Will Josh Minot Price Himself OUT of Boston? | Neemias Queta LONG-TERM Potential

Summary

Locked On Celtics Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Will Josh Minot Price Himself OUT of Boston? | Neemias Queta LONG-TERM Potential
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Guest: Tom Westerholm
Date: November 7, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the performance, potential, and future with the Celtics of key role players, focusing especially on Josh Minot and Neemias Queta. John Karalis and Tom Westerholm analyze whether Minot’s breakout play could make him too expensive for Boston, the realism behind Neemias Queta’s eye-popping advanced numbers, and how the Celtics are cultivating depth at the end of their bench, particularly among younger players. The discussion captures both excitement and concern about building a rotation around rising contributors as the Celtics enter the next phase as a playoff hopeful.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Josh Minot: Rising Star, Contract Dilemma?

(03:46–18:58)

• Breakout Play and Stats:

  • Minot scored a career-high 21 points (8-12 FG), grabbed 15 rebounds, and tied a career-high with 3 assists in a recent game.
  • His energy and consistent contributions have made him a Twitter and locker-room favorite.

• Potential "Pricing Out" Scenario:

  • Referenced a piece by Ryan Bernardoni exploring if Minot could get “so good that the salary...the contract that he signed with Boston is almost going to work against the Celtics.” (04:38)
  • Tom Westerholm: “It’s that...if you just kind of took what’s happened so far in the first part of the season and you just stretch that out the rest of the way…yeah, at that point it does start to look a little dicey.” (06:46)
  • Both hosts agree it’s early for panic; most teams require a larger sample before betting big on a role player.

• Minot’s Attitude and Fit:

  • John cites Minot’s postgame comments: “Man, I love it here. This place has been great. It’s a blessing...” (09:19)
  • Minot’s willingness to accept hard coaching—specifically Joe Mazzulla “berating” him for a mistake—is seen as a positive culture fit.

• League Interest & Contract Outlook:

  • “Is he getting so good that he’s gonna price himself out of Boston eventually?” John asks, and both agree it’s not imminent with the current small-sample inconsistency.
  • Tom: “If he keeps playing like this, I do think that there is a danger of him getting plucked for sure. But again, I think we're far away from that right now.” (10:28)
  • As a role player without elite shooting/creation, Minot is valuable for contending teams, but contenders also have less cap space under the new CBA.

• Summary:

  • There’s excitement about Minot’s potential and his team-friendly contract, but Boston has time to enjoy his growth before free agency becomes an existential threat.

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2. Neemias Queta: Statistical Darling, True Core Piece?

(19:20–32:17)

• Eye-Popping Advanced Stats:

  • Tom on Queta: "Lineups with Keda are 98th percentile league-wide with a point differential of +18.9 points per 100 possessions." (19:36)
  • The Celtics are "more than 30 points better with Keda on the floor than with him off...most of that comes down to defense.” (19:36)

• Scout Perspective and Ceiling:

  • John recounts talking with a scout: "Is he your starting center? ...I think Keda is a backup and that’s where the scout and I settled." (20:40)
  • Tom: “Maybe Keda could be like a poor man’s Robert Williams and you know, he stays a little healthier, like maybe. But...in an ideal world for the Celtics, he is a solid backup.” (25:25)

• On/Off Numbers: Real or Mirage?

  • They note numbers may exaggerate value due to the dramatic drop-off when Queta leaves the floor—nobody behind him provides comparable size/defense.
  • “When he's playing well, the Celtics are playing well, you’re never going to have Nimius kata playing well and the Celtics kind of stinking, right?” (23:43)

• Missoula’s Investment:

  • Joe Missoula wants Queta to become a legit starter, actively coaching and “talking up his potential.”

• Season Outlook:

  • John: “For now, for this season, if they're going to do well, Keda needs to just keep this consistent and this is going to be the biggest thing for him.” (30:17)
  • The hope is Queta can be a key rotational big, but long-term, Boston should add a starter-level center with Queta best used as a primary backup.

Memorable Exchange

• John (on being proven wrong):
  • "I would love nothing more for Kada to be like, to look me in the eye in the locker room and be like, 'I'm proving you wrong' and whatever word he wants to call me, I don't care. I would welcome that." (30:54)

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3. The Bench Mob: Who Emerges at 9-12?

(32:17–38:49)

• Current Battle for Minutes:

  • Names discussed: Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Shireman, Chris Boucher, Luca Garza.
  • The rotation is undefined—Jordan Walsh, for example, played 24 minutes one night, then could easily get zero minutes the next, depending on matchup/need.

• Development Philosophy:

  • Tom: “That’s the thing that gets you on the floor on a Joe Mazzulla team is if you can play good defense.” (36:29)
  • Hugo Gonzalez singled out for highest upside.

• The Fluid Eighth Man:

  • John: “One of these guys has to contribute every night for the Celtics to do well. I don't know who it's going to be every night. And this is going to be the hardest thing in the world...” (34:03)
  • Team and fans must be patient; no player beyond Minot and Queta has locked in a consistent role.

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4. The Celtics’ Long-Game: Building Internal Value

(37:11–38:49)

• If Minot, Queta, Gonzalez contribute next year:
  • John: “If those three guys are part of the rotation next year, then massive, massive win for Brad Stevens. Massive, massive win to come out of this season with three guys...check, check, check.” (38:01)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Tom Westerholm, on Minot’s growth:

  • “Guys who are his height, his length, his athleticism and who just play as hard as he does, those guys, when they can contribute, they get money.” (06:05)

• John Corrales, on Minot’s loyalty:

  • “If this is the place that kind of turns things around for him, maybe he’ll find some, some level of loyalty.” (09:06)

• Tom Westerholm, on Queta’s numbers:

  • “The Celtics are more than 30 points better with Keda on the floor than with him off. Most of that comes down to defense.” (19:36)

• John Corrales, on bench flux:

  • “None of these guys has enough behind them to be like, I earned, you know, 20 minutes...it’s just such a, it’s a crapshoot.” (34:10)

• John Corrales, on organizational wins:

  • “To come out of this season with three guys...all for next season when theoretically the Celtics want to contend. That's a huge win.” (38:01)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:46–18:58: Deep dive on Josh Minot’s future, contract, and value
• 19:20–32:17: Neemias Queta’s advanced stats, role concerns, and coaching
• 32:17–38:49: Rotational uncertainty among young/bench players; team development focus

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

The conversation blends cautious optimism with pragmatic realism—celebrating young player development without projecting stardom too early. Both hosts maintain an analytical but fan-friendly tone, mixing jocular exchanges with in-depth CBA and roster-building talk. For those watching Boston’s rebuild-in-place, the episode articulates why Minot’s and Queta’s progress is both thrilling and a little precarious, and how every night, the bench is as much a laboratory as a proving ground.

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Ideal For:
Listeners looking for deeper understanding of the Celtics’ developmental philosophy, roster management with the new CBA, and which young players could emerge as keepers as Boston plans its next playoff run.

Transcript

[John Corrales]

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[John Corrales]

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[Tom Westerholm]

Felt good. I appreciate that. I, I like. It's very, very existential. The ashes of a former contender. Phoenix rising.

[John Corrales]

This, yeah, just came to me in, like, in that moment. I didn't even, didn't even plan to say that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Some real, some real Ozymandias going on. It's good stuff.

[John Corrales]

Josh Minot. I'm gonna have to look that one up. Josh Meinhardt has been good. So good that I think Celtics fans are really excited about Josh. Let's just start with this. I was talking about this on yesterday's podcast. Obviously, Josh dropped a 21 point career high. You know, he's been a regular speaking to the media and that means that he's been a regular as a contributor. He has what career. He has career highs in points now. Rebounds. Yeah. As I fight back a sneeze. 15 rebounds. He has tied a career high, three assists. So he's gonna have to work on that. Maybe against Orlando, he can get to like five, six or seven assists. Yeah, he's doing well. He's just doing well.

[Tom Westerholm]

Just doing side quests. Just, just.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. And there's so much untapped potential here that's leading to one of our favorite people, Ryan Bernardoni writing a piece. Now, Ryan, you probably don't know because he just keeps a low profile, but he lurks in the shadows of Celtics media, slash social media, and every once in a while writes a piece on, on his medium and you're like, oh, man, this is. He's one of the smartest people when it comes to the cap. Like, like ridiculous. Like, just a genius when it comes to that stuff, but also just a rabid Celtics fan. And he laid out this premise of Josh Minot's getting so good, like too good, that the, the salary, the, the contract that he assigned with Boston is almost going to work against the Celtics. He's going to get so good that they can't offer him enough and another team's going to swoop in and he's gonna have to go take his money and all of that stuff. So let's just start here. Tom, where, where are you on Josh Minot and his potential? Is he getting so good that he's gonna price himself out of Boston eventually?

[Tom Westerholm]

I. So I don't think it's a. I, I certainly don't think it's a crazy premise. Right. I think you look at all the stuff that, that Minot is doing right now at his age, you know, with 22 year old guy, like really young, you look at the profile, the, the physical tools, the, the stuff that he brings to the floor, it's all really, really valuable stuff. Like you don't. Guys who are. His height, his length, his athleticism and who just play as hard as he does, those guys, when they can contribute, they get money. Right. Like, that was the whole concepts behind drafting Jordan Walsh is like, yeah, this guy can become what Josh Minot is, is like the fully realized, fully idealized Jordan Walsh is precisely what Josh Minot has been through the first, what, eight games of the season or whatever, whatever we're at here. Yeah, it's. It's that I think I, I do not think that it's. It's crazy to think in terms of Josh Minot pricing himself out eventually. There is a long way to go before that happens and I think that's where we currently find ourselves. Right. It's like Josh Minot has been awesome and, and I think if you just kind of took what's happened so far in the first part of the season and you just stretch that out the rest of the way. Yeah, I mean, if he's regularly scoring 20 points, if he's, you know, like grabbing 14 rebounds in a game, you know, once every six or seven games or whatever it is. Like, yeah, at that point it does start to look a little dicey. It's terms of him pricing himself out. Celtics have an option on his contract next year. So, you know, worst case scenario, they at least would have another season with him. But yeah, I just think that I, I think that where we are now, it's, it's. It's a little early to be thinking in, I think, sort of catastrophic. Like. Well, it's Another Luke Cornett situation. This guy's completely pricing himself out of Boston, kind of.

[John Corrales]

And we might get there, we might get there with him, but really might.

[Tom Westerholm]

I. Yeah, that can't be stressed enough. We really might.

[John Corrales]

But also, he, he's. He's coming off of a 21 point game where he was 8 of 12, but that also followed a 2.6 rebound game against Utah where he was 1 of 5 and didn't look good and nobody looked good. And also within that game for Josh, there was the late timeout that Joe called to berate him, berate him. Coming off the floor in a way that Josh and Joe can, like, understand each other. And I think the, the, one of the great things about Josh is that he appreciates that kind of coaching. And I'm sure, a hundred percent sure behind the scenes after something like that, Joe is, is in Josh's face in the locker room, gassing him up and privately talking him and telling, literally telling him, I love him. You know, I mean, like, you know.

[Tom Westerholm]

Like, he does, he does throw that around.

[John Corrales]

Yes, he does do that. Right? So I, I think there are a lot of ups and downs because he is 22, and the, the question is, how much progress is he going to make in a short amount of time? How will he look next to Jason Tatum, which you can't imagine. Just the same, you know, like, he's not gonna, he's not gonna be, it's not gonna get worse next to Tatum. So. And, and what does Josh Minot want? Is, is he like. I think the one thing that I, I'm gonna keep leaning back on is the walk off interview after the win in against Cleveland. I think it was where he's like, man, I love it here. This place has been great. It's a blessing and on and on and on. If this is the place that kind of turns things around for him, maybe he'll find some, some level of loyalty and be like, look, I'm gonna, I'm gonna stick around and we're gonna figure out a deal and we'll, we'll make it work. I, But I don't think we're there yet. I just, I think, I think we're at a place where Josh is contributing. He's. He very clearly looks like he fits. It's going well, and maybe the Celtics will have to figure out some contractual stuff, but I don't know. Do you think, you think, like, teams around the league are just looking at Minot and being like, oh, we gotta pluck that guy already?

[Tom Westerholm]

I Think probably not. Probably not yet. And I think, you know, hey, you want to. One nice thing for the Celtics is they're not gonna make a deep playoff run. He's not, he's not going to be showcasing himself in the Eastern Conference finals this year. I don't think so. You know, maybe true. Maybe you get a little bit of a deal there. I, I, I think it's, it's less than. I think teams are probably looking at poaching him at this point, and I think it's more, you know, I think one of the big concerns is if you're Josh Minot, you know, you, you got to make money, right? You're, you're, you're an athlete. This, this is your window to make money. And I think that there will be teams that probably look at his profile and look at his age, and if he keeps playing like this, I do think that there is a danger of him getting plucked for sure. But I think that, that, but again, I think we're far away from that right now. That's, that's pretty far down the line. He's got a lot to prove before something like that could happen. You know, Luke Cornett, right? It, it took him two years to sure. To really establish himself. Maybe that happens with Minot, but a lot can happen.

[John Corrales]

And look, he's, he is still only shooting 32 from 3. Like he was 3 of 6. He was 3 of 6. But he, you know, you know, there, there were a couple of over twos in there. You know, any has a DNP on, on this, but there's some Marcus Smart.

[Tom Westerholm]

With his shot, too, where it's like, he shoots it and you're like, it might go in. You know, you're not, like, it's not hower where you're like, oh, man, get that guy over.

[John Corrales]

Yes, buddy. I saw him shoot one. It went in, but I swear his shoulders vibrated. Like, it doesn't make sense. Like, they just kind of like. And he, he finds a way. And it's, it's. Look, as long as it's square and level when he shoots it and he has a foul, like, then fine. But I think looking at his form, 32 kind of makes sense.

[Tom Westerholm]

It does.

[John Corrales]

So they might. There's enough here to say, oh, wow, he's playing really well. But there's also enough here for, for teams to be like, yeah, I mean, he's getting an opportunity here on a team in a transition year. But that's, that's not a, that's not a player that we're just going to be like, oh God, we got to go get him because he's like this gem. He is a, like you look like you said Jordan Walsh, there are a bunch of guys in the league with his kind of build and everything that can go out there and play some defense. What else is he doing? Is he shot creating? No, he's, he's not a big assist guy, is he? You know, he's not knocking down a million shots, he's catching lobs. He's doing that stuff. And, and maybe, maybe a Denver Nuggets would be like, hey, this is the type of guy we want running up and down the floor with us. But what are they going to be able to offer that's going to be able to come in? That's the other side of this list. We'll continue this because I, I kind of want to look at the, the other side of the second apron stuff that Ryan brought up. And we'll get to Nami Escada when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by DoorDash. NBA season is heating up and DoorDash has found a perfect way to keep fans in their bag all season long. Whether you're watching for the highlights, your fantasy team or Your favorite player, DoorDash makes it makes every game night even better. And they are the official on demand delivery platform of the NBA. They're celebrating this season with something called the Bag drop every time an NBA player scores 50 points in the game. And and that has already happened a few times. DoorDash drops 50% off your order with Dash Pass the next day and you're automatically entered for a chance to win the ultimate fan bag that's player inspired. Drip exclusive gear stuff you actually want. And it's not just food. You can get anything delivered. Basically anything that you can buy can be delivered. Headphones. If I need a new pair so I can hear Tom Wusser home better, I can get those delivered through Door Dash. Door Dash has you covered for late night highlights last night, late night watch parties, last minute watch parties and double OT fuel ups. Next time someone goes off for 50, use the promo code NBA50. That's the next day you get 50 off on Door Dash with Dash Pass plus you get your shot at the back drop. Dash Pass members only. 50 up, 50% off up to $10. The day after a 50 point game with the promo code NBA 50 terms apply. No purchase necessary. Ends April 13th. Open to US residents 21 years or older. Visit doordash in your bag.com for full details. Doordash in your bag all season long.

[Tom Westerholm]

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[John Corrales]

Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Go check out Lockdown NBA Lockdown NBA Game Night Game night is seven days a week. Has you covered every game in the association with one game going on tonight. So that'll be a fun in depth show. Locked on NBA in the afternoons covers all the big stories. They're both in the same feed. You can find them where you found this podcast. It's all free. It's everywhere. So just to wrap up the Josh Minot talk, because you know, Ryan is talking about things that, that other teams can offer and if someone comes up with this, these particular contracts with the big money, that's all well and good, but also who, who is coming in who has the money to outbid the Celtics? And I think one thing working in Boston's favor is that teams have to be sure. They have to be sure. If you're going to drop even $10 million, you, you, you can't really miss. And the teams that want a Josh Minot are going to be the teams that are contenders, teams that are. I don't think a tanking team is going to look at Josh Minot and be like, we want this guy because he's a winner. And you know, like, yeah, he can be a part of a winning team, but like you want him next to a fully formed. You have your star working with your star. He's playing off that star. He's only 22, so who knows what he's going to become. I just don't know that he, he's like, is he going to be on the Utah Jazz? I don't know. Maybe. But I don't think that that's where they're going to want to spend their money. You spend your money on the big players first. You want to develop those big players first and then you go and find your Josh Minots. He's a great role player for a team that's trying to do something. And the Celtics are trying to do something next season. So they've got their guy. They've got a guy here that's. That's doing that. The contenders are expensive teams, so they also have non taxpayer mid levels to offer. Are they going to come through the whole thing at Josh Minot? Is. Is a contender really going to throw an entire non taxpayer mid level at Josh Minot right now? Like, right now? No. Who knows? By the end of the season, he. But I think he would have to have this super incredible season for that to happen. So I think, I think the concept is appropriate because it's like, whoa, he's good. And if he gets really, really good, there is actually a scenario where the Celtics have to like, oh, my God, we might have to fight some people here to keep this guy a little bit.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

But also, I don't know that the landscape is such that the competition is going to be fierce for Minot because at some point teams are going to be like, okay, you know, we'll offer him 5 million or, you know, but we're not going to be going, you know, $44 million over multiple. Like, it's not going to be. He's not that kind of player right now, so we'll see what he becomes. And I think that's the whole point of all of this, including Ryan's piece. But I'm. I don't have that fear just yet.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, I mean, I think that the thing. The thing that's really working in the Celtics favor is that this CBA is, it is. It isn't just brutal for the Celtics anymore. It is now brutal for everybody and especially role players. So if you've. If you've got a good role player, hey, maybe it will be a little cheaper because role players are not doing particularly well on this cba.

[John Corrales]

So. All right, so let's move on to the next guy, a guy who might get paid. Who knows? Nish K coming in here. Let's get him like the, the max here. The way the. You had the numbers.

[Tom Westerholm]

The numbers don't lie. Yeah, yeah, you.

[John Corrales]

You had the numbers. You read me some numbers before.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. So cleaning the glass lineups with KADA are 98th percentile league white, league wide, with a point differential of 18.9 points plus 18.9 points per 100 possessions. If you look at the on off data that cleaning the glass has, which, you know, takes into account like it's a. It's a slightly different formula. But the Celtics are. The Celtics are more than 30 points better with Keda on the floor than with him off. Most of that comes down to defense, they're like 26 points for 100 possessions. Better with Keda on the floor than with them off. So it's, I mean it's, it's a lot. And, and I mean obviously we're still in part of the season where it's like, you know, small sample size, it's early, yada yada.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, but it is.

[Tom Westerholm]

I mean he's starting. It is 200 possession. Yeah. 200 possessions. That's not nothing. So you know, it's not super representative. But it is also not nothing.

[John Corrales]

It is interesting because, you know, I was having some conversations at the game. I was talking to a scout and we're talking about he's, he's, he's okay. He's like. I still think like he's it. He belongs in the NBA, right. He's an NBA player. He's. But is he a starting. Is he your starting center? Let's just assume the Celtics are championship contenders again. You know, All Star Break 20, 27. We're looking at. And the Celtics are at the top of the East. Let's just pretend. Yeah. Is your starting center Nami Ishkeda or is it some. Because I don't think that now. I think Keda is a backup and that I think that's where the, the scout and I settled is the. That he's probably going to top out skill wise as a backup. Yeah, but, but like I, I don't want to throw. I don't want to throw cold water because I know I'm already accused of being a kid. A hater.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

But I do think that the numbers.

[Tom Westerholm]

Hater. Okay. A cater.

[John Corrales]

We could just. No, we could do it like. Oh, like the, like just a New England accent. The katah.

[Tom Westerholm]

The kata. There it is. That's good.

[John Corrales]

But I, I think the numbers are indicative of a. How bad the other they are without him in the terms of like the drop off between him and Tillman Boucher. Boucher has been benched. Garza, like the rebounding is awful and the put backs are just brutal and the second chance. So Keita is able to be big and grab rebounds and block some shots. He is the only legitimate shot blocker the Celtics have.

[Tom Westerholm]

And like Derrick White would like a word.

[John Corrales]

I know what you. Yes, Derrick White. I was going to add him into that. But when I say legitimate shot blocker, like the guy you can plant in the paint. Right. And be a deterrent. Like Derrick White is the best shot blocking guard out there. But Derek, you're not like, not Driving because you're afraid of Derek blocking your shot.

[Tom Westerholm]

Right? That's why, that's why I get so many blocks.

[John Corrales]

Right. Because he's getting a lot of the chase downs and he's like all that stuff. But anyway, Kate is the guy, he is a gigantic human. He is a big dude. And if he's there, you look at him, you're like, okay, I'm probably gonna pass this out a little. Let's work the offense a little bit.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

That doesn't mean you don't attack him defensively. But anyway, there is nobody behind him. So I think what we're seeing, like why the numbers are so stark, is that. Yes. Keda, when he, when he's playing well, the Celtics are playing well, you're never going to have Nimius kata playing well and the Celtics kind of stinking, right?

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, yeah, that's true.

[John Corrales]

You know, like if, and if he's, if, if we're looking at Katum being like, wow, man, he's really good today. The Celtics are like off to like a, a 20 to 4 run, you know, and so there's that element and then when he comes off the floor, there's just no size. It all craters. They were using Minot at the center for, for stretches. Yes. So that I think enhances the numbers. Like, there's like, oh, there's this good, but like, oh, this is bad. And so I, I, I'm not even sure why I'm even saying this anymore, but I think Keda is part of a championship team. I think he can be part of a championship team. I just don't think he could be your starting center. I still am not convinced that he can be your starting center on it. Like, the Celtics aren't all set at center and they just need to find Keita's backup. They need to find the guy Keda is backing up.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, I mostly agree. I, I think that I, I, I agree with what you're saying. In concept, I do think that, like, part of it depends on like, what the rest of your roster looks like. I think, I think if the rest of your roster looked like us, if you had, okay, so if you had a better backup, right. If it turned out that you didn't want to spend the money on a starting center, you wanted to spend the money elsewhere, shore up other areas, and you got like another guy who was like, about as good as Keda, you know, maybe it may be good at something else, but like, about as impactful. About as good as Keda. I'm not gonna say that. I don't think that there's like he's showing some real improvements this season, right. Like it's not just a numbers thing. Like he looks better this year.

[John Corrales]

He does look better. Absolutely.

[Tom Westerholm]

He does look better. And if that continues and he continues to be better and if the Celtics put other, if they really improved other parts of their roster, I'm not like, maybe, maybe they could be a championship team again. If you have Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum and Derrick White and you have like good pieces around them, could that team be a championship team with Keda as the starting center? I don't know. Maybe, like, maybe Keda could be like a poor man's Robert Williams and you know, he stays a little healthier, like maybe. But I think the larger point is I, I think in an ideal role, right, like on an ideal roster, 100k does should be a backup. There should be a better center on the roster. I, I, I, and I think, you know, it's interesting because we're constantly hearing Joe talk about like, you know, oh, like Kate has got all this potential. Kate has, Kate has got all this potential. And I think Joe really wants to see Kada become that guy who could be like a starting center on Jim. I think he really like, he's trying to talk the K. He's really trying to make Kada happen. You know, like he's, he's very committed to this and he, and he's getting on K constantly. Like he really wants the Kada project to work, but at the risk of being a Kada ha as well. I, I think I, I think you're right. I, I think that in an ideal world for the Celtics, he is a, a solid backup. You know, definitely somebody who gets plenty of minutes is in the rotation, but there's a better player in front of him.

[John Corrales]

We'll continue that and we'll get into the last stretch of role players and what impact they might have when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. It's NBA season, NFL season, whatever you want. There's other stuff to bet on and there's no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel. It's the official sports betting partner of the NBA. If you want, you can join the game in progress. You can ride the hot hand. FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. And you can combine your live bets into a same game parlay. It'll give you a chance at A bigger payout keeps every game exciting, especially when your team is making a late push right now. If you're a new customer, FanDuel will give you 300 in bonus bets. When your 5 first $5 bet wins. For new customers making their first $5 bet, you win it, you get 300 in bonus bets. So sign up at FanDuel to get started. When you do get started, they will ask you to set your limit. Set your budget. Please use that tool. Whatever you can afford to lose, whatever your disposable income is, you can set that limit. In case you hit a cold streak, FanDuel wants to help you gamble responsibly. Sign up at FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Today's show is also brought to you by Prize Picks. You and I make decisions every day, but on Prize Picks you can get paid for being right. Don't miss any of the excitement this sports season. Whether you're following the NFL, NBA, both, there's no better time to jump into the action if you haven't tried it. Prize Picks is super simple. You pick more or less on at least two player stats and if you get them right, you win. It takes like 60 seconds to make your lineup. You can do it anywhere Prize Picks operates, including California, Texas and Georgia. So if you use Prize Picks you can do it during Football Sundays NBA tip offs. You can pick your favorite players like Drake May, Jaylen Brown to see how your predictions play out. There's a new stacks feature. It's like it's you pick more on Jalen's points and rebounds and assists in the same lineup. Plus if one of your players leaves early with an injury, the injury reboot saves your lineup from a loss. Download Prize Picks today. Use the code locked on NBA to get 50 in lineups after you play your first five dollar lineup. That's code locked on NBA for fifty dollars in lineups after your first five dollar lineup price picks. It's good to be right. Thanks for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. Go check out Lockdown Fantasy Basketball. Josh Lloyd's got you covered. Anything you want. Fantasy basketball wise. Who should you pick up? Who should be off your team? Who should be looking to trade for? He's got everything for you at Lockdown Fantasy Basketball the best fantasy basketball expert in the world. Find it where you found this podcast. All right, let's get back into into keda. Who Look, I want to give him the full credit for what he's doing. I think that for now, for this season the pressure is on him to be the guy. I still think there is a mid season trade to potentially happen. I think maybe Simons is still a target. Like nothing has changed as far as my long term outlet for outlook for this, for this team.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

So for now, for this season, if they're going to do well, Keda needs to just keep this consistent and this is going to be the biggest thing for him. The consistency of every day coming in, keeping that mental edge, keeping that physical edge, working on the things that right now are weaknesses. Can you shore those up? I would love nothing more for Kada to be like, to look me in the eye in the locker room and be like, I'm proving you wrong and whatever word he wants to call me, I don't care. I would welcome that. If he's actually proving me wrong and he can be the starting center, if he's the starting center next year with Tatum and Brown, then that means he has improved to a point where the Celtics feel like he can, he can do that job, in which case great. So. Yeah, but for this season, for this, this Celtics success, he has to be good. And I'm curious to see how these numbers pan out.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. And I think this kind of leads into the next guys too. But I think, I think with him it's just, it just comes down to attention to detail. Like he, if he pays attention to detail and, and just, and keeps that, you know, just, just every, like all the good stuff that he can do and, and if he keeps minimizing and, and mitigating his, his, you know, his weaknesses, like if he keeps all that stuff front of mind, if he has that attention to detail, he can, he can be a starting center in the NBA for sure. He's just, he's got all the tools. That's what Joe Missoula is getting at. All the time when he talks about that, I think that's, again, I think that's a big part of the reason why he gets on Keda and he, he, he talks up his potential all the time is because, you know. Yeah, like you just gotta, you just gotta focus. That's, I think for him that's, that's what it comes down to. Set good screens, you know, like defend without fouling. All, all this stuff that, you know, because if he, if he does all that, I mean the guy never misses, he never takes difficult shots. You know, he just, it's, he's very efficient and you know. Yeah, I think it just comes down to attention to detail and that does.

[John Corrales]

Bring us into the next group of guys because Jordan Walsh. You talked about Jordan Walsh earlier. You got this. This group of Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Luca Garza, Baylor Charman, Chris Boucher.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Okay, so the Celtics, obviously, you know, you go eight deep with Simons Hauser and one other guy. There's a. There's like a. A ninth and a tenth in there somewhere. But in this game, it was Jordan Walsh getting 24 minutes. Before it was Hugo Gonzalez getting, you know, 25 minutes. Like, in each game, Shireman. We did this whole thing. Shireman had a big game the other night, and everybody was like, oh, wow. Let's, you know, Shireman's back. He's. He's. He's stacking all of these.

[Tom Westerholm]

Like, he had Donovan Mitchell pretty well again in the game. Like.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. And then, boom, three, four minutes against the Wizards. Why? Like, the. Because, you know, each one of these guys is just good enough to show you a flash, but not good enough to do it consistently. Consistently. And Keita is part of that. He's just breaking out of that a little bit. And so, like, last season, Kata was definitely in that. In that mix. One of these guys has to contribute every night for the Celtics to do well. I don't know who it's going to be every night. And this is going to be the hardest thing in the world, because if you're a Shireman, you're like, okay, man, I went out there, I worked my butt off. I, you know, defended here, I defended here. I hit a few shots here. I had three games in a row. We're talking about stacking good, good performances myself.

[Tom Westerholm]

I didn't take a bunch of dumb shots. I just played, like, good basketball.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. And then you have, like, a little bit of, like, oh, maybe. Is this. Is this not the right match for Baylor? Okay, sit down.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

None of these guys has enough behind them to be like, I earned, you know, 20 minutes. It's, you know what? Jordan came in, and he's. He's defending well, and we kind of need his length, and he's rebounding well. So he's doing the job. It's yours. It's your job today. And then people lose their minds about Jordan Walsh. I go into Celtics Reddit, I see an apology form for Jordan Walsh, like, and then never apologize. It's against Orlando very easily. Jordan can get two DNPs this weekend in Orlando, for sure. They're big, beefy dudes in Orlando. And. And that's not Jordan. And so he. He. He can get, like, two minutes, get bounced around and Never play again this weekend. So who knows? Like, it could be a Shireman weekend. It's so, it's just so nuts. I think part of, part of why I'm bringing all of this up is like, there's so much flux. These guys don't know how many minutes they're going to get. Who, who's Boucher getting DNPs is. He is. You know, when's he gonna get Tillman getting DNPs? And he's, he's out with personal reasons, but like, I don't know, the, the, the, the eight through whatever, 11, 12, like those guys, it's just such a, it's, it's a crapshoot.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, and you know, you hear Joe yesterday, like really praising, you know, kind of, kind of admitting that when it comes to, to Walsh, right? And saying like, yeah, I mean, he does a, you know, great job of staying ready even when he doesn't know if he's gonna play, you know, you know, all the, all the, all the nice coach speak about prepares the right way and all that stuff, but like, I kind of believe it about all of those guys who are in that mix. You know, I, I don't doubt that Jordan Walsh is preparing the right way. I, I don't doubt. Like, it seemed very clear when Baylor Shireman came in that he had been coached and had taken that coaching and said, okay, fair enough. I'm gonna, you know, like, yeah, I'm not gonna take a bunch of 35 foot threes and, and try to, you know, try to be a point forward. Like, that's not, that's not my role here. Like, I, I'm here to, you know, play good defense, right? Like, that's, that's the thing that gets you on the floor on a Joe Missoula team is if you can play good defense and you know, and I think, you know, Hugo Gonzalez, like that, that's a guy you want. Like, that's a guy who, honestly, if, if you're the Celtics, he's probably the guy for the future that you want to be playing a lot of these minutes. Because that's, I mean that's a, that's a very young man who could, like, who was.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

Showing some stuff right off the bat that he could be a contributor. Like, I mean, you know, and I mean, sorry. I'm sure, I'm sure he's working hard too. Like, but, but he's, I mean, he's the highest potential of the bunch. I, I think so. Yeah. I don't Know, man, I had a lot of words to just kind of say it's really hard. And these guys, I don't. I mean, I do envy that position. I was gonna say, I don't envy that position. They're NBA players and they're all. Yeah, well, I do envy their position, but they're in tricky situations as far as the NBA goes, for sure.

[John Corrales]

I'll wrap it up by saying this. If next season, where Jason Tatum is, is fully back, and I'm assuming Jalen Brown is fully back, and Derrick White and, you know, the guys, those guys. And if Josh Minot is playing a major role in the rotation and Namish K Is playing a major role in the rotation, which I would consider a backup. Big as a major role in the rotation. And if Hugo Gonzalez is. Is part of the rotation, even off the bench, you know, seventh, eighth, man, whatever. If those three guys are part of the rotation next year, then massive, massive win for Brad Stevens.

[Tom Westerholm]

Great season.

[John Corrales]

Massive, massive win to come out of this season with three guys that one off the scrap heap, one off of the. The out of the draft, and one internal player development like, check, check, check. You get one of those three guys each, all of them for next season when theoretically, the Celtics want to contend. That's a huge win. So all of this is, you know, building towards these guys becoming major parts, contributors to what we hope is another championship in Boston. So I think it's possible we. That's what this season is about more than anything, is getting that to happen for the Celtics.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, for sure.

[John Corrales]

All right, Tom. All right, man. Great, great show. Yeah, great show. Good job.

[Tom Westerholm]

Good stuff, man.

[John Corrales]

I wonder what the people think. That's not reaction. It's just laughing at us or we were that punished. There it is.

[Tom Westerholm]

What a relief.

[John Corrales]

Bye, Tom.

[Tom Westerholm]

Later.

[John Corrales]

Man, oh, man, I do appreciate everybody listening being here Monday through Friday this week, Monday through Saturday, because the Celtics played the Orlando Magic on Friday night. And I will do a bonus podcast after that. Bonus podcast can be half an hour, could be 15 minutes, could be longer. It's. It's up to me, up to the game, to determine how long the podcast is. However long it is, it's free. It'll be here for you after the game, so make sure you're subscribed. Watch the show on YouTube, get into the comment section there. Share your thoughts with me. Share your thoughts with your fellow everydayers who are with me every day Monday through Friday, and then share the podcast. Tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast. Here on the Lockdown Podcast network, it's your team. Every day. When work gets crazy, I like to.

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[John Corrales]

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