys in greater detail tomorrow. Figuring out who are these guys, how are we moving forward, what's going on with this team? Some interesting stuff about Jason Tatum, what he's posting on his social media, and what Brian Scalabrini has been saying about January. We'll talk about all of that tomorrow. So make sure you're subscribed. Watch the show. Continue to watch the show on YouTube if you want to listen to the show. Absolutely. Please do that. You can also join our Everydayers club. It's new, it's $5 a month and you just got to go to locked on celtics.supercast.com to sign up. So thank you for doing that. Thank you for being making this your first listen. Thank you for being an everydayer Now. I would love it if you shared the podcast and told everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast. Here in the Lockdown Podcast Network it's your team every day.

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