Locked On Celtics Podcast: Were We WRONG about Boston bigs? | NBA GMs SNUB Celtics in Rankings

Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Guest: Tom Westerholm (Boston.com)
Date: October 10, 2025

Episode Overview

John Karalis and Tom Westerholm dive into preseason takeaways from the Celtics’ win over the Grizzlies, reexamine the narrative around Boston’s big men, discuss what to watch for against the Toronto Raptors, and react to the annual NBA GM survey that surprisingly snubs the Celtics in multiple categories. The tone is insightful, self-aware, and often playful, with candid criticisms and an insider’s understanding of the Celtics' roster construction and NBA politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Takeaways from the Grizzlies Game

(starts at 05:05)

• Big Standouts: Derrick White and Jalen Brown played well, but the biggest surprise was Luca Garza’s performance.
  • “My biggest takeaway was I didn’t expect Luca Garza to look as good as [he did].” – Tom Westerholm (05:28)
• Luca Garza’s role: Garza impressed by setting hard screens, rolling to the rim, and doing the little things needed to function in Boston's offensive system. Westerholm likens his archetype to Luke Kornet—playing smart, unselfish basketball that makes teammates better.
  • “A pick and pop big man who all of a sudden is like, you know what? No, I'm gonna just roll to the basket a whole bunch of times and go straight at the rim.” – Tom Westerholm (05:55)
• Xavier Tillman’s Impact: Tillman also fits naturally and functionally into the Celtics' system, showing great timing on screens and unselfish play.
  • “Just here to reverse and get the ball to the other side…and then I’m going to go do a pitch and chase with Derrick White…all that stuff.” – John Karalis (07:22)

Meta-Narrative: Have We Underestimated the Celtics' Bigs?

• The analysis goes beyond individual talents: it centers on how “system bigs” (like Kornet previously) thrive in Boston’s designed style.
  • “Maybe we’re thinking about the Celtics bigs…kind of wrong.” – John Karalis (08:15)
• Boston’s apparent ability to reclaim undervalued big men could set up a sustainable, budget-friendly model for roster construction:
  • “Bring us your reclamation project, Bigs, and we’ll just sign these guys to two three year contracts and just keep funneling them out…That would be huge.” – John Karalis (13:09)

2. What to Watch For Against the Raptors

(starts at 16:39)

• Carryover Points: The focus is not on stats, but decision making, timing, and chemistry—especially as new or rested players (like Simons, Pritchard, and Kata) enter the fold.
  • “It’s the decision making. It’s the timing. Can you build on that kind of stuff?” – John Karalis (17:46)
• N. Keita’s Audition: Both hosts are skeptical/excited to see if Keita shows the same “professionalism” and mastery of big-man fundamentals as Garza and Tillman.
  • “Keda has always been this, like, flashes guy…Now what you need to see from him is…that he can also contribute on that professional level.” – Tom Westerholm (19:53)
• Simons' Role: Tom is driving the “Anthony Simons hype train,” focusing on whether he can buy into the system and impact both sides of the ball.
  • “If Simons buys into this system, I think he’s a really dangerous, really good player…It just comes down to buy-in, right?” – Tom Westerholm (23:18)

Memorable Moment

• The hosts jokingly barter Minot and Simons “stock,” reflecting their player preferences and what Boston fans might be excited for.
  • “You own all the Anthony Simons stock for sure…maybe we can like sell each other some of the…Take some Minot stock.” – John Karalis & Tom Westerholm (24:09–24:26)

3. NBA GM Survey Reaction: Are the Celtics Being Snubbed?

(starts at 29:21)

• GM Survey Dissection: The annual exercise, supposedly polling league insiders, yields little respect for the Celtics—ranking them 8th (!) in the Eastern Conference, behind questionable teams.
  • “Cleveland, New York, Orlando, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and then Boston. What!” – John Karalis (31:28)
  • Both hosts express disbelief at the amount of faith placed in Philadelphia and Atlanta compared to Boston.
  • “I’m not buying Milwaukee either.” – Tom Westerholm (33:01)
• Coach Recognition: Joe Mazzulla is mostly omitted from ‘Best Coach’ categories except for a nod in ‘Best Defensive Schemes.’ The hosts note the inconsistency and lack of recognition.
• Position Confusion & Survey Validity:
  • The GM survey exposes a lack of clarity about NBA positions (e.g., Luka Doncic appearing as top three in three different positions).
  • “How many minutes has Luka played at small forward? Like, ever?” – John Karalis (35:30)
  • The hosts openly question the authenticity of the survey results, joking that few real GMs actually fill it out.
  • “Of the 30 GMs, how many actually fill this thing out? 3, 4?…There’s no way Brad fills this out.” – John Karalis (37:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Exchanges

• On Boston’s System for Bigs:
  “Look at Luke Kornet and be like, bro, if I do this right…I could put—Luke Kornet just got four years, 40 million.” – Tom Westerholm (11:36)

• On the Value of System Buy-In:
  “It just comes down to buy-in, right? That’s, that’s really what it is with them.” – Tom Westerholm (23:18)

• On the GM Survey Reality Check:
  “GM, whose job it is to look at the round at the league would say, 'I’m getting Luka to be my small forward.' He’s a point guard. He’s your point guard.” – John Karalis (36:18)

• On Survey Silliness:
  “I promise you, they don’t think this dumb thing.” – Tom Westerholm (37:21)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:05 — Start of Celtics/Grizzlies basketball analysis
• 05:28-06:50 — Garza and big new look at Boston’s center rotation
• 08:15-13:09 — Rethinking the bigs as system successes; Boston as a “big man reclamation line”
• 16:39-18:56 — Raptors preview; what to watch for in decision-making and chemistry
• 19:53-21:59 — Keita’s challenge to match new “big man professionalism”
• 22:37-23:59 — Anthony Simons’ buy-in potential
• 29:21-31:28 — GM Survey segment begins; disbelief at disrespect for Celtics’ ranking
• 35:30-36:18 — Position confusion in the survey (Luka at “small forward”)
• 37:21-38:16 — Questioning who actually fills out the GM survey

Episode Tone & Style

John and Tom alternate between wry skepticism of league narratives (especially national media and survey “clout”), deep respect for roster-building nuances, and the playful critique fans will recognize. Their Celtics analysis focuses as much on culture, buy-in, and the “conveyor belt” concept for big men as on individual player skills. The episode rewards both hardcore fans and NBA observers who value sharp, unfiltered basketball discussion.

Recommended For: Celtics fans, NBA roster nerds, anyone curious about how non-star players can swing team-building, and those looking for a healthy skepticism toward popular league narratives.

Listen to the full podcast for more:

• Roster updates and match previews
• Deep dives into player archetypes and fit
• More unfiltered takes on “fake” GM surveys