Celtics aim to sweep Mavs in Finals: Tatum slams critics, Luka frustrated | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Nick Wright, Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard look ahead to Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. The FTF crew decide what would a sweep mean for Luka’s legacy, react to Tatum’s comments & predict who wins Game 4.
#FirstThingsFirst #NBA #Celtics
SUBSCRIBE to get the latest from First Things First: foxs.pt/Subscri...
The all-new FOX Sports App, built for the modern sports fan: tinyurl.com/y4...
►Watch the latest content from First Things First: foxs.pt/Latest...
▶ The Carton Show's KZbin channel: sprtspod.fox/Su...
▶ The Herd with Colin Cowherd’s KZbin channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
► UNDISPUTED’s KZbin channel: foxs.pt/Subscri...
► Speak's KZbin channel: sprtspod.fox/SU...
► The Skip Bayless Show KZbin channel: sprtspod.fox/SU...
► What's Wright? with Nick Wright KZbin channel: sprtspod.fox/wh...
See more from First Things First: foxs.pt/FIRSTTH...
Like First Things First on Facebook: foxs.pt/FIRSTTH...
Follow First Things First on Twitter: foxs.pt/FIRSTTH...
Follow First Things First on Instagram: foxs.pt/FIRSTTH...
Follow Nick Wright on Twitter: foxs.pt/NickWri...
Follow Chris Broussard on Twitter: / chris_broussard
Follow Kevin Wildes on Twitter: foxs.pt/KevinW...
About First Things First:
Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes team up on First Things First. The trio offers their take on a bevy of sports stories alongside special guests from across the sports world.
Celtics aim to sweep Mavs in Finals: Tatum slams critics, Luka frustrated | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST
• Celtics aim to sweep M...
First Things First
/ firstthingsfirst

[@FirstThingsFirst]

Subscribe to First Things First: www.youtube.com/@FirstThingsFirst

[@kingjosephrbidenjriii5820]

Nick is getting all condescending on human beings like his buddy Cowherd. Hey nick, if you knew anything about politics, you would know it's meant to divide and conquer. Not to help the normal man and woman. Go look up montague norman, governor of the bank of England, and check out the speech he gave to bankers in the US in the 1920s. Politics is a put up, period!

[@asartheodore5245]

I noticed y'all not talking about Luka not showing up in the 4th qtr!!! SMMFH

[@camhoman657]

The idea of Al horford retiring to a vineyard after a championship has made me unreasonably happy

[@rebboy17]

Yea if I’m Al I ride off into the sunset. Or run it back one more year for the back to back

[@HunchoHamza]

@@rebboy17He’s playing well for his age! At the same time 1 ring is enough not like he’s ring chasing for legacy and had a Russell Westbrook or Harden type career where that’s all he missing. He can save his knees and spend time with family after this ring.

[@kash.383]

As a hawks fan, I'm really happy for Al and I do hope he rides into the sunset

[@curtisharolson6643]

He should retire with a chip, he’s paid his dues

[@callumalston5755]

@@rebboy17he’s basically confirmed he’s playing next year

[@moonjuicedathrilla2068]

Nick is Luka ‘s attorney 😂❤

[@vanslang5385]

He’s got to get a new client since Lebron’s time is limited

[@ShaadsComicsandBeers]

And not a very good one might I add

[@robertadams305]

You're wrong. Nick is Luka's dad.

[@Polo22546]

Pro bono at that.

[@shlomikenan3940]

With a lot of good reasons.

[@jimmytheenlightenedcentrist]

Nick got torched this whole segment. I loved them calling out him bringing something up, sliding something not fully agreed upon in, and then trying to move on. MY FRIEND YOURE THE ONE MAKING THE CLAIM. DONT GET MAD WHEN THE CLAIM IS EXPLORED.

[@timmartin2417]

They need to do it more

[@rickeyrincones1769]

Bruh Wildes is an expert at callin him out, it's great to watch 😂😂

[@maxweiser2340]

Nick “I don’t want to make this a Brock Purdy conversation” Wright

[@mackniffy]

I love Nick now but he gets away with some crazy arguments unchallenged

[@timmartin2417]

@@mackniffy that’s why they need to pull the clips like likes to do

[@esdaht]

nick literally shaking when jordan is brought up

[@OllieSmithMovies]

The mental gymnastics Nick uses to defend Luka at any given opportunity is hilarious lol using his defensive rating to say he hasn't been that bad defensively but we're all watching the same series

[@samuelgaona7196]

He played great defense in the fourth quarter tho, just too aggressive and started to foul, which doesn't happen a lot

[@BratatoChip]

@@samuelgaona7196that’s terrible defense

[@nocturne311]

Luka has been blown by on 67% of the drives he has attempted to defend in the Finals.

[@SurrealEtc]

Just wait until he has to walk back his brock purdy takes

[@samuelgaona7196]

@@BratatoChip not really because the last two calls could've been offensive fouls, but since he complains so much he didn't get the benefit

[@JoeMama-tl4tr]

Shaq and Lebron got swept in their first finals and both ended up becoming all time greats

[@austinbeecy1579]

I wish tatum got this treatment.

[@AnthonyFerrer-hs5oq]

@@austinbeecy1579Tatum is not the player lebron and Shaq were he is the winner but as individual Shaq wasn’t havin an argument about who’s the best player on that team nor was lebron Jaylen brown is gonna get fmvp and the first finals he had 100 turnovers that post season

[@austingreen1274]

@@austinbeecy1579Tatum will never be a top 20 player all time. Different expectation.

[@Relisoc]

@@austingreen1274that makes it even more unfair. Tatum lacks the physical talent to live up to the absurd standard set for him, and people still crucify him as if he’s in that lebron James type tier

[@mrpzpdx]

So

[@dcdj35]

Nick said “Let me fast forward to my dream scenario where Luka leapfrogs Steph”. Steph rent free on this show 😂

[@kingnaz8465]

💯💯he brought up Steph throwing his mouth piece in game 6 of the 2016 finals 2 days ago to defend Luka crying to the refs and fouling out💯

[@NagokiL]

I'm old enough to remember Mr Consistency laughing at Jokic because he kept losing but ignored the CONTEXT that his teammates were hurt, and he lost to the team that went to the finals by the way. But now he's giving a lot context to protect Luka...

[@metazeen]

Weird I also remember that

[@mackniffy]

The same man that holds 2016 against Steph when there were injuries suspensions and some shaky calls by the ref that facilitated that comeback

[@drk.i.a.2969]

Thats legit when 3players were injured out..& very unusual. I hold it vs them for sure. Like when the camback vs okc b/c dre kicked the heck out of Addams groins..it showed a pattern..they also (the refs allowed dre to smack/hacked the heck out of Joker in that series..all in all GSW hv always been suspect with what they get away with & then the ease they were able to get durant with already a 3headed monster (if you included the hack man dre).

[@DarkSamurai9]

Love this show. Give them Skips time slot

[@wavxyshaun8799]

Its time.

[@austinclark3809]

Skip is a maroon. Yes I meant maroon

[@agag2684]

I love them at this time slot. Way too early at skips time

[@MarkFirstList]

Skip's show would be watchable again with Shannon back. They'd be having some fun arguments and some fun bets on mountain dew. But it sucks right now

[@realkarlanthony]

We watch on KZbin who cares what slot they in 😂

[@joshmoses9062]

Nick getting put in his place is euphoria

[@Shwtm_Art]

Arguing with Jordan fans is a headache 😂 they talk about him like he 1v5 everybody and they leave out all the details to make him look better like he didn't have a TEAM. 😂😂 I don't argue with them

[@BlackedOutDreams]

@@Shwtm_Artoh shut it

[@oboy9090]

@@Shwtm_Art His argument fell flat. Don't be mad. He was put in his place.

[@Shwtm_Art]

@oboy9090 Jordan fans, please don't talk to Me. I don't want to be insulted because I pointed out a valid take. If I want to be insulted for making a valid point I'd go talk to a female

[@jmilkie44]

Why do you people watch shows with people you hate and constantly complain about

[@nostradumass6248]

nick after starting an argument: i don’t wanna argue about this

[@FranciscoVelasco-q6w]

Typical Lebron's Fanboy

[@WaunB55]

​@user-rl5dw2cn9v bro why are yall so obsessed with Bron? It's so weird and lame. Nobody even brought him up but you. I think you're the real fanboy

[@Righteousgenius]

@@FranciscoVelasco-q6wwhat does bron have to do with what the guy said??? lol I wonder if people like you realize how obsessed you are with bron. It’s kinda scary

[@Righteousgenius]

@@WaunB55trust me bro the bron haters are more of a fan boy than the actual bron fans

[@lacyvalenti9523]

Actually Wildes brought up the Rockets, not Nick.

[@joshladd5073]

Why can’t anyone bring up that Luka is averaging 2.8 points in the 4th in finals and has more turnovers and fouls than buckets in the 4th. Has completely disappeared in the clutch In finals

[@mawuliklutse7652]

One thing I have noticed about this show is they constantly let off Nick easily. Especially when he’s wrong in his picks. The other two don’t care as much to prove his points wrong as nick does if the shoe was on the other foot.

[@geraldalves9107]

It's by design, the Celtics wear Luka out defensively throughout the course of the game by constantly attacking him off the dribble and offensively, they take away the corner threes and lobs and force Luka to work hard 1 vs. 1 against All Defensive players so that by the time the 4th quarter rolls around, he's completely worn down. He has to get in better shape plain and simple.

[@thialhoinj1971]

Tired carrying mavs offense for 3 quarters, plus injuries, and Boston targeting him on defense.

[@Melio160]

i think he's not in good enough shape, be it fitness wise or injury wise, to last a full post season (which he does for the first time) facing an amazing defensive team and is totally gassed comes the 4th quarter (especially since his usage rate is so high, takes more energy) btw i'm not making excuses for him it's on him for the most part

[@amitpalbains9361]

You literally got that off ESPN. Lol I saw the same show.

[@NewYorkRaven]

I am so so so proud of Wildes lately! He is learning how to best Nick on a weekly basis and sports media needs it!

[@Darrius8946]

Y’all would’ve called this Mavs team historic if they would’ve won this series. 😂

[@rodericksasu6976]

Yeah IF they won because they have been considered the underdog coming into all their matchups. Saying something like it's a point. It's not. 🤡

[@Darrius8946]

@@rodericksasu6976 The underdog when they all choose them to beat the Celtics?? 😂😂🤡

[@weightpushweight5769]

@@Darrius8946Nick and Chris chose them. Mavs were still underdogs.

[@alk7478]

​@@Darrius8946 they only say that because of who the mavs beat to get there vs who the Celtics beat to get there. Obviously they all were mistaken though.

[@Darrius8946]

@@alk7478 They beat a Clippers without Kawhi, a young Thunder team, and a TWolves team with a young Ant, who had a team people were doubting the whole playoffs up until they faced Denver.

[@chrishaswell4405]

Nick and Brou were literally saying he thinks the Lakers, Mavs T Wovles, and Nuggets would all beat the Celtics in the finals .. they weren't just underestimating the Celtics

[@whereisthebalance5732]

They would

[@siegmund87]

​@whereisthebalance5732 The Mavs would beat the Celtics? Oh boy. Hate to be the bearer of bad news bud. Don't know if you've seen the Finals yet, but its not going well.

[@BabylonGateLA]

The cake/b00ty walk championship from the Celtics 😂😂

[@ronniekregar3482]

To be fair Denver would be destroying the Celtics right now lol.

[@bossK78]

Lakers could beat them.

[@M-Cherian]

Nobody wants Wildes to be silent. Go get 'em Wildes.

[@FourScore460]

Luka can be the reason that they got to the finals and be the reason why they lost in the finals. Two things can be true at the same time

[@Melio160]

i think he's part of the reason, but if you think luka playing better was enough for them to win i think you're delusional. celtics have 5 of the top 6 players on the court this series

[@donovan4222]

Ok but it’s not true, it’s delusional to blame Luka when he was the only one with a positive plus minus. The only argument is just the boomer argument of “it’s always the best players fault no matter what!” That’s simply not true.

[@mjhopgoodswe]

It's also true thst Luka has played great defence in the playoffs, but not in the finals. I think his injuries have caught up with him, despite taking injections to ease the pain.

[@StuTheDon17]

​@donovan4222 Fair enough. Then we don't ever want to hear anyone say that Luka was the reason they won the west. If it's the teams fault when they lose, Luka can't be the reason why they won. Pick a lane and stay in it.

[@donovan4222]

@@StuTheDon17 I just disagree, why isn’t it possible for Luka to carry an average roster that doesn’t help him much? He’s carrying a bad roster and that’s enough to win against some teams but not others.

[@pablito_h]

nobody: nick wright: *slaps desk a thousand times*

[@RittenhousesRifle]

“this bad boys can fit a million Tatum strawmen and Celtics disses!”

[@crzycolchris]

​@whatcolorareyour6championshipsfor real

[@realspitter2727]

I slept that every single show. Wants to be the center of attention so bad. Constantly makes random sound when other people speak just to be heard.

[@marcgisby6452]

Love Nicks petulant sulk when Brou and Wildes are talking!

[@brianbautista6499]

The first sentence I will say to Nick if I ever see him in person….”So the 90s Bulls team “…😂😂

[@aaronmorgan7929]

Nick I’m disappointed that you let Brou discount Dirks run in 2011… he swept Kobe’s Lakers, beat the Thunder who went to the finals the next year and Miami.

[@francescosmith7859]

but in the context of the conversation Brou is correct. There are some people who like Nick was saying look at Dallas' path to the finals and give them major kudos but there are also many, many people who still only give Dallas that title because they look at it that Lebron gifted it to them.

[@Imma_Gee]

@@francescosmith7859which both is true. These are mental gymnastics to avoid saying some championships are not worth the same as others and that ones like the bubble are in that category as well as the raptors plus

[@francescosmith7859]

@@Imma_Gee true. I could have phrased that better. I was trying to point out both were right but I realize I only said Brou was right. And the Raptors are another excellent example. Some people give them major kudos for their road and knocking off the Warriors, probably more people tend to say well they only one because KD barely played and Klay ended up also going down.

[@01tshepo]

​@francescosmith7859 this idea that Lebron gifted them the title is so crazy to me. It's not like it was only Dirk who played well on the Mavs, guys like Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, JJ Barea, Mario etc all stepped up in that series. Lebron didn't make that happen the Mavs did u can't just discount them like that

[@francescosmith7859]

@@01tshepo Oh I completely agree. Lebron didn't play well and was hesitant in too many different moments but I completely agree it was the Mavs winning more than Lebron gifting them the title. Jet in particular had some really big games and hit a lot of huge shots over Bron and he deserves a lot of credit but so do the other guys you mention (the last one was Shawn Marion right?) and Tyson Chandler was just a beast and was the key to so much of their defense in containing Bron and the Heat. I should also note Dirk didn't even play all that great. It feels a bit like this years Celts in all the guys playing are contributing and it's making it okay that Tatum isn't playing great.

[@ancalagonthesnack]

It’s not a strawman at all to say that people have labelled the Celtics as weak champions. You can find comments about them having a cakewalk to the title and “they would’ve lost to Denver or Minnesota” ALL OVER THE PLACE. People are already trying to discount their championship and they haven’t even won it yet. They’ve been the best team all year.

[@TheOnlyDTM]

My guy denver had a cakewalk finals run last year to beat a crippled 8 seed 😆

[@ronniekregar3482]

Lol....no one is underatting the Celtics, they're just wildly overatting the Mavs. Denver would have moped the floor with the Mavs, but Minnesota was a much better matchup for them.

[@ronniekregar3482]

​@@TheOnlyDTMbro whaaat? They beat the Wolves, the Lakers and the defending champ Warriors ...

[@garciaivann]

@@ronniekregar3482all those 3 teams are trash man come on 😂

[@byers31303]

​​@@TheOnlyDTM"crippled 8th seed" who were missing 1 player who's not that good, and were in the finals 2 out of 3 years? Yeah, I guess that's just how embarrassing the East is. They won the west, that might as well have been the championship right there.

[@LightningLynx89]

Jordan's very being haunts Nick. He can't handle the fact that the GOAT is 6-0 in a 13 year career. While LeBum has a losing record in 20 years

[@timftw6420]

They keep saying that Luka is playing well on offense but they never bring up his 4th qrt struggles First three quarters - 81 points, 54% FG 4th quarter - 8 points, 20% FG

[@C_los78]

What’s your point. What about kyrie and the role players?

[@kashifsingh791]

@@C_los78 They aren't considered the best player in the world lol.. Thats the point

[@moneyb2029]

Who got more points than him this series?

[@Bajablasted0]

Nick also said the other day that he disagreed with windy bc Nick thinks issue is offense- particularly in 4th quarter. He also agrees Luka is the offense. BUT doesn’t think Luka was the problem. Of note, he fouled out with 4 min left so he played 2/3 of the quarter. I can’t follow nicks logic on this one ☠️

[@jamalwalker04]

​@@moneyb2029 one more great game from brown and he might lead the series

[@bobfather7355]

How much of the easy path was the Celtic's making it look easy

[@joshuabryant9845]

Right, Indiana for example beat Dallas this year both times they played by an average margin of 19.5... They swept the team Dallas got blownout by this year.

[@bobfather7355]

@joshuabryant9845 Aldo they have been without KP most of the playoffs, but no one ever mentioned that till game 3 when they said no KP no win

[@nickbarry7039]

The nick's hands started shaking uncontrollably as soon as the 90's bulls got mentioned sent me 🤣 this dude is a headcase man

[@gucci_marcus]

Not giving the Mavs credit for their 2011 run is absurdity😂

[@Thelostandprofoundpodcast]

Didn’t the Mavs beat Kobe and Duncan on that run to the finals when they beat the Heatles? That was a legendary run

[@BaithNa]

The Mavs had an easy route to the finals too. They faced the Clippers without Kawhi, the young Thunder that only have 2 guys who have played playoff games before and the inexperienced Timberwolves that weren't built to beat anyone except the Nuggets.

[@cvgodd1432]

And barely beat okc and wolves. One foul call away from losing. Goes to show you that the west isn’t as strong as people think. Nobody plays high level defense in the west!

[@michaelnichols2358]

Just think about this. They argue you shouldn't rely on the numbers to define the Celtics, instead do the eye test, however when talking Doncic they tell you to look at the number and ignore what you're seeing.

[@Earl_TheSquirrel]

Facts!!!

[@jehushaphat]

so true

[@Taquito_Rat]

It was so funny how Wildes and Brou brought up the Bulls, then proceeded to blame Nick for the derailment 😂

[@Cooljoshua567]

They did, but then Nick exposed himself by literally saying "I dont wanna get into an argument about the Bulls" and then proceeds to go on a hater rant and start an argument lol.

[@Melio160]

@@Cooljoshua567 don't think it is being a hater to say its a stretch to assume they would have won 8 straight

[@Righteousgenius]

To say Patrick Ewing was the great center was funny

[@Cooljoshua567]

@@Melio160 I agree with that, its just funy that he just contradicted himself and always gets so shady when it concerns Jordan and the Bulls.

[@kingad8869]

​@@Cooljoshua567Cuz the meatriding is ridiculous. It needs pushback.

[@CelticsBirdsUnited97]

Nick just doesn't understand how good Jordan was.. he was a flawless player. When he had to play PG, he avg a triple double. When the media said he couldn't shoot, he broke a Finals record for 3s in a game. It is on the table they would've won 8 straight without his retirement (I think they go 1-1 vs the Rockets, so MJ Finals record is 7-1). Nick pretends that scenario isn't on the table...

[@WillLegxndary]

There is non gurantee they would have beat the rockets. Also if Jordan stays the bulls don't retool and get guys like Rodman and Kukoč. You sound as delusional as Bron fans saying he would of won in 2015,2017,2018 if it wasn't for injury and KD. The facts are Jordan didn't win. Also Jordan lost to the Magic who were swept by the Rockets!

[@jonjones9917]

Jordan has finals games where he shot 5/19 or 6/19 from the field. He was far from a "flawless player"

[@cheesusrice1509]

Ddnt make playoffs without scotty

[@penkima4923]

"how good Jordan was.. he was a flawless player" C'mon, now. "When he had to play PG, he avg a triple double." He averaged over 10 assists in one playoff series. That doesn't mean he's the perfect playmaker or ballhandler. "he broke a Finals record for 3s in a game" Again, that's a single series. Jordan hit only one 3-point shot per two games for his career. He shot at a decent accuracy, but wasn't really a big threat from three.

[@DukeTolgo]

The same Jordan that couldn’t make the playoffs with a loaded Wizards roster?

[@timcoakley6860]

The only thing that bothers me about the “the 08 Celtics validating everything in the following years” is that the deep playoff runs prior to 2024 were used against Tatum and brown and now we’re acting like this year is a one off run

[@hbks5299]

celtics probably have one more yr in their run tbh, cause they’d have to resign White and they can’t afford him and by then Jrue will regress so it’s not hard to see that these Celtics are still not validated. Tatum and Brown for many years through their runs have HEAVILY struggled in the playoffs, they are a super team yes, but they are arguably the worst super team for how inconsistent their top duo is

[@christophermaini174]

​@hbks5299 jrue hasn't shown any sign and he doesn't have to be the best player he literally could be the 5th best. And white will resign, I'll put money on that. He wins to win championships.

[@hbks5299]

@@christophermaini174 you missed the point, they simply can’t afford White after next season because of the way the salary cap restrictions have made it, so you’ll lose him and Jrue is on the older side in comparison towards Tatum/Brown/White

[@scavengertag]

Yeah I’m surprised they didn’t bring that up.

[@youtubeconnollyfamily]

I’m so happy for Al Horford. He was in the playoffs alot with Paul Millsap, and Jeff Teague. That guy has been doing anything to get a trophy.

[@crzycolchris]

Kyle Korver

[@youtubeconnollyfamily]

@@crzycolchris yeah, I said that in a different video too. Kyle was so good. Dude was lethal.

[@JustSomeGuyWithNoMaidens]

Hang on. No one in their right mind thinks Luka is better than Giannis. The Giannis disrespect has to stop. 2 time MVP, DPoY, Finals MVP, 50 point close out game in the finals. Luka has none of that. He's great, but Giannis and Jokic are the uncontested best players in the league. Don't try and start that narrative of Luka being better than either one.

[@youngnas15]

Giannis can’t shoot and is nothing without Jrue Holiday

[@JustSomeGuyWithNoMaidens]

@@youngnas15 Luka can't win, play defense, or play without complaining. And Giannis won his MVPs and DPoY without Jrue there, you muppet

[@Earl_TheSquirrel]

THANK YOU GIANNIS IS CLEARLY BETTER THAN LUKA. MORE EFFICIENT AND BETTER DEFENSE

[@big53mac]

​@@JustSomeGuyWithNoMaidens can't win? Hes in the finals.

[@LASAGNA_LARRY]

They are closer than you think. Giannis can’t shoot. He is bad offensively outside of the paint. But he can defend and rebound at an elite level. Luka is pretty much the opposite. He can score at will from anywhere against anyone, but he is a traffic cone on defense.

[@MeBihhhh]

The fact that this dude had Luka over Giannis is one of the most media thing I ever heard. They don’t care about defense, credentials or the eye test. They just look at who is a better 3 pt shooter and that’s it.

[@penkima4923]

You don't care about your own eye test.

[@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289]

Luka is generational. He is MJ to Giannis' being hakeem.

[@MeBihhhh]

@@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289 0 rings, 0 mvsp, 0 dpoy… ones Jordan alright to the other but it’s not who you think 🤡

[@x-cobra-k1ng-x935]

Not one of the 4 best Celtics teams ? If they finish the sweep with all the historical statistics I think this is easily a top 3 Celtics team of all time

[@jonmaciel]

If they win... really this is a three year run 2022: Lost NBA Finals in 6 2023: Lost ECF in 7 2024: Won NBA Finals The same core of Tatum, Brown, Horford, White was there for all 3 of those years.

[@Y29314]

since when does losing in finals and ECF count as titles. you can't call it a three year run 😆

[@jonmaciel]

@@Y29314 this was comparing to the 2008 celtics run. 2008: Won Finals 2009: Lost Semis 2010: Lost Finals It was a similar three-year run but in a different order

[@cee119]

A run? Only if got to the finals 3 years in a row

[@jordancave3089]

@@cee119lol they were an ankle turn in game 7 from 3 straight though??

[@cee119]

@jordancave3089 No one cares bro. They either won or they didn't.

[@brownhairydog6472]

Nick's used the strawman argument every second sentence for days. He's on the ropes!

[@Melio160]

argument for what? all he's saying is that he doesnt think people are considering the celtics as a bad chip team, i dont really see what he'd be arguing for

[@kingad8869]

​@Melio160 Whenever someone calls out a strawman without saying what the strawman is, 10 times outta 10, they are just coping.

[@AnimalMusic133]

Would a sweep impact Luka’s legacy??? No it helps it!!! 🙄

[@vis4479]

This is that reasoning people use to say Bron is the goat lol

[@AnimalMusic133]

@@vis4479 i’m dying right now, hilarious lol😂

[@teejovan441]

A sweep is deflating and of course it impacts your legacy moving forward 🙄. It is on record forever 😂

[@AnimalMusic133]

@@teejovan441 True statement!!!

[@sameenergy9414]

Nobody cares forreal. The media FORCES us to care. Luka is still a top 3 player right now sweep or not.

[@tyuswilliams4567]

Fellas do what’s comfortable for y’all but just know you don’t have to wear suits on our behalf, we’re all friends here

[@skyler62itodi]

Sus

[@tyuswilliams4567]

@@skyler62itodi well I thought we were atleast

[@mikelowery9299]

This sports critics act like Luka hasn't been complaining and not playing defense all season

[@penkima4923]

He's been complaining, but also playing defense.

[@Mhr6685]

Wildes please never be quiet and let Nick “never been” Wright give any kind of lesson. Basketball before 2003 wouldn’t exist and he would continue to rewrite history for his narratives.

[@broabc66]

Stop it.

[@ubadman1]

Yall just make stuff up that you think nick says or thinks. Hes never said anything like that. Him and brussard both cited nba team from yhe 70s and 80s in this video

[@Mhr6685]

He down plays every single thing before LeBron. What we just watched with him about the 90’s. He couldn’t even admit Patrick Ewing was a great center.

[@808Montae]

Assuming Wildes Knows More Than Nick About NBA History Should Be Illegal.

[@skyler62itodi]

Cap

[@FDRich7]

Nicks defensive rating for Luka is better than Lukas defensive rating 😂

[@GregoryFossedal-d7h]

Every time Kevin manages to get a word in edge-wise, I smile. It means a few seconds of Nick Wright not engaging in self-absorbed bloviating.

[@OllieSmithMovies]

So weird calling him Kevin haha but I agree

[@jacksonmyers3187]

As of this moment, Boston's record against the western conference this year is 27-6.

[@slimluva69xxx]

But the east weak 😂

[@cvgodd1432]

😂 people just act like they don’t see things like this. They only see things that goes with their narrative.

[@MegaMayanking]

Any mathematician worth his salt will tell you... if you wanna lie to someone, give them numbers. Nick Wright does this masterfully. Why bring up Luka's defensive rating if you're not trying to say he is not a horrible defensive player. Which he is! Nick will bring up any statistic to bolster his case, while dismissing any stat you bring up to make yours.

[@penkima4923]

Luka isn't a horrible defensive player. That's backed up by numbers, that you brought up yourself.

[@jamalwalker04]

​​@@penkima4923 He is though. Any basketball stat nerd will tell you that DBMP and DR are terrible ways to tell you who's a good defender because defense is nigh impossible to quantify in a singular metric. Luka is not a good defender he can't keep up with small, guards he can't be placed on athletic wings, and he gets bullied by big men. He is a defensive liability which is why he gets hidden on weak offensive players. He fouls a lot which also the mark of a bad defender and he has bad defensive IQ and gets lost on plays

[@penkima4923]

@@jamalwalker04 "He is though. Any basketball stat nerd will tell you that DBMP and DR are terrible ways to tell you who's a good defender" Those metrics are a better indication, than you simply saying he is horrible. "Luka is not a good defender he can't keep up with small, guards he can't be placed on athletic wings, and he gets bullied by big men." The Mavs played great defense in the late regular season, and early playoffs, and Luka was an integral part of that. He led the Mavs in steals. He played good defense overall, but also great post defense. "He is a defensive liability which is why he gets hidden on weak offensive players." He is a liability late in the season, as his injuries slow him down, and he has to carry the offensive load. "He fouls a lot" He usually commits below average number of fouls, but this season he has been fouling far less than that. "he has bad defensive IQ" But he's so athletic, that he's still a good defender? No.

[@OllieSmithMovies]

@@jamalwalker04anyone who gets a lot of steals will have a higher defensive rating. He gets a good amount of steals because he gambles a lot. But as far as shuffling his feet with the person he’s guarding, he just doesn’t give any effort at all. He could probably be somewhat of a defender if he tried but he doesn’t. That’s the thing. He saves his effort for the offensive end

[@rafaelisslaam1894]

Lmao, im a rockets fan n very grateful for those 2 chips but all of the Houston knows if Mj didnt retire after '93 chip, Bulls would've won 8 straight n Mj would have 8 FMVPS lmao. At least, lebron fans wouldn't try to say hes better than Mj if that happened.

[@limit22]

I'm so glad of all the talking heads shows, you guys have very good audio volume. the other channels force me to go 3rd party to watch/listen. their audio engineer is a rookie and produce these uploads with low volume rendering... i'm just saying, thank you guys for have quality video/volume and of course, content!

[@DarkSharkssm]

Thinking Luka is doing good on defense is actually insane

[@penkima4923]

Some of us watch basketball outside the final series. It's insane you still decided to comment.

[@cmac392]

its almost like the Celtics didn't play without Porzingis

[@penkima4923]

They have 5 all-stars, who are playing low minutes. Removing one of them only makes the others to revert to their regular minutes.

[@wayno115]

5 All-stars lol ? Jrue is not making an All-Star team next season and I doubt Derrick White and Porzingis will make it with all of the talent at the PG, SG and PF position in the East. Only Tatum and JB will be on the team next season

[@VTSkier1996]

The general takeaway from this finals will be that the Celtics are the superior team, not that Luka cost them. Anyone who actively thinks that is wrong and would be a bad Celtics fan imo. What this series has exposed are Lukas current shortcomings at a stage he had never been to, happened to the Celtics in a VERY humiliating way two year ago. They learned and grew from it. Players NEED to take their lumps if they are going to grow. Now it can go one of two ways,use it or turtle, like that Aussie in Brooklyn.

[@Ray-dl5mp]

Yes but playing stupid like the Celtics did against the Warriors and being terrible at defense like Luka is 2 different things. Fixing dumb plays is a lot easier. Physically, we don’t even know if Luka can do it.

[@penkima4923]

The series was decided by refs, so we don't know which team is the better one. The main problem for the Mavs in the finals have been coaching, aside of officiating.

[@naglafar666]

Why we leaving out the 2014 spurs from great teams ?

[@xristosssoul8403]

Nick throwing in that "Most people have Steph end of top 10, so let's take him out to put Luka in" is just sad. It's nit funny or frustrating anymore. It's just sad

[@nathancardenas2719]

Jordan never beat great centers in the playoffs? Ewing, shaq, mourning? Even bigs like barkley and malone? Im glad dude got called out for his tomfoolery

[@davidrandolph9397]

That was hilarious to watch...

[@LASAGNA_LARRY]

He said in the Finals, but yeah

[@penkima4923]

Shaq was the only great center MJ faced in the playoffs, and they went 1-1, if I recall correctly. MJ faced Shaq in conference finals. And Shaq was young.

[@jeffcressotti]

Celtics full roster is an all time season and team. They just didn’t get to prove it as much as they wanted to due to injuries to other teams and Porzingis.

[@TarakRamChowdhary]

☘️☘️🏆Celtics run will remembered because Kevin Wildes picked them to win 😎😇

[@francescosmith7859]

yes, such a bold prediction picking the Celtics as 1 of 2 teams left.

[@lucsonelysee5988]

It's incomprehensible how Nick wants to see what happens in the future to give this Celtics team their flowers, but he is ok to place Luka in the all time greats conversation right now. Sometimes, i ask myself, are they doing this just for TV, or do they really mean those nonsense. Unbelievable

[@Allenblack6556]

Random thought: Why did Chris Broussard take weeks to determine who was going to win the Super Bowl with unheard anticipation, yet picked the Mavs in 5/6 without any second guessing? What does that say about his basketball analysis? Same with Nick Wright, a “Professional Sports analyst” picked Mavs in 5 with hilarious confidence. I think this NBA Finals was very telling in that the vast majority of the media picks who THEY want to win, not based on any form of objective analysis. Do better

[@francescosmith7859]

I think your comment ignores that Dallas still had a really good season. Maybe it's the finals pressure, maybe it's the burnout from 3 really hard fought series but you can't deny Dallas knocked off higher seeds in every round and looked good doing it. I don't know how you can be surprised some people would think they would win.

[@Breakbread1334]

They are backing Vegas!! Lots of money on Dallas lost

[@Allenblack6556]

@@francescosmith7859 I never said I was surprised anyone picked the Mavs. It’s the fact that they picked them in FIVE, with little thought given to it, referring to Broussard. I can’t even imagine if the Mavs won 64 games at a historic margin of victory and only lost 2 games in the playoffs, regardless of competition. Nick alone would’ve hung 15 banners before the finals started. Nick I understand because of his overwhelming jealousy of Boston being the city of champions, so it’s his thing to hate on the Celtics/ glaze Luka. Broussard + the majority of the media picked the underdog, solely because they beat an injured/old clipper team, the youngest #1 seed in NBA history, and a respectable Wolves team, but who’s only won 1 playoff series in an entire decade.

[@francescosmith7859]

@@Allenblack6556 Would it have made you feel better if Brou picked Dallas in 6? Look I can't speak for the National Media but outside of First Things First most of the other people I listen to (Zach Lowe, Windy, Bontempts, though I'm pretty sure Bam picked Dallas) all picked Boston and I'm pretty sure ESPN's staff were split 50/50. So with hindsight it's easy to pick on the people who were wrong but it's also easy to see why they thought Dallas was good and could beat Boston. I can just as easily make fun of the Celts path (far more easily). Beat a loser Miami 8 seed that didn't even have Jimmy Butler, had a masterful performance over a loser Cavs team that could barely beat Orlando and was missing Donovan Mitchell before having a "close sweep" over a Indy team that was missing Haliburton for multiple games. But in reality, I give the Celts credit for winning as you can only play the opponent in front of you but I don't know how their path can impress you but the Mavs beating 3 50 win teams in the superior conference in a fairly dominating manner but these guys are dumb dumbs for having the audacity to think they could win in the finals?

[@Allenblack6556]

@@francescosmith7859 I mean, yes? Obvious hindsight is 20/20, but what do you know! The most dominant team in the regular season against BOTH conferences, who only lost twice in the playoffs leading up to the finals, disproved all their major criticisms that they can’t win clutch games, ended up being the best team by far and will win the nba finals in 5 games, oh yeah, without their 3rd best player as well. They weren’t treated like the best team in the nba, when they clearly were the whole time. That’s my point. It shouldn’t have been 50/50 picks. I only brought up the Mav’s “tough road” because I’m saying that doesn’t matter, like at all. Who gives af the clippers won 3 more games than the Celtics opponents lol. People are quick to forget this same Celtics core beat a KD/Kyrie led Brooklyn team who Milwaukee tanked games to avoid, then the defending champion Bucks, then the #1 seed Miami. Which is INFINITELY more tough than this Mav’s schedule. And guess what happened, they lost in the Finals to a better team. They were disrespected, because the media massively overrated Dallas.

[@veksone77]

Why doesn't anyone question the Warriors when they played a bunch of injured teams and won against Bron when Kyrie and Love were hurt?

[@TC-gx3qn]

Thank you! I've been saying that.

[@aligindahouse7777]

You both doubted the Celtic's defense, fair play to Nick for admitting the Celtics didn't choose who they played

[@moe8490]

The biggest difference in FTF last season to this season is: NICK NOW FEARS BROU

[@GotSoulHo3]

Mavs are going to make history..

[@mikemoney8344]

😂

[@bgdgdgdf4488]

A historic meltdown, i agree

[@CeeWorld69]

I can tell Wildes is an EXTREME gaslighter 😂😂. I could imagine how conversations with his wife goes at home 😆🤣😂 omgosh

[@lacyvalenti9523]

EXACTLY!

[@prod.justjae9957]

They whole starting lineup is locked up for years this a start of dynasty 💯

[@subconsciouslyinyahead7977]

Nah idk about that

[@CelticsBirdsUnited97]

Other than finding a really good big man to backup KP since Al will retire, Boston doesn't have any glaring holes

[@prod.justjae9957]

​@@subconsciouslyinyahead7977 who in the east is challenging them and nobody in the west can beat them 4 times either

[@jt8isgr870]

​@@CelticsBirdsUnited97Tillman is Al's back up

[@gregoryemeagwara5933]

Idk about that either. When we think Dynasty we see two superstars on the same team

[@timocruz510]

16-2 would be the fourth best playoff run of all time only behind the '83 Sixers (12-1), '01 Lakers (15-1), '17 Warriors (16-1)

[@abezzzy121]

They're conflating one of the greatest SEASONS with greatest TEAMS.

[@penkima4923]

There's a strong argument that this Celtics team is the best team in history.

[@wayno115]

@@penkima4923 Nahh imma keep it a 100 I think this Celtics team has a chance to become one of the top 15 teams ever in the league but until they win the championship next year again. I can’t put them in up there as a top 10 team and I definitely can’t say they’re the best team until they three peat or win 4 championships in 5 seasons or something crazy like that

[@lacyvalenti9523]

@@penkima4923 No dude

[@penkima4923]

@@lacyvalenti9523 This Celtics team has a better argument than "dude".

[@nothingspecial8114]

Luka getting swept wouldn’t be crazy to see. A lot of superstars have at least 1 dark blemish on their playoff resume such as blowing a 3-1 lead or being swept. And at the end of the day everyone recognizes them as all time greats and the only time the blemish is used to discredit them is when you nitpick when ranking all time greats. LeBron swept twice, Kobe blew 3-1 lead, MJ swept 2-3 times, Shaq has the record for most sweeps, Kawhi blown 3-1 lead, Curry blown 3-1 lead, KD multiple sweeps and blown 3-1 leads

[@penkima4923]

It depends on the team rosters, if a sweep or a decisive loss is a blemish or not. This Celtics team is arguably the best team in history, so it's definitely not a blemish for Luka to be swept. Outside of casuals.

[@YerpDerp17]

If people have been watching NBA basketball for a while then you know every championship run is riddled with injuries, random match ups and almost every casual fan saying it was an easy run. It happens almost every season. There are only a few handful or runs where the underdog comes out on top where people all agree it was a difficult run. So this Celtics championship, assuming they win it, will be no different than 95% of runs.

[@41cigars]

In 95% of Finals runs, the winner plays 3 teams without their best player?

[@timmartin2417]

It’s funny for nick to say “you don’t like the numbers when they don’t agree with you “ of all people

[@jctslice]

A sweep won't impact Luka. Celtics are a historic team going against one man

[@mikemoney8344]

Historic team that virtually everyone was picking to lose the Finals including 2 of the hosts on this show. Yawn!

[@jt8isgr870]

That is true. Luka will still be an all NBA team and at some point an MVP. He needs help if he's ever going to win a ring. He also needs to work on defense

[@jasonwolfe3252]

They're going against the best offensive backcourt of all-time according to some

[@Cloud91738]

Sheesh. Just the other day the Mavs had the most talented backcourt of all time 😂. Happens quick.

[@jctslice]

@@jasonwolfe3252 no. I'm not sure they're even better than Harden and CP3

[@FranciscoVelasco-q6w]

Broussard & Wildes Trolling "nicko the Clown" is the reason I watch this show hahaha.

[@francescosmith7859]

Ewing wasn't great? Alonzo? Shaq? None of these guys count Nick???

[@TVGoldMind]

Shaq beat Jordan, no Ewing wasn't "great" neither was Zo. Great is Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq

[@francescosmith7859]

@@TVGoldMind sigh, look up the 96 season. Bulls Vs Magic, Bulls win in 4. Shaq plays in every game. I'm sorry Jordan couldn't get David Robinson to the finals and beat him there and I'm also sorry you don't recognize how great Ewing and Zo were. I would agree they're not as good as Hakeem, Shaq and David but I also think they're the next guys on the list and it's not like Jordan only beat Greg Ostertag.

[@TVGoldMind]

@francescosmith7859 sigh look up 95 first round, Shaq and Penny. Jordan averaged 30 a game that series and had just came back so was fresh and injury free. Hakeem went on to sweep that team becoming the lowest seed to win a ring and first team ever to best 4 60 win teams in a playoff run.

[@TVGoldMind]

@francescosmith7859 And Jordan literally only beat Ewing greg ostertag rik smits and zo aka tier B centers. He dominated power forwards butnthats because Pippen, Rodman and Grant were all great defenders of forwards. He got Shaq but Nick Anderson and Penny weren't as good and Shaq was ready to leave. Jordan said Hakeem was the only player he feared so 🤔

[@francescosmith7859]

@@TVGoldMind second round. At least get your facts right. I didn't say Jordan never lost to Shaq but I'm pointing out the centers Jordan beat. Hakeem was great. There's a reason he's an all time great and on the all time center list right next to (and same say ahead) of Shaq.

[@AMERICANMONKEYY]

Nick Wright should be banned from sports media

[@Lance_Thorpe_Esq.]

I like that these dudes fight...Respectfully but passionately.

[@Earl_TheSquirrel]

yes. hate the other shows with geniune hostility its hard to watch.

[@spoogtastic]

I think I'm with wildes argument that we can say they are all time great with just this season. A 1 year title can be a top great team, it might not be a top era of teams. It's 2 different criteria. .

[@penkima4923]

The Celtics have 5 all-star caliber players. It's been decades since we've seen a team like that.

[@koberino4872]

Lefrauds 07 finals run is so overrated. Beat 2 .500 teams, then beat Pistons in ECF who didn’t have their defensive anchor Ben Wallace and head coach Larry Brown, got swept in finals and scored 21ppg on 35/20/69 shooting splits. He choked. They laid back in single coverage and let him shoot and he couldn’t hit shots

[@Elorm.M.K.T]

Then anyone else with another team should have made that run since it wasn't that great, right?

[@ronaldray-ij2pt]

Peace and love from NY

[@michaelbrice5169]

Remember when everyone was killing Steph for getting targeted on defense?

[@joshuathompson3325]

I like how spicy wildes is getting when calling nick out on his nonsense.

[@creepybantha1665]

I mean, people still talk about the 1998 Vikings as one of the most dominant teams in NFL history, right? And they didn’t even make the Super Bowl.

[@Keithjames153]

I think it’s waay different in football since repeating in football is significantly harder.. funny enough the NBA is getting to a point of parity where it might be just as hard 🤷‍♂️

[@LASAGNA_LARRY]

07 Pats

[@rve420]

I've seen random Celtics fans comment that if Porzingus was healthy this would be the best team of all time...

[@MarvyG23]

Hopefully the mavs can extend the season atleast for one more game

[@mikemoney8344]

NO

[@Beginningtopeak]

Did the Celtics play an 82 game season against the NBA or the G League? They dominated the whole year. I don't really have a reason to believe that even if other teams had their players they wouldn't be in finals anyway. They had 14 more wins than anyone else in the East. It was an easy road regardless of injuries.

[@toplifepeople]

How is LUKA better than Giannis? how crazy? No way near anywhere a 1-way dribbler is better than a 2-way monster!

[@penkima4923]

Giannis has laxed on defense, after the Jrue-Dame switch. And Luka is an underrated defender.

[@khoado123]

Whats Wildes obsession with forcing this Celtics to be an all time great team lmao. They are not even top 5 Celtics team of all time wtf

[@JHC2812]

Hakeem would cook the bulls Max was a amazing defender and he would get in MJs head Much better shooters on rockets too as far as the role players Rockets would win for sure Nick is right

[@theace875]

Tatum got killed for his performance in the finals and paid for it for years. Now we're supposed to forget Luka melting down when his team needed him most? Get out of here

[@Midnite101]

The bubble was not a real championship.

[@marcjohnson4677]

People disrespect the 2015 Warriors chip because of injury. Because of that, they wanted to break the 72 win Bulls. Yet people rarely bring up Curry and Bogut's injury in 2016

[@francescosmith7859]

you can't bring up Steph's injuries as an excuse when every other game (especially before the finals) he was lighting it up. Steph averaged 35 points in his first two games back. Was his injury still nagging him? Probably but you can't use it as an excuse. Just like Luka in these playoffs. Dude is clearly not 100% but that doesn't give him any free passes and doesn't allow him to escape the criticism he's currently facing.

[@djadondaman17]

Thats the point they're making. Since u made excuses for 15 why doesn't gsw get excuses for 16? In most ppl minds gsw was fully healthy 15-19 and choked both finals

[@francescosmith7859]

@@djadondaman17 I can't say what other people do (and I do recognize there are some dumb talking heads who try to take away Steph's thunder suggesting that was a bogus title) but I give GS full credit for their first title win against Cleveland. But I do have to point out it's not a question that the Warriors choked in 16. They had a 3 to 1 lead with two home game opportunities to close it out. You can blame Dray but no matter how you look at it, that's kind of the definition of a choke job.

[@slimluva69xxx]

@@francescosmith7859exactly I don’t see them mention his injuries on the offensive end or when he winning

[@stmaster21]

brou and wildes arguing hakeem doesn't get full credit is wild. nick's 100% right per usual

[@hughmungus7621]

Nick Wildes has been the only one that offer valid takes on these finals. He’s saying everything the people are thinking about. And he’s right, when I remember these finals, I’ll remember Luka getting cooked, Luka complaining, Luka sitting on the floor with his hands up. Luka needs a big redemption ark next year

[@DarrylBodkin]

I love how these 3 argue. Golden

[@1980htaylor]

That segment turned disastrous real quick. I think a rockets bulls series goes 7 and could go either way

[@groverbyard5287]

This is pretty much the only sports show I watch. The chemistry of these guys is awesome.💯💯💯

[@Ishakazulu]

Nick out here coping for dear life 😂

[@808Montae]

Respect Nick For Not Falling Bait For That Pointless MJ Argument.

[@chrislittle200]

Fair to say he wins the minutes he plays, but that clearly hasn’t been enough. It’s not too much to ask of a 5x 1st team player hey can not let players get dunks cuz you’re whining about a call? Cuz then his plus minus might be high enough for him to actually win the game.

[@michaeln3044]

Why is the plus minus for Luka important and not for Tatum who has dominated that number for years? Fail By nick again.

[@murphybegood]

You’d think Nick would be tired of being wrong 😂

[@penkima4923]

His name is Wrong, because he doesn't get tired of it.