REAL or FAKE: Celtics success, Jordan Walsh BREAKOUT, Jaylen Brown ALL-NBA

Summary

Locked On Celtics – Real or Fake: Celtics Success, Jordan Walsh Breakout, Jaylen Brown All-NBA

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Guest: Tom Wester

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Overview

In this episode, John Karalis and guest Tom Wester play "Real or Fake" with the hottest Celtics topics: the team’s chance at staying near the top of the East, the legitimacy of breakout performances from Jordan Walsh and Josh Minot, Jaylen Brown’s All-NBA campaign, and Boston's unexpected offensive fireworks. With a lighthearted, candid approach, John and Tom break down which trends they trust and which seem too good to be true.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are the Celtics a Home Court Team? (Top 4 in the East)

Segment start: 05:14

• Tom: Believes it's "real" the Celtics will maintain home court in the East—emphasizes team improvement and East’s mediocrity.

  • “I'm going real. I think that... the Celtics team is better than you and I thought it was going to be... only the most wildly optimistic Celtics fan would have predicted this.” (06:06)
  • Points to the team’s ability to “do a lot of things right” as a separator in a bunched conference.

• John: Goes "fake" on top-four, citing:

  • Early-season luck.
  • Injuries largely avoided so far (besides Tatum).
  • Expects a “bump” and other East teams—Orlando, Cleveland—to surge.
  • “I just think that Boston is going to ultimately settle at fifth or sixth, which is going to be totally fine.” (08:06)

• Memorable quote:

  • Tom: “Celtics fans right now are absolutely screaming at you... that they actually have horrible injury luck and Jason Tatum is out, but your point is taken.” (07:39)

• Jason Tatum Update: John backs Tatum’s return: “I’m telling you, this dude is coming back... I said March—yeah, he might be back before March.” (10:15)

  • Believes this is “good injury luck” for Boston given Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles injury.

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2. Jordan Walsh’s Breakout: Real or Fake?

Segment start: 16:02

• Both agree: Walsh’s arrival is real; shooting is "real-ish" but likely to regress.
• Tom: Praises Walsh’s defense and motor.
  • “We're looking at a really awesome defensive player, somebody who can guard so many different positions, bother people... It's all there for him.” (16:02)
  • Strongly believes he’s proven himself as an NBA-caliber contributor.
• John:
  • “Jordan Walsh is real. He is now part of this rotation. He will remain so.” (17:02)
  • Notes Walsh lessens Jalen Brown’s defensive load: "Jalen always said he wanted to do that...[now] he's like, ‘Really tired, dog.’” (17:44)
  • Sees Walsh as a 3-and-D weapon, even as shooting likely regresses from 40%+ to “Derrick White territory” (about 37–38%): “If that's all he ever becomes, a three and D monster like that—sign me up.” (19:34)
• Both: Call the hot shooting “fake-ish,” expecting a dip but trust his improved mechanics.

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3. Josh Minot's Shooting Surge: Real or Fake?

Segment start: 20:15

• Both: “Fake” on Minot as a long-term elite shooter (currently 44.6% from deep).
  • John: “That’s not a shot I can trust.” (20:42)
  • Tom: “I don't—it doesn't look sustainable to me... This level of shooting is fake.” (21:01)
• Insight:
  • Celtics have rotated surprising names shooting lights out from three; logic says veterans' numbers should rise and regression will bring young guys back to earth.
  • John: “Let's get an extra [made three] out of [Derrick White], let's get him going.” (24:01)

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4. Celtics Offense: Top-5 All Season?

Segment start: 26:58

• Stat: Boston currently 2nd in NBA offensive rating.

• Tom: Leans “real-ish”, sees 4–6 range as plausible but is slightly concerned by early hot shooting.

  • “So much has gone right here in the early going that to me, I think that top five... I don't want to say necessarily fake.” (27:25)

• John: “Real”; offense is fueled by offensive rebounds (6th in NBA), steals (7th), and solid defense generating extra shots.

  • “Ninth in NBA in field goals attempted with 90.5 [per game]... That seems like a fast-paced team to me for sure.” (29:10)
  • On defense: “Their defense is good enough for them to put up the shots and that’s going to pump up their offensive numbers, so I think they're going to stay up there.” (31:00)

• Notable exchange on pace:

  • John: “Explain to me how you could be last in pace but putting up 90 shots per game?” (29:10)
  • Tom: “For one thing... they're a good offensive rebounding team, so there are extra shots going up from that.” (30:29)

• Summary: Top-5 offense is “real” due to bench improvement, system buy-in, and key players’ efficiency.

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5. Jalen Brown: All-NBA, Real or Fake?

Segment start: 32:48

• John: “I think Jalen’s playing with a ton of confidence. I think Jaylen Brown is, is for real. This is an all NBA season for him.” (34:27)
  • Takes into account efficiency, defensive workload reduced by Walsh, and opportunity due to other stars’ injuries.
• Tom: Cautiously “real”, especially impressed by Brown’s purpose and growth.
  • “He seems to have a very clear understanding of what his goals are, what he wants to show, what he wants to accomplish and what his role is in all that.” (35:15)
• Stats (as discussed):
  • 36% from 3pt (highest since 2021), 54.5% from 2pt, nearly 50% midrange.
  • Top-5 in usage; true shooting approaching 59%, effective FG 54.5%.
  • “He leads the league in two point makes and two point attempts.” (36:56)
  • Assist % up to 25 (career best); usage rate 36.
• Tom: "He's still this efficient when his usage is this high... that's impressive stuff." (37:42)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John (on Tatum’s injury):
  • “I’m telling you, this dude is coming back... there's no way you can tell me if you look at Jason Tatum’s Instagram story that that dude should sit out the rest of this season. No chance.” (10:15)
• Tom (on Walsh’s mentality):
  • “If there's any question... it comes down to… is he gonna keep trying hard?... and I think the answer… is absolutely. Like, he’s a super hard-playing player.” (16:02)
• John (on the shooting oddities):
  • “It's almost like they folded the piece of paper and they opened it back up upside down... The numbers are right. The names are wrong.” (23:12)
• Tom (buying into Jaylen Brown):
  • “This is the season to say Jaylen Brown—believe in him this year.” (35:09)
• John (on Boston’s offense):
  • “This notion that they were going to outscore teams—that’s kind of what they’re doing...” (32:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Celtics’ place in the East (home court): 05:14 – 11:21
• Jordan Walsh’s breakout (defense, shooting): 16:02 – 19:55
• Josh Minot’s shooting hot streak: 20:15 – 24:01
• Celtics’ offense (top-5 sustainability): 26:58 – 32:21
• Jaylen Brown’s All-NBA case: 32:48 – 38:26

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, occasionally playful (“We couldn’t do two people as handsome as… Overload…”)
• Candid, thoughtful analysis balanced with statistics.
• In-jokes for core listeners (“That’s for my Simpsons fans out there.” – 04:55)
• Honest to fan experience: panel pushes back and self-corrects as new info emerges (“Let’s get an extra one out of [Derrick White]… Let’s get him going.”)
• Throughout, the mood is optimistic but realistic.

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Summary Takeaways

• Celtics’ contention is for real, though the exact playoff seed will depend on health and regressions by surprise contributors.
• Jordan Walsh is a legit rotation player and defensive asset; shooting is a bonus, but expect some drop-off.
• Josh Minot’s shooting is likely unsustainable at elite levels, but his confidence and growth add valuable depth.
• Boston’s offense is top-5 quality, fueled by extra possessions and bench contributions.
• Jalen Brown is having an all-NBA caliber season, elevating both his efficiency and leadership, and has earned believers.

The team is for real—but fans should expect some statistical normalization as the season matures.

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For more Celtics insights, subscribe on your favorite platform and join the discussion in the comments.

Transcript

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[John Corrales]

Let'S play a game of real or fake on today's Podcast. How long can these guys stay in the top half of the East? Jalen Brown, Josh Minot shooting, Jordan Walsh, all of that right now on the Locked on Celtics podcast.

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[Locked On Celtics Promo Voice]

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[John Corrales]

Corralis.

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Recap the madness every game, every practice, prime time. Jeop and D. White on the sideline. Ren and J, how we started raising bandits, how we finish. Locked on Celtics pod, home of the winners, baby.

[John Corrales]

Hey there. 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. And I talk about that Monday through Friday, plus bonus podcast when they play in the weekends. Next week, we start like two straight weeks of podcasts. They're all free. They're available Everywhere. They're on YouTube. So go ahead and subscribe. Wherever you get your podcast. Watch the show, Hop into the comments section if you're new to the show. I am John Corrales, beat writer covering the Celtics for Boston Sports Journal. I've been doing a version of this job for about 20 years doing this podcast for 10, 10 years on this show and I've written a couple of books about the team. Today's show is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase of tickets to whatever you want on the Game Time app. We're playing a game of Real or fake today. Later on, we'll get to how long these guys can stay in the top half of the East. Can they finish there? We'll get into Jaylen Brown, we'll get into Josh Minot. We'll get into all of that stuff and we're going to do it with Tom.

[Tom Wester]

Thank you.

[John Corrales]

This is.

[Tom Wester]

This is a perfect opportunity for you, for me to finally admit to your listeners and your viewers that I am actually fake.

[John Corrales]

You've been real or fake first. Real or fake? Tom Western home. Yeah.

[Tom Wester]

Which makes sense. I mean, to have somebody this handsome on your show would be, you know.

[John Corrales]

We couldn't do two people as handsome as. It's just overload. So we had to do the.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's right. You couldn't. On a sports.

[John Corrales]

The Internet issues here very clearly. AI Tom Thomas Roman is AI generated and we're seeing technical issues with it right now.

[Tom Wester]

Am I here still?

[John Corrales]

I don't even know what you said.

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[John Corrales]

Something just went very Wrong with your feed. And there he goes. We'll get Tom back in a second later on. Can the Celtics stay in the top five offense?

Have we. If we rebooted the server?

[Tom Wester]

I've done very little, but we've tried nothing and we'll see if nothing works.

[John Corrales]

Oh, God. We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas. That's for my Simpsons fans out there. Let's just start here with home court. And I'm gonna. I'm gonna leave it at home court because right now the Celtics are the third. See, are they still third?

They are, yes. Third by a half. Game over Toronto. And the. The.

Cup games will. Could change that could affect whatever. So I won't even say third or just top four. Real or fake. This team is a home court team this season. Tom.

[Tom Wester]

I'm going real. I think that I don't. And that's. That's two things, right? Number one, I think that the Celtics team is better than you. And I thought it was going to be. I think that. And I think I don't feel any regret over our preseason takes. I just think that, like, how could you have predicted that, like, five of the guys who they needed to hit would absolutely hit? Like, only the most wildly optimistic Celtics fan would have predicted this. But I think that we're seeing a lot of guys who actually can play ball. And like, that's. That's great. I think the other thing is that the east is pretty mediocre. And I am willing to put my chips down on the team that knows how to win, that has a documented history of knowing how to win and knowing how to, you know, close out games and knowing how to just do a lot of things right. So, yeah, I think that I'm going real. I think that this is a good Celtics team and in the east, that should be enough.

[John Corrales]

Okay, I agree that it is a good Celtics team. I. I'm going to say it is fake just because.

I think, first of all, it's early and I still think they are good enough to be in the top six.

So Detroit, New York expected Toronto unexpected. They'll. They'll probably fall off. Orlando still has room to get better.

[Tom Wester]

That's true.

[John Corrales]

I think they will ascend a little bit. Cleveland too good to be 14 and 11. And I. I think that, yes, they have issues, but they're too good. They will get it together. And on top of that, the other side of. Of why I think it's fake. The Celtics haven't had the injury bug.

[Tom Wester]

That's True. That is true.

[John Corrales]

They. They've. They've ex. They've escaped. They've. They've had some good injury injury luck.

[Tom Wester]

So I do expect Celtics fans, Celtics fans right now are absolutely screaming at you until their voice is hoarse that they actually have horrible injury luck and Jason Tatum is out. But your point is taken.

[John Corrales]

Well, right. It's. But they. Since that injury, since that one big.

[Tom Wester]

One, it's been smooth sailing.

[John Corrales]

It's been. Yeah. And so it's been.

It's been good. Jalen has played all but one game, and that was an illness quote, unquote. So I, I expect them to. To hit a little bit of a bump. And so with the Pistons. I don't think the Pistons will be the top seed, but maybe they will be. The Knicks are going to be about where they are. I expect a couple of teams to ascend. And so I just think that Boston is going to ultimately settle at fifth or sixth, which is going to be totally fine. And it is not a commentary on where they are, what they've done, everything that they've accomplished so far. I 100% agree that everything you said about what makes. That makes the potential answer real is. Is valid. It just. Just expect a couple of things to happen that will drop them a couple of notches, and they're really only one game out of fifth. Actually, Orlando Miami are tied for. So it's still bunched up. A lot can happen.

[Tom Wester]

It's very bunched up. I mean, one of the reasons that they're in third is because there are a million teams that are all just like, literally right on top of each other, right? Like a little like, like a week ago, the Celtics were in eighth and they were a game out of fourth. You know, it's like everybody is right there. So no question about that. No question that, like, you know, the injury luck especially like it as much as. As much as Jason Tatum negates that point to some extent. They like the fact that Jaylen has had. Has been as healthy as, as he has been is. Is, you know, really good. That's. You can't expect everybody to be as healthy as they have been.

[John Corrales]

Well, it's funny because you say Jason Tatum injury luck, and I had somebody while you were talking, send me the link to Tatum's story on Instagram where he looks really, really good. And I'm not going to share it because I don't have the rights to it and we can't. But I'm just looking as. I'll show you the back of my phone as I'm looking at Jason Tatum's story. You know what? I'm, I'm gonna push back. I'm gonna say the, what you just said about Jason Tatum's injury luck is fake as well.

[Tom Wester]

Hey, fair.

[John Corrales]

Because he's coming back, baby. He is coming back. There's no. Look at this man. Go to Jason Tatum's story. He looks good in. Let me tell you something. As someone who has been saying he will return this season from the beginning. I am waiting for the line, the apology line to start right here to my left to tell the people said I was crazy and didn't know what I was talking about. I'm telling you, this dude is coming back. In fact, I said March. Yeah, he might be back before March. So, like, he's looking, he is looking good. There's no way you can tell me if you, when you look at Jason Tatum's Instagram story that that dude should sit out the rest of this season. No chance. So I would say that that's actually good injury luck for this season. For a guy that's had torn Achilles, that he looks this good, this fast. Huh? I'd say that's, that's good. Injury luck. Injury luck.

[Tom Wester]

So, So I think that's fair. I guess the other thing that I will say. So two things to that. One, okay, if Jason Tatum's got good injury luck, then why wouldn't he? If, if he comes back, doesn't that mean that the Celtics have a better chance of getting home court in the postseason?

[John Corrales]

Better chance of making to the top four? I mean, sure, I, I will say that. There's also. Whoops as I knocked my microphone. I will. I'm gonna push back on that a little bit because I'm gonna say that even though he looks this good in practice or, you know, individual workouts, he's gonna have to come back and acclimate to the NBA. And I don't think he's gonna jump back in and be Jason Tatum right away. So I think, I think that he's gonna come back and it's gonna take like a month to. For him to be anywhere close to consistently something resembling good. Like, he'll be, you know, so it'll be minutes restrictions. It'll be five minute stints. It'll be, you know, just. And, and because they're going to try to work him in, I think there'll be like a little bit of a dip. Like guys like Josh, you know, Josh Minot, Jordan Walsh will get to when we come back from the break. Those guys aren't going to get the same opportunities. Gonna be a little bit of an adjustment period. So that, that might actually coincide with a tiny bit of a dip. So, so I still, I still stand by where I'm, where I landed.

[Tom Wester]

The only other thing I would say is I don't love the way Cleveland looks like I agree that there should be some kind of a surge. I don't love them this year.

[John Corrales]

I don't.

[Tom Wester]

Something doesn't feel right there and then. I've just never been a huge Orlando believer. I, I don't love that team either. So we'll see.

[John Corrales]

Well, all fair. So let's get into Jordan Walsh, who's the biggest like question here. We'll get him and Josh 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. Every one of their unlimited plans is 50% off. So you can lock in a 3, 6 or even 12 month unlimited premium premium wireless plan for just $15 a month. So it's easy to take your overpriced 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 lets you keep your same coverage for a lower price. It only takes a few minutes to set up. You can bring your own number without any issues. Bring your phone too. The service is fast, super reliable, and it just feels good knowing you're not overpaying just to stay connected. Turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future. See what they did there by switching to Mint Shop. Mint Unlimited plans@mint mobile.com lockdown MBA that's mint mobile.com lockdown MBA Limited time offer upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 months. Plan required. That's a $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees. Initial plan term only. Greater than 55 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy. Capable device required. Availability, speed and coverage varies.

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[John Corrales]

Learn [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase bank and a member FDIC subject to credit approval. Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Now take it up a level and go ad free. Join the Everydayer club and get locked on Celtics with no interruptions, members only, Discord access and more. All for just five bucks a month or fifty dollars a year. Go to locked on celtics.supercast.com locked on celtics.superCast.com or just check the link in the show notes to learn more. Let's get back to the real or fake and bring Tom Wesser home back here for Jordan Walsh. And I think there's a, there's like two things here with Jordan Walsh. There's the bigger is just who he's become, is this just real? And then there's his shooting, which is at 40 plus percent, which we can compartmentalize. So let's just start at the overall. Jordan Walsh has arrived. Is this a real thing here, Tom?

[Tom Wester]

I think this is a real thing that he's arrived, Yes. I think that we're looking at a really awesome defensive player, somebody who can do like guard. So many different positions bother people like this. Like, I think, you know, if there's any question to it, it comes down to like, hey, is he, is he gonna keep trying hard? You know, because like, he's got all the tools, he's got all the athleticism, he's got the wingspan, he's got everything. So and so a lot of it just comes down to will he keep trying hard. And I think the answer from like what it looks like, you know, the way it looks is absolutely like he's a, he's a super hard playing player. I love the way he, you know, blows up opposing, you know, ball handlers. I love the way he blows up opposing actions. Like, he's, I think it's all there for him. So I, I do think that there are, you know, a lot we can get to the shooting. I, I slightly different take on that. But I do think that as an NBA player, like, because before the season you and I were talking, is this guy even an NBA player? I think that is an unequivocal yes to me at this point.

[John Corrales]

He's, I do think it's real. I do think that, that Jordan Walsh is real. He is now part of this rotation. He will remain so. And I think he's, he's Gonna be part of it for the foreseeable future. Even with Tatum back, I think he's the type of guy that can accentuate Tatum and Brown. What I love is Jalen doesn't have to be so gung ho. And I think. I think it's very interesting to me that Jalen said this year that, man, we need somebody to go out there and. And cover their best defender. I mean, their best, their best, best offensive player. Because Jalen always said he wanted to do that.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

You know, and now he's like, really tired, dog.

[Tom Wester]

He's a diet.

[John Corrales]

Jalen J is tired.

And for good reason.

[Tom Wester]

Yep.

[John Corrales]

And so he's like, oh, man, can somebody just take this off my plate? And not that he's not playing defense, but it's just like, you go do all this other hard work. And Jordan's like, yeah, man, I can do that. He's playing incredible defense. So he. He's doing the things that he needs to do. The shot is fake, but I'm going to say fake. Ish.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Because it's not a look. Only because of his history am I going to say he's not a 40% three point shooter. I am willing to listen to him becoming a good three point shooter because there's something. I don't know. Tom, if you see it, you're the shooter. I look at his shot this year, I'm like, you know what? It looks good.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

The actual release. I remember we had a conversation way back when where I was like, man, that ball is coming off his hand inconsistently. Sometimes it felt like it was coming off the middle finger, sometimes it's coming off the ring. Like he just could never get the hand right on the now it looks consistent. It looks fluid. The follow through is like his form, whatever he's done over the years. I look at that jumper and I'm like, yeah, that. That probably should be going in. So it's. I'm gonna lean on history to say it's fake, only to say that it'll probably dip below 40%. I do not expect him to be a 43 point shooter, but if he settles this year at like 37 and a half, 38, that's totally fine. That's Derek White territory.

[Tom Wester]

That's fantastic. Given what he does on the defensive end. That's awesome.

[John Corrales]

Oh, my God. God. Like, yeah. And if that's all he ever becomes, a three and D monster like that, sign me up. So that I'm gonna say real. And if you want to be positive and be like it's real ish or fake ish on the shooting, however you want to classify it. I do think there's an ish in there, and I just need to see it more consistently.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah, I think that's fair. I, I, and I, I agree. I think that the 40 is probably a little fake. I think that the, I think that being a decent shooter is very much within the cards for him. I also enjoy that the Celtics have another wing that you're like, oh, if he's a three and D guy, that's great. Oh, Jordan Walsh is just gonna. Jalen Brown you. He's.

[John Corrales]

That's right. Which brings us to the other wing here, Josh Minot. You know, you, like, look, man, you got, you got Jordan, who's 21. You got Josh, who's 23. They're basically the same dude.

Jordan is shooting 45.7% from three. That's why I say it's fake. Now Josh is shooting 4.44.6% from 3.

I don't know about you, man. I'm less confident in this one. I'm going to say this one is fake, even though it's been going in and he's been doing the, the why not Minot thing, which is fun as hell. I'm, I, that's not a shot that I can trust.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Right.

[Tom Wester]

No, I agree. I'm going fake on this one, too. I don't, it doesn't look sustainable to me. I mean, I think that, like, one we're seeing. The Celtics are really hot right now, right? Like, they're like, Joe Missoula even said it after one of his. He's like, listen, we're shooting the ball very well right now. It's like, yeah, man. Like, you see it that. And again, I think with mine on, it's the same thing as, as Walsh, right? It's like, I'm not saying that he's going to be a bad shooter. I'm not saying that, like, his, his shooting overall is fake, but I think that this level of shooting is, is fake.

[John Corrales]

To me. It's, it's too much. Too much. And, and it, it, it is unlimited shot and, and also a lot of it from the corner. So, you know, that's right.

[Tom Wester]

That is true.

[John Corrales]

And he's shooting it with confidence. So the confidence is there. And so I, I. 44 and a half percent again, just like Jordan. 44 and a half percent is like that. That's not right. Like, he should not be.

[Tom Wester]

That's not correct.

[John Corrales]

That's not. No, of all the rotation guys like Hugo Gonzalez. Is he a rotation guy? Like, he's. He's shooting 47. I don't know about that. Jordan shooting 45.7. Josh is shooting 44.6. Luca Garza shooting 44. Anthony Simons is shooting 40. Then you get to Sam Houser shooting 36. Jalen 36. Pritchard 34. Derrick White 33.8. It's almost like they folded the piece of paper and they opened it back up upside down and like. Okay, so. Yes. Okay, these are the guys that should be shooting 40 plus percent at this point. No, wait a minute. That's not right. You flip the paper around. Like, how. No, we. We got this mixed up. The percentages from top to bottom seem like, okay, yeah, sure, those percentages are right. But if we were to play like a. A Price is Right game where you're, like, slotting the names in. Yeah. No one would get these right except for maybe Anthony Simons.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The. No, the. The. The numbers are right. The names are wrong. That's a. It's all.

[John Corrales]

It's all.

[Tom Wester]

And listen, if. If Pritchard starts. I mean, listen, if Pritchard spikes himself up to, you know, 44, 45 for three, that's also very good for the Celtics like that. You know, if. If you end up flipping these. Yeah, no problem. Right. If the numbers get more normal, that will work out just fine for them as well. But. Yeah, because I'd like.

[John Corrales]

I'd love to flip those because Derrick White's taking nine. Exactly.

[Tom Wester]

That's right.

[John Corrales]

Jalen Brown's taking six. You know, Hauser's taking almost six. I'd rather those guys start to creep up versus the guys at the top, because even though Josh is shooting 44 and a half percent, he's making 1.3 per game. That's half of what Derrick White is making at 33.8%. He's making 3.1 per game. Let's. Let's get an extra one out of him. Let's get him going. So.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah, let's.

[John Corrales]

And that'll bring us into the next segment here. Let's start with Jalen Brown. We'll get into the. The Celtics offense overall when we come back, because those two kind of, I don't know, out of whack. We'll talk about that when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by. Game time. The World cup is coming back to North America, and you want to go watch it. It's the first time since 1994 and with 48 teams for the first time ever. It's going to be a massive, massive event. Let's be honest, getting tickets, that's going to be very difficult. That's why game time is clutch. You get a chance to get a real advantage when it comes comes to snagging seats. You can track price drops in real time, get alerts when great seats open. Buy tickets the moment they hit the app and it puts the power back in your hands and it makes going to the World cup realistic instead of impossible. You pull up the app. The layout makes it very simple to scroll through matchups and compare seat views. There are a lot of arenas involved and you probably haven't been to most of these, if not maybe all of these. So you're going to want to see the seat view. It's right there. You can literally see what the pitch looks like from your exact seat. Before you buy, pick a game, tap a section. You have your tickets within minutes. No confusion, confusion. No hunting for the fine print and all the fees. Nope, forget them. They're included in the price up front so no last second surprises. Take the guesswork out of buying World cup tickets at every match, concert or event with Game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, download the app, make an account, use the code locked on NBA for $20 off. Swipe, tap ticket, go Game time.

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[John Corrales]

Learn [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase bank and a member FDIC subject to credit approval. Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Did your show make the lockdown? Did your Spotify wrap include Lockdown Celtics? Did we make your Spotify rap? Prove it. On social media you can get a free month in our new Everydayer Club. Just tag the national Locked on podcast network account on any social platform and we will drop you a code. Be one of the first to join the Everydayer Club and get your favorite show ad. Free and exclusive access to the members only Discord channel. If you're on video, we'll send you the first ever 24247 national YouTube page channel on audio. Make sure you make your second listen NBA game night. So go check that out on locked on celtics.supercast.com all right, let's get Back to the real or fake.

I put Jalen Brown first. But since we were talking about the offense, let's just go, let's just go into the offense. The Celtics offense is currently second in offensive rating according to NBA.com second in offensive rating.

Nobody expected that.

So real or fake, Tom? I'm not even gonna say second. Let's just leave it somewhere in the top five. The Celtics offense will finish this year somewhere in the top five.

[Tom Wester]

I think somewhere in the top five seems plausible, but a little optimistic. I, I think, I, I think that somewhere like in the top six or seven, it just feels a little bit more realistic with, with what we're seeing. I think that, you know, we're seeing. I mean I, I guess some of it depends on like does. Is Jaylen Brown just this guy now? Like is he just, you know, 50 some odd percent mid range shooter, you know, who can, who can do all this stuff? I mean that's big. Can they flip the three point shooting, right? Like, like Ken, you can Pritchard start making his normal clip from you know, three point range? Can Derek White, can Sam Houser, you know, can Minot and Walsh, like even if they're not going to be 46, three point shooters, can. Yeah, like you said, can they stay in like that 37 range? Like I think those are the questions and it so much has gone right here in the early going that to me, I think that top five, I don't want to say necessarily fake because I do think that like in the 4 or 5 range is plausible. So I'll say like realish. I'm gonna go the opposite of fake ish. I'm gonna go real ish. I think this is a good offense. I think there's a lot of really good players on this team and they're being led by an all NBA guy who is just absolutely killing everything right now. Like Jalen's been awesome and a little bit of slippage here or there could drop them a bit. So like I don't want to discount the possibility of slippage, but I do think that this is a good team and a good offense and Jalen Brown is, you know, we'll get to him, but he's one heck of a player.

[John Corrales]

So number one is Denver, number three is New York. Number four is Houston. Number five is okc. I expect those teams to stay there.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Now if I say fake, who's knocking them out? Is it The Lakers at 6? The Spurs? The Timberwolves? The Pistons? The Cavs? The cavs are at 115.9. So 115.9 points per 100 possessions. The Celtics are at 122. I think one of the things that's going to keep them up there is they, they are starting to play with a better pace. Yeah, they, they are last in, in the league and they are last in December. But I just feel like they are, they are able to get a ton of shots up and like I haven't even seen field goal attempts. Like, and that's, that's gonna, that's probably gonna be low on top of everything. No, look there. So here's, here's like the, the dichotomy of their pace thing and then we could play real or fake with the, with the pace thing too. I think that's a little bit of fake. The Celtics are last in pace, but they're ninth in the NBA in field goals attempted with 90.5. So explain to me how you could be last in pace but putting up 90 shots per game. Because that seems like a fast paced team to me for sure.

[Tom Wester]

I mean for one thing that does that is that they are a good offensive rebounding team. So there are extra shots going up from that, which helps. But. Yeah, no, I mean it like. And I mean, I don't know. Like I test is like it does look faster than, than last in the NBA. It doesn't. They don't look like a last in the NBA team.

[John Corrales]

They are sixth in offensive rebounding.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

With 12 per game. Yeah. And they are.

Seventh in steals. So those two things pump up their possessions.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

So what I see I think is real top five offense because part of it is fueled by put backs. Part of it is fueled by the defense which I, it's again there's now 17th in defense. Let me see, is it still. Yeah, 17th in defense which is like because they foul too much. But their defense is good enough for them to put up the shots and that's going to pump up their offensive numbers. So I think they're going to stay up there. I'm going to say their top five offense is going to be real which kind of jives with what we said coming in that I question their defensive ability because of like I questioned how good Nene was going to be, but now he's turned out to be pretty good. But yeah, he's not on the floor all the time and protecting the rim is, is still like a little bit of an issue. They're trying the small ball thing which is up and down.

[Tom Wester]

But importantly the small ball Offensive numbers are crazy, right? Like, they're, yeah. So, like that, you know, matters too.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. So, so this notion that they were going to outscore teams, that's kind of what they're doing in a lot of regards. Like, so I think the offense staying in the top five, I buy it. That's real to me.

[Tom Wester]

Honestly, Honestly, when you read the teams that were below them, I, that, that I, I, I made me want to get rid of the ish. Like, because, yeah, I don't think the Lakers are, are coming for them offensively. I don't think the, I don't, like, you know, of the teams that you mentioned, I would say like, maybe the spurs, but like, I don't know, like, are the spurs going to be healthy enough all year to put something consistent together? I don't know.

[John Corrales]

So, yeah, yeah, I think Minnesota has a chance, sure.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

But yeah, I, I'm keeping Boston in the top five offensively. Jalen Brown, big reason why.

[Tom Wester]

Yep.

[John Corrales]

So Jalen Brown, real or fake? Like, this is, this is an all NBA season. He is shooting crazy from the field this season he is. Let's see here. From three, he's shooting 36%, which is his highest since the 2021 season.

From two, he's shooting 54 and a half percent.

Which he has shot better from two before, but he's shooting just about 50 for mid range. So is this real or is this fake? And my only question about whether it remains real or fake is does that mid range number stay where it is? And I think, Tom, the Jordan Walsh thing that we started with makes me want to say real because he's passing off the major defensive responsibilities, which means Jalen can still play defense, but against lesser players. Yeah. And so he can kind of focus on some of the other stuff he needs to do offensively. And the pace number, I think, is because Jalen needs to slow things down sometimes. Totally fine. Not worried about that. I'm more worried about the field goal attempts. I like where he is. I, maybe the, maybe the, the shooting will level off, but they're hitting a point now where they get some rest.

I'm, I'm in. I think Jalen's playing with a ton of confidence. I think Jaylen Brown is, is for real. This is an all NBA season for him. And as I said in yesterday's podcast, like, they, there's a potential, especially with guys like Giannis, there's guys going to start drifting off and not being eligible. So I think Jalen had the potential to be in consideration for first team. Anyway, at this point, it's too early to say what he would be, but we're also starting to see guys drop off. I'm like, oh, well, then that would answer a lot of questions. So I'm, I'm, I'm being optimistic here. I'm saying Jalen Brown is real.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah, I think I, I. Okay, so I guess I want to, I want to go with real.

I'm a little bit concerned like you about the mid range shooting. That, that's the number that, that concerns me about real. But the thing that I want to do is I want to bet on Jalen Brown this season. It feels like this is the season to bet on Jaylen Brown. I don't mean, like, gamble. I'm not talking about that. I just mean, like, this is the season to say Jaylen Brown, like, believe in him this year because, like, he's, he's been awesome. He, I think when you watch him, there's such a clear kind of purpose to the way he's playing. Like, he knows what he wants to do in a game. He knows, like he knows. He seems to really know what he wants to do this year. He seems to have a very clear understanding of what his goals are, what he wants to show, what he wants to accomplish and what his, his role is in all of that. So, yeah, I'm, I'm gonna go real on Jalen just because I, I really think that, like, you're not gonna hurt yourself by believing in Jalen Brown this season. I don't think, I think that you're, you're not setting yourself up for any disappointment with him.

[John Corrales]

I agree, I agree with that. Betting on Jalen is, is a good idea. I think this season.

True shooting, which factors in three point shooting and free throws, he is at 58.9%, which is good. Anything the closer you get to 60 obviously is, is fantastic, but 58.9 is currently that, that would be his highest true shooting percentage of his career. The effective field goal percentage, which is just weighted to include three pointers, is currently.

Well, he had a stretch there at above 55. He's at 54 and a half percent, but that's, that's still a really good number. And he leads the league in two point makes and two point attempts. So it's just the way he's shooting, the way he's going to. I do like everything that you said. I like where he is. His, let me see here. His assist percentage is at 25, which is 4, 3 and a half points higher than it was last year and 9, 8 or 9 points higher than it was previous to any of this stuff. So he is playing just wonderfully offensively and his usage rate is like through the roof at 36.

[Tom Wester]

And that's the thing. That's the thing. He's still this efficient when his usage is this high. Like that's. He has scaled everything up and I don't like scaling up is hard. It's really hard to do that in the NBA. And he's just done it and he looks this good. That's ah, that's impressive stuff.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, yeah. It's not just, it's just not just numbers going up because he's putting up more shots or anything.

[Tom Wester]

Right?

[John Corrales]

He is putting up more shots but it's not like a ton more. He took 17.7 last, he's at 21.6. So like four more shots per game. That's not like outrageous. But he's averaging seven more points. It's, you know, so yeah, I'm in. I'm in. I'm absolutely in on Jalen Brown this year.

[Tom Wester]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

So Celtics are a good team, man. They're good. We'll see. We'll see what, what levels off though. Tom, appreciate you for hopping on as always.

[Tom Wester]

Appreciate you, man.

[John Corrales]

And I do appreciate you, the listener, the viewer watching on YouTube, the everydayer who's with me every Monday through Friday. Remember we have the Everydayer Club which you go to locked on celtics.supercast.com if we made your Spotify wrapped tag the Locked on podcast network on any social media platform and you will get a free month there. So if you want the show ad free for five bucks a month, 50 bucks a year, you can do that on the Everydayer Club. So go ahead there and do that. You can always stick around here for free. There's no problem with me. However you want to do it. I appreciate you listening, I appreciate you watching. 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 on the Lockdown podcast network. It's your team every day.

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