Game 2 Reaction: How Celtics are OVERWHELMING Luka Doncic & Mavericks | Hoops Tonight

[@paulaceves4269]

Colin-free is so much better!!!!

[@alexrhughes]

Colin is the used car salesman of sports analysis. I like his takes and anecdotes, but he’s often just waxing poetic, and next to Jason, is outclassed.

[@Jonteponte71]

@@alexrhughes I'm starting to think most of these people taliking about the NBA don't actually watch much basketball. At least not during the regular season. Some of the takes are so wrong it's comical.

[@Indy_Bendy]

Relax its not that bad sweet Jesus

[@ksX-pk8su]

Colin doesn't add anything to the conversation that is noteworthy. He is the epitome of a talking head. No insightfulness.

[@joeymitchell5467]

lol i know

[@yahcrack]

Everyone loved Kyrie a week ago now he public enemy number 1 again 😂

[@michaelbarnes2126]

The more wild thing was the whole “greatest offensive back court ever” BS. So hyperbolic and in the moment it’s ridiculous now 😂😂😂😂

[@tim.noonan]

As a Celtics fan, this might be more enjoyable than my team being halfway to a chip lol. I stg casuals and the media get put under some kind of spell w/ him maybe once a year, only for him to crash down to Earth within a few weeks. It’s wild lol.

[@eicc3037]

Fr they switch up so fast

[@kbthegoat824]

Kyrie isn't loved...the 2 face people just wanted to save face in case dallas wins. They trash kyrie every chance they get and we all know it.

[@jennifercharlesbuckingham9533]

Not true we don’t. Just saying

[@ca9735]

Jason, appreciate you being one of the only true unbiased evaluators of the game.

[@donaldpratt2296]

So before the series Jason said that if JT focused on defense, rebounding, and facilitating the Celtics would definitely win, but he didn’t think JT would do that. Does this count, or is he shooting too often?

[@michaelbarnes2126]

He’s probably still shooting too often lol. But I love the fact that he’s doing all the other things that is needed to shut down Dallas’s offense other than Luka. I truly think if he just focused on not scoring and just playing defense on Luka there wouldn’t be another 30 point triple double

[@donaldpratt2296]

@@michaelbarnes2126 it’s tough though, because he needs to attempt to score enough to keep gravity. The entire Mavs team collapses on him when he drives, leaving multiple shooters open beyond the line.

[@peterlenza8320]

I think this counts simply because I don't feel like he's trying to overdo it by taking some of the poor shots he used to, and he definitely is delegating a lot

[@michaelbarnes2126]

@@donaldpratt2296 of course take your shots. But take more shots off the catch instead of taking tough pull up shots. Especially since the defense is so focused on him, he’s good enough to create his own shot so let the team get you more open looks for shot attempts since the ball is moving.

[@masstarvation]

he needs to shoot, otherwise Mavs will not respect him if he doesn't pose an offensive threat

[@michaelbarnes2126]

Jason I respect your opinion about Tatum because you actually point out his impact on the defensive end. He’s way more than just his shooting splits and really grew his game to be well rounded for the team. You also pointed out that he would probably be better as a point forward awhile back and he’s doing that now. I would be very surprised if he was voted FMVP but he’s played very well despite the poor shooting and all he needs is a 50 ball and it’s his, maybe lol

[@aduad]

Putting Luka in the conversation of best player in the world when he is basically a traffic cone on defense and almost had 10 TOs is wild to me.

[@benmorgan9748]

For real

[@kelvinlee7351]

Can't be the best player if u can't play half of the game

[@hesso__]

thats why he isnt on the Giannis or Jokic level for me, but as a Celtics fan it is pretty easy to see that he is going to be one of the greatest offensive players to ever play the game.

[@Jonteponte71]

Jokic was *clowned* for his "bad" defence over the last few years. Until he won the chip and it turned he was a actually a good team defender. Luka is just plain bad and it is never talked about for some reason.

[@vis4479]

what's funny is last series everyone was trying to say Luka is a good defender lol

[@masstarvation]

This guy keeps on talking about Tatum and Brown being "flawed superstars", but the player in this series with the biggest flaw is Luka. You just said it, he keeps getting picked clean by both Tatum and Brown. How is that not a FLAW? I just don't understand where this "Luka is the best player in the world" take is coming from. Do we not value defense anymore? Maybe if Luka even decided to play defense, they'll have a 20% chance to win this series. As it stands now, they ain't winning this series anymore. He scores 30 while giving out 8 TOs and letting other people score 50 on him. Jaylen Brown and Tatum are both better 2-way players than Luka but everyone just wanna talk about a statpadder who scores 30 on the way to a big L. He doesn't make his teammates better, kills the clock, has a high usage rate, and does nothing for his teammates on defensive rotations. His assists are just a result of him not having anything else to do with the ball because he is well-defended so he just passes and hopes his teammates can convert.

[@sittingbull7445]

If you look at stats luka is actually playing really good defense. He's keeping his opponents to under 40% fg. That's better than JT

[@kashifsingh791]

This is straight facts. Never, ever has the best player on the floor been this much of a liability on Defense. He's a great offensive player, but his lack of D kinda cancels out his offense. like you said, he scores 30, but gives up more points either from his own man scoring or his man creating openings for others.

[@rafi3b]

No he's not.. he can't stay in front of anyone and once boston drives and gets the paint dallas defense starts scrambling. It all starts with him not being able to stay in front. Boston looks to penetrate then kick not just score once they beat their man. Jason basically talked all about this in this pod and the other ones.

[@randomuruk7230]

Nothing you said is even remotely true, Luka is ranked 7th in usage rate this post season at 32.5% which is standard for a star player. 8 TO by Luka but what about Jaylen Brown? He had 6 and most of them came from Luka. So much for Jaylen being a two way player getting stripped by no defence Doncic.

[@masstarvation]

@@sittingbull7445 Jason just stated that the main problem of the Mavs is that they all can't stay in front of their men and their rotation are atrocious. They say that a team takes the identity of its best player. Slacking off on defense and letting guys drive past him with little to no resistance is what Luka has been doing this postseason. The other teams just weren't able to capitalize on it like Boston does because they don't have the personnel to punish Luka and the Mavs when they make a wrong defensive decision. Boston got 5 guys who can snipe 3 pointers. You swing it once and they will have a wide open three

[@drewskinner799]

Mailbag: It was very surprising to me that leading up to the finals not only did so many pundits pick the Mavericks but they picked them in 5 or 6 games. You were one of the few who picked the Celtics and it seemed to me that you swayed Collin to some regard to do the same. You guys are two of the few to do so. Do you think this is because other shows can be more narrative driven (Celtics seems to choke and the Mavs came out of a tougher west) rather than facts and matchup driven or was this for another reason? Also follow up question: statistically the Celtics are one of the most dominant teams ever but for some reason it is hard to see them in that light for me. If they win the finals where do you think they fall all time? Love the show especially bc you focus so well on ball itself and not on click baity narratives.

[@khal7702]

Tatum is as bad as last time, Holliday n Brown are leading the team

[@opchatz]

Colin Cowherd does not have an opinion of his own and he announced his pick after Game 1, because he is a coward

[@opchatz]

@@khal7702 Lol casual... Holliday is awesome but he was spoon-fed more than half of his points from Tatum.. Also, last time Tatum was injured (like Luka now, and everyone is making excuses), had played way more and far more intense playoff games than any other 24-year old leader in the league has in a single playoff run (7 games bucks, 7 games miami), and brown averaged like 6 TOs in the series too.. Celtics were just too tired for the best shooter ever and all casuals are yappin'

[@masstarvation]

ESPN hates Boston and Loves the Lakers, that's why they went and d%cksucked the Mavs

[@Sebaanation]

Short aswer: Betting, the media pushed the mavs agenda. Entering the series nearly 90% of the money in bets was on the Mavs winning... Easy money for the betting houses if you ask me 😂

[@KiLlACaMrOn94]

Tatum not being a Top 3 player is NOT a knock on him at all. He’s a Top 5 player. There’s no need to get upset with that sentiment. The annoying sentiments are that he’s capped and maxed out his potential. That’s very clearly not true. While he may not be the #1 guy in the League, his ceiling is still MVP and (multiple time) NBA Champion.

[@KxngAntTae]

It’s theoritical or hypotheticals tho I mean u guys been talking about Tatum’s potential for multiple years already and he can’t consistently reach his ceiling. There’s a reason Brad stevens went all in on a stacked team so they can hide his flaws unlike other stars.

[@BeJamin4321]

That was good take on the Jays on how they are doing so much for the team that doesn’t show up on the box scores. I would push back a little bit on Luka being that much better player since his Defense is terrible.

[@zhanehhylton6868]

His defense is bad because he has to carry the mavs offense while being injured so whats even your point here

[@addster124]

​@zhanehhylton6868 his defense is trash because he's a bad defenders. He tired himself on offense becsuse he doesn't play off ball. You rarely see him cut to the rim or set offball screens. He's also a bad spot up shooter. He also doesn't play with pace so he's not able to score or playmake on a defense that isn't set. He's plays set defenses that switch and tires himself out.

[@mikotagayuna8494]

@@zhanehhylton6868 His defense has always been bad long before he got injured. The fact that Mavs fans are stoked about him doing defense now shows how low the standard of that aspect of the game is for him.

[@kevincowan1913]

Well I'm all coached up ! Thanks bud, I'm taking this to my mens league and going off .

[@seanisabel]

I don't care about Tatum's scoring. I think he will have a big game or two before the finals are over. But he still is rebounding, getting people involved, and playing great defense. Winning the championship is all that matters to me, and probably Tatum and the Celtics too.

[@joelv92]

I don’t see the Mavs winning this series.

[@SDesWriter]

They've put themselves in a bad spot, so it will depend on them winning Wednesday and then having to win again in Dallas. If both teams defend the home court, it's a best of 3 series with Dallas having some momentum. But because they lost Game 2 they have only won path to victory while Boston can win either 3 or 4 and have a crushing advantage, or lose both and STILL have the advantage. If it was any team but Dallas I'd say there's no chance, but Luka doesn't get nervous so they have a punchers chance.....IF they win Wednesday.

[@joelv92]

@@SDesWriter Dallas has the weapons to beat Boston but they way the whole roster has been playing it’s nearly impossible at this point. So far it’s only Luka, PJ, and Derrick Jones Jr. who have showed up.

[@SDesWriter]

@@joelv92 Jones is playing incredibly tough on defense, but he's not showing up offensively. He's trying because even though his outside shot isn't dropping, he's going to the rim.....but when you miss and your team is at a disadvantage, trying doesn't get it done. I feel bad for him.....he's getting NO calls and doing his best to still impact the game. If Irving finally plays like himself and PJ can hit a few 3s they'll win Wednesday. But they're going to have to do it back to back to get into the series again. If they go back to Boston 2-2, I really think they'll win. Luka isn't going to let them lose if he gets that close to a ring.

[@boochtron]

@@SDesWriter I think it's over for Dallas. I think it's hard to sweep any team that's good, so I expect Dallas to win a game at least.

[@brandonsams2772]

thanks so much for your analysis, Jason!

[@____2080_____]

There may be a need for other types of sports media, but all of the absolute nonsense you hear coming from FS1, ESPN, TNT and even other KZbin channels that elevates the “great hero“ archetype versus just talking about the X’s and O’s breakdown of the game… This content is night and day different

[@justinchapin9789]

It makes sense Tatum’s jump shooting has regressed; he gets more attention from the opposition’s defense every year. This is probably the first year he’s been triple teamed with any kind of consistency.

[@BLACKSTONEPOET]

GREAT........ANALYSIS!!!!!! more please😂😂😂

[@edgarsnake2857]

Great commentary and analysis, Jason. Thanks.

[@James-uw6ym]

I remember last year when you were very critical of how disengaged JB was on defense (which was really warranted btw!) Im glad he really worked on it over the past year cause it really elevates the floor of this celtics team

[@BLACKSTONEPOET]

So tired of hot takes! This podcast is always a welcomed addition to my life...lol

[@Whyypreeeeeeeeee]

The problem with Jason is the fact that he makes what he's saying these PROFESSIONALS should do be doing sound really simple. He forgets that these guy's are human and make mistakes. Yes they're professionals at what they're doing, but NONE of us know what it's like to be in an NBA game, and for us to tell them what THEY should be doing is ridiculous to me

[@kashifsingh791]

It's really funny how NO ONE in the national media or national sports shows are talking about Luka's defense. It was brought up on First things First when Wildes brought it up, but Nick Wright thinks its ok to be a terrible defender. He gave Luka's game yesterday an A- and Tatums game a D- lmaoo

[@williamharris7849]

Simmons/Russillo, Doris Burke, JJ, Legler, Windhorst, Zach Lowe have all been talking about how Dallas can't stop the drive and Luka's being hunted relentlessly.

[@Ineedrentmoney]

Its unreasonable to expect a non athletic white dude to be a great defender. Hence, they have to ignore that side of the ball to justify saying Luka is arguably the best player in the league.

[@CTEagleCeltic]

Thank you for this whole video… So tired of the JT slander, as if he didn’t generate around 45 points last night. Those 12 assists did result in points. His shooting is the problem, not his entire game and the Mavs are just starting to double/trap JB, when that’s all JT ever sees.

[@TheLittleCan]

Tatum is what makes the celtics work. Basketball is more than just scoring even though the league doesn't want you to think that. If you put brown in tatums role he would struggle.

[@markespanet3193]

Mailbag: Jason, what do you think of Kidd’s adjustments (or lack thereof) throughout this series? Love the show, must watch tv.

[@camhoman657]

Find me more than 1 pull up jumper from Tatum in this series u don’t like. I don’t get it.

[@lsmith77]

Would the Nuggets have done a better job at containing Celtics offense? I think they would have done much worse. The question is more if their offense would have worked better and I think that is likely a yes. Overall the shooting percentages on both sides are by and large low. So it seems the key to winning for the Celtics has been the fact that their top 6 are just way better, so they spread out their energy more. But conditioning seems to be the key here. The defensive schemes are working just fine on both sides.

[@MD92bZ]

Should Dallas stop double-teaming Tatum? If he goes for 40 so be it, but I feel like Dallas can't afford to send so much help on a player that isn't scoring efficiently. Especially with JTs improved passing.

[@camhoman657]

Dawg. U harped on variance all year. Now ur like “they space the floor really well it makes them so hard to guard.” They don’t have that space unless shooters (which they all are very good) actually punish defenders leaving them to help. The Celtics have played this way all year it’s why they were the best offense in the league. It was never chucking like some would make it seem

[@kclark5060]

I understand where you’re coming from but that’s not really what he’s getting at. It’s not just “They’re shooting a lot of 3’s now and they did during the regular season so it’s the same variance.” He has mentioned in previous videos the difference the quality of a shot effects the percentage of it. Regular season the Celtics showed the tendency to just chuck threes (contested and open) when their offense became stagnant. In this post season and especially in this series their decision making has been substantially better which rewards them with higher quality shots. Variance plays a role in 3 point shooting but not as much as some people think. If the Celtics are consistently getting great looks (open to wide open shots) they have a higher chance of getting into a rhythm, getting hot, etc, etc. He’s saying they’re spacing the floor really well because they’re constantly beating their defenders off the dribble , putting the mavs into rotation, and getting a high quality shot damn near every possession.

[@camhoman657]

@@kclark5060 they played this way all year dude. They shot second best percentage at that three point volume. They got the most open threes per game. This is how they have played all year it was never chucking it was always hard to guard

[@mctaguer]

Thank you for perfectly encapsulating the Tatum & Brown "thing." Those blathering, arguing or pontificating either don't know basketball or have an agenda. Celtics fans should just be happy--if you're a C's fan and you're qualifying what's going on, you're an idiot. Or not an actual fan of the team. The point of fandom is to share the experience. When your team is 14-2 in a dominant playoff run and you're complaining? You're the problem.

[@robertriteman3227]

Look I would like to have Luka on my team but at the same time I would not have big hopes that the team would win a championship . There is no evidence that he makes his teammates better and if anything arguably some players get held back . He certainly has minimal D and there is no reason to believe that he will change in that regard ( face it , he makes Jokic look like a B defender ) . And with respect to the specific series, while i do not count out the Mavs , that Luka turnover to assist ratio is more concerning than Tatum's performance given the difference between the other team players . A big difference is the coaching as it is more than about the HC but the assistants and Boston has a big edge with Sam Cassel ( it is a disgrace he is not an HC especially in a league where Doc Rivers keeps getting jobs)

[@elfreey]

Mailbag Should the Mavs try the following: sagging off Tatum/Brown and absorbing the contact to contain drives, helping off Tatum, posting up Luka to draw help, Gortat screen against the drop, screen the screener after the on-ball screen, with proper spacing, or screen off-ball after screening on-ball, type plays to open up flares and cuts? First thing allows them, among other things, to worry less about cross-matches and focus more on offensive rebounding, I would assume

[@glovs4188]

If he can keep his man infront. Then yes.

[@blackpope8834]

Jrue Holiday has played the best in the finals. Less mistakes than brown. Bigger game when it mattered. And Locked down Kyrie. Brown is a close second.

[@struggle296]

“Flawed superstar”, while Luka is the main reason why Dallas’ point of attack defense is terrible, which allows for the huge discrepancy is quality of shots between the 2 teams. Maybe listen to what you’re saying every now and then.

[@chong0621]

Jason why is SGA much younger when he is only 4 months younger than Tatum?

[@justinle8787]

What I get from this is Luka, Kyrie or whoever got hunted on defense needs to work a little harder so help can come at the right time. You cannot be a cone with this Boston team, because they don't have anyone that you can exploit and leave alone. All of them can create a little bit for themselves, even Jrue, Al are veterans who can make a bucket on their own. Still believe the Mavs can make this series an interesting one.

[@addster124]

Arent jokic, giannis, and luka also flawed superstars? Jokic rim protection is none existent and can be exposed on the perimeter. Giannis isnt a good mid range or three point shooter. His free throw shooting is awful and he can be shutdown by a team that builds a wall with the proper personel. Luka's defense is terrible. He tries to conpete but he cant contain the ball handler so his team is forced to play shrinking floor zone which has limitations when facing a floor spacing offense that has shooters such as boston. Luka plays with slow pace which hurts them with great set defenses. His also doesnt set off ball screens or cut which limits the offensive versatility.

[@KxngAntTae]

Jokic, Giannis, Luka never in the finals averaged 17 ppg on 30% fg. I mean Giannis dropped 50 on a closeout game to win finals something Tatum doesn’t even need to do to win. Their teams were simply just never as talented as tatum’s teams.

[@natekwak7491]

Mailbag Question: Tatum is obviously in a bad slump right now, but do you think the overall downward trend in his shooting over the past few playoff runs could be due to the upward trend in his strength and defensive responsibility? Looking at Tatum 4 years back, he is undoubtably a different player. He's morphed more into the point-forward role that you have talked about as his ideal playstyle vs. the isolation scorer he tried to be in the beginning of his career. With that change in playstyle has come an increase in his strength and how much energy he has to dedicate to the other aspects of the game like defensive versatility, playmaking, and rebounding. In the playoff setting it then becomes harder to maintain good shooting splits while also affecting the game in so many other ways.

[@BigtunaG]

1.Mavs need to guard Tatum and Brown single coverage and look to take away 3s/ passing lanes. Force Brown to be a playmaker or Jt to out score us. Basically what Celtics are doing to Luka taking away his pass and just challenging him to score and gas him out 2. Mavs need to run the ball through Kyrie while having Luka in the post. From there you can hand the ball to Luka where he can score in post while making reads off of double teams opening the corner 3 and has the 3 top of key to Kyrie. Then Run PnPop with Luka setting screen for Kyrie. This way you open the floor for Kyrie to score and they can’t double team him. Kyrie has 3 options score/luka 3/ lob. Now you avoid Luka turnovers open corner 3 pass while making Kyrie a prominent threat where you can’t double and Kyrie doesn’t have to make hard reads.

[@SDesWriter]

Did you get that from Draymond? That's exactly what he advocated along with Kevon Looney. It's an interesting idea because it limits the turnovers (because Luka is a step slower than usual) and puts less wear and tear on him by letting him set up without the ball. I'll be curious to see if Kidd tries something like that. It might even get Kyrie going again since he's controlling the offense. As for #1, they're already doing it. Don't believe the half-wits complaining about all the 3pt shots Dallas is allowing. They are contesting (more than Boston) and it's no accident that Boston shot 10-39. That's the way the defense is designed. Kidd had to find a way to keep Luka on the perimeter where his size is an advantage so he funnles the driving players to where a big is waiting for them and then they rotate so they can challenge the kickout. It worked for one game, so we'll have to see if they can do it again Wednesday. If so, hopefully it will shut up the morons like Jason who don't have a clue this is exactly what Kidd wanted his defense to do (minus the mistakes on some rotations).

[@Ineedrentmoney]

You didn't mention that Luka needs to play defense.

[@SDesWriter]

@@Ineedrentmoney How many times would you like me to show you video of Tatum missing shots over Doncic? Boston shot 10-39 from 3. Do you think they did that with no one playing defense? Dallas 3pt% - Contested 85%, Heavily Contested 53% Boston 3pt% - Contested 89%, Heavily Contested 72%. Dallas contested 20% more 3point shots than Boston did.....I'm pretty sure Luka plays on Dallas.

[@Ineedrentmoney]

@@SDesWriter and I could show you clips of players blowing past Luka or Luka not getting back on defense. let's not do the back and fourth. I'll ask you a direct question and your answer will expose your bias for the world to see. Is Luka a good defender?

[@jondoe4624]

Dude you are so much better without Cowherd. Much more in depth ball talk and less narratives. Keep rocking!

[@victorholcberg4122]

Mailbag: In today's league, where offensive talent (especially in the shooting department) is at an all-time high, teams like Boston are only going to become more common, especially if they win this year (which they likely will). This type of team has always been a bad matchup for Luka-led teams because Luka, whether it's schematic or just a lack of effort, cannot hold up on the perimeter against capable offensive initiators, opening up angles on the back side. With the league trending in this direction, where facing a team like this becomes more and more likely if you want to win the title, can a team built around a defensively subpar superstar like Luka ever be the favorite to win a championship?

[@santiagoacero9994]

Do you think mazulla is a better coach than udoka?

[@yanncourtel8538]

It's over but not from a bball standpoint. It's over because of precisely what they said about the Kidd's comment about the best player on this team. They ain't giving a shit who gets the credit until the chip is in... they seem extremely focus on all aspects... the way they approached the last two games makes it they won't rest until the got 4W... Let's see if they can wrap it up.

[@martinalbert29]

My feeling, hope I’m wrong though, is Luka will not make it through game 3. His body about to give. I have a very very strong feeling. We shall see.

[@Andy_M986]

Lukas Defence is terrible, and Boston have shown that they can slow him down offencely as well, i think too many people prop hom up,and he is prone to being shown up. Not by the Western teams, but this series shows just how good they really are,so far.

[@pedrodimaggio4144]

MAILBAG: Hi Jason, love the show. I completely agree with what you say about the Jays regarding not looking at the boxscore so much because what they do is much more than just statistics, but we also know that for many people statistics matter when deciding the FMVP. Especially about JT (whose work in defense and spacing is the cornerstone of Boston's system), do you think his stats up to G2 would merit his case? Or should it still go up to at least 18-20ppg?

[@BigKobe8]

Mailbag: should Luka sag off, on ball to a point where he can contain the ball? Even if that means conceding barely/ if at all, contested jumpers. May make Boston fall into bad habits and start settling. Feel like that is the only hope for Luka defensively.

[@Sterling65]

Omg. Was not ready for you to swear lol. First time hearing it hahah

[@michaelspitzer1216]

The Brad Stevens know they are not good enough is so stupid. Do you think that Jerry Kraus wouldn’t pair Jordan with the best players he can get?

[@RyanBrown-bz9nh]

@Jason It's an interesting thought but how often does the NBA champ have the more expensive starting 5 compared to the runner up?

[@5wisher5weet]

Next season I can see Lively being given the green light to shoot some 3s. If he can shoot say 33% do you think that would be a very useful weapon

[@Stecks_on_deck]

Great content and analysis but the long “uhh, uhhhh, ummm” parts are tough to get thru

[@ilovecoinz415]

BlackRock/Vanguard vs Kyrie Irving 😂

[@therealdarrell282]

I do not care who wins MVP for the Celtics. I want to see them win the 2024 NBA Finals. The individual awards are cool, but you win that chip, legacy is changed forever.

[@shawnb9589]

Dallas is in a win win and boston is in a lose lose... if dallas wins, the story is luka the hero that slayed the dragon that is boston, if dallas loses then the story will be that luka the hero just didnt have enough to beat the monster... If boston wins the story will be its about damn time especially since they had to go get 4 all star level players to make sure brown and tatum didnt choke another series away, and if boston loses after being up 2-0 the irish will burn the city after seeing tatum and brown choke another ring away.

[@aronnov]

Show how easy Luka gets by Tatum. He’s like a cone out there. Or just narrative?

[@collinwaite1338]

Came here for Celtics and bro is talking about how he coaches highschool kids smh 😂

[@gerardrazulcarim4922]

I think Jason Timpf , deep inside, wants to be considered for an NBA assistant coaching position, preferably with the Lakers his favorite team.

[@howardthompson3543]

Isn't it ironic that the greatest (regular season) offense ever doesn't have a transcendent creator? Maybe that's not as much of a weakness as we sometimes imagine.

[@ceerawlins3412]

Tatum has had a better series than luka.....luka stats v man d: 62-21-11 12TOs....tatum stats v double and triples: 34-20-17 9T....meanwhile luka has played near zero D while tatum has SHUTDOWN THE FIVE.....THE FIVE!!! WITH 20 BOARDS TO SHOW FOR IT

[@michaelbarnes2126]

Never let them tell you that just because he’s shooting badly he’s not making an impact or contributing greatly. They aren’t in this position without him 💯🍀🍀🍀🍀

[@connor_phillipz5689]

It's gonna be 2-2 headed back to Boston

[@curtiszyr]

3-1 heading back to Boston.

[@dvcrypto7722]

4-0 and only Celtics heading back to Boston

[@michaelbarnes2126]

Mavericks are only winning one game in Dallas unfortunately 😂😂😂

[@MrDeshunp2010]

I see Dallas delusion isn't only for cowboy fans 😂😂😂

[@benjaminthompson1295]

bro forgot we’re worse at home than on the road in the playoffs historically

[@siniister710]

I do not think he will. Shoutout to Luka though

[@WhyYouMadd40]

Jaylen brown can’t be held plz get Fluka off him 🤣🤣🤣

[@opchatz]

Mailbag: Why are you already ruling out the possibility of 26-year old Tatum figuring out his jumpshot in one of the next 3 years, and elevating in the peak superstar level? With a 50/40/90 season and his defence, he would be clearly be better than Luka (for that season)

[@glovs4188]

It's not about fixing his jumpshot. Its just his demeanor and attitude or mindset. He doesn't have that it factor. Brown have more of it than tatum does. People call it killer instinct. Everyone on tatum circle have probably mentioned it a million times in his ear already that he's freaking 6'10 with a solid build. Go put your shoulder down and power through people not avoid them and take fall away shots.

[@opchatz]

@@glovs4188 I am crying with the ignorance... The player with most points ever in game 7 does not have the it factor. He has a funky jumpshot, but it is fixable. And saying he does not put the shoulder down is admitting you have not watched any match this Finals.. Just sad.

[@KxngAntTae]

@@opchatzHe is too inconsistent as jump shooter it’s the reality he is shooting 30% in these finals and been atrocious as a scorer and pull up jumpshooter these playoffs, you can’t use these hypotheticals. I can sit here and say if Giannis develops a jumpshot next couple years he would be clear goat. Either way Tatum is not gonna reach that top 3 tier he is not effecient enough of a scorer to be.

[@opchatz]

@@KxngAntTae Giannis never had anything close to a good jumper lol.. Tatum has smooth mechanics, he is just inconsistent. This can change, like JB had no shooting when he came into the league

[@WGAGENCY]

There’s no reason to believe he’ll fix it. He takes his worst shot the most. Some self awareness and a complete flip of play style would be the only path to being a 50/40/90 guy.

[@cavemanslayer]

Luka getting the lebron treatment next year. Surround him with shooters

[@shadmalik5125]

Y can’t Dallas have Luka show and recover like golden state did vs Boston in 2022 that slowed Boston down and played them to they worse tendencies it’s terrible coaching to keep letting ole boy switch on Boston players

[@addster124]

Luka is too slow to do that. It requires lateral movement or else the celtics will pass before Luka could recover. Curry is at least fast.

[@addster124]

Luka is too slow to show and recover. If they try it, the celtics will pass it before he recovered. Curry is fast so he can do it

[@shadmalik5125]

@@addster124they haven’t even tried it once

[@Trollthug915]

Mavs fan- we are cooked guys lol Boston is overall better ; we have the more dominant player but it’s a team sport

[@SkullEZClap]

Mavs in 5

[@jamesjones11301994]

Your math isn’t mathin bro

[@norkbork]

math ain’t rly mathin there bud

[@jamied7391]

Years?

[@MrDeshunp2010]

You left the 0 off bucko

[@JCC311]

Erm, Dallas held Boston to 105 and 107 points. Boston did not score 120, never mind 140. So is this really a problem with Dallas's defense? Dallas have scored 89 and 97 points. That is the problem. Do Boston cause Dallas's defense to struggle more than other teams? Yes. But the bigger story of this series is that Dallas's offense is underperforming. How so? Missed free throws is part of the story, Shooting 63% and 68% from the line explains part of the gap. Turnovers also explain the loss in game 2, especially points scored off turnovers. Kyrie Irving playing dreadfully is another part of the story, both being inefficient despite taking a large number of shots, and also distributing the ball badly. So too is the inability of Dallas to get good shots due to good Boston defense and poor offensive adjustments. That should be the focus. Not Dallas's defense.

[@ondrejsveda8202]

Boston generates very good looks consistently, they're just missing. The defense isn't terrible, good outside of Luka and Kyrie in fact, but Dallas cannot stop dribble penetrations and are constantly in rotation giving up layups or quality threes

[@JCC311]

@@ondrejsveda8202 Boston are playing well on offense and missing good looks. But if Dallas had just been average on offense, the series would be 1-1 or even 2-0 to Dallas.

[@OUtkast19782007]

all the delusional dallas fan picking them in 5 lol, such a disrespect to the celtics!

[@MegaMonomer]

Mavs are just a worse version of harden and paul rockets.

[@blue_giant8493]

As a Celtics fan, this season has been so boring. I’ll finally be able to see the Cs win a ring, but I just wish games (especially in the finals) would be more competitive

[@grandmastercs]

Let's get this ring b4 we get picky

[@AllPraisesToTMH]

@@grandmastercsAgreed! Worry about competition and all that stuff next year.

[@jbbrolic]

I thought a lot of games were surprisingly competitive (including last night) considering they were playing teams with their best and sometimes second or third best (Heat and Cavs) players out.

[@ceerawlins3412]

we too good

[@michaelbarnes2126]

@@AllPraisesToTMHAGREED, win this easy one and get tougher ones down the road

[@msms-xw5qp]

Just looks like luka's injuries holding him back so much on the defensive end.

[@sawtrdnalnx]

Wont necessarily show up in the box score but the fact that Tatum is guarding the 5 is what is causing Dallas’ PnR lobs basically inexistent. Tatum’s defensive rebounding against two huge centers in Gafford and Lively is what is ending Dallas possessions early. Shooting slump? Definitely. But without Tatum the Celtics are for sure not up 2-0

[@anotherscratchoffwin8680]

Please don’t take this guy serious about his take, pretty delusional picking Dallas to win smh!!!

[@tim.noonan]

He picked Boston bro

[@anotherscratchoffwin8680]

@@tim.noonan when? He never did he picked Dallas trust me

[@basedswoop]

“The only way the Mavericks can comeback is if the role players hit a bunch of threes and Luka and Kyrie got supernova like in 2016 with Kyrie and LeBron” Oh okay so they’re getting swept

[@AS-qj4bj]

"overwhelming luca" Luka is DOMINATING. Not his fault Kyrie can't knock down a 3 and Boston get's every single call look no further than when Derrick WHite got STUFFED and they did not overtun the challenge. You any good a guitar or are they just for show?

[@XzavianA]

Am I first?!

[@XzavianA]

@@Ash_418 didn’t ask

[@isaacmboup1881]

I'm 5th

[@cowboyschad5x778]

Let’s check in a week from today and see how all these cocky ass boston fans are feeling then.

[@david_m157]

Luka could probably score 40 a game if he stopped playing Overwatch and lifted instead. Kyrie looks old.

[@curtiszyr]

Now Kyrie looks old ? 😂 no he is being defended by all nba defense players when Boston switches the only advantage is horford Kyrie doesn’t look old the defense and harsh environment has thrown him off his game

[@znamor]

Great analysis as always and can’t wait to see Celtics crush Dallas because with more talent on the team they just will! ♾️❤️🍀🏆

[@BooBoobear08]

Luka scores 30. Gives up 50. Fak luka the crybish

[@BooBoobear08]

Please talk more about lakers and letwat

[@BooBoobear08]

Keep backpedaling

[@BooBoobear08]

As nauseam about letwat

[@JayShimoda]

True Celtic fans don't give a crap who is the better J; we just want banner 18 (and hopefully more). And, I don't think the two of them care either. Both are gonna get paid the max, so who gives a damn?

[@NousagiBrat]

Yup rather than "Its this guy's team" it will be the Celtics team is both their team.

[@CoachTC23]

They shouldn’t care at all. Like you said even if Tatum has a -50 in the rest of the series he’s still getting the max so neither of them should care about numbers or labels at all. Go play winning ball and cash your checks. 🏀

[@undiscoveredstars1002]

Tatum is passing, rebounding and defending(by a mile) better than luka. He caused 3/4 luka turnovers yesterday. He’s out rebounding 7 footers. If the only thing luka is better at is scoring, the series won’t last long.

[@jennifercharlesbuckingham9533]

Luka is hurt lol. Not a fair comparison. But I see your point 😊

[@jennifercharlesbuckingham9533]

But your rt luka doesn’t play good defense Tatum is a defensive monster

[@WGAGENCY]

​@Lister-gf3hi Tatum has an injured hip that Boston never puts on the injury report

[@jennifercharlesbuckingham9533]

@Lister-gf3hi I agree with you but Tatum is a monster defensively compared to luka atm.

[@masstarvation]

@Lister-gf3hi Stick Luka to the Celtics and they will lose too. You think Luka will pass and share the ball like Tatum does? No, he wants to statpad and make himself look good while losing LOL

[@Whoknowsx1234]

Jason you’ve come around. Welcome to Mazulla ball brother.

[@darlenep1616]

Malone is the only who can figure him out 😂

[@rm-rc7zj]

I feel like tatum is the clear mvp already. Rebounding, defending, and playmaking at an elite level. Drawing 2 defenders every play, making the right pass is the key to his team winning. If tatum wasnt there they would be doubling brown and he wouldnt be able to make the passed tatum makes that basicaly decide the game

[@blue_giant8493]

I hope Kristaps gets it

[@karimzakaria9621]

He’s still the Vegas favorite as well. We all know he’s gonna have a high scoring game soon and that’ll inflate his numbers so he can win Finals MVP

[@SelfmadeJib]

To win mvp he just has to make some of these shots tho

[@yahcrack]

JAYLEN BROWN AWARD

[@ceerawlins3412]

Tatum has had a better series than luka.....luka stats v man d: 62-21-11 12TOs....tatum stats v double and triples: 34-20-17 9T....meanwhile luka has played near zero D while tatum has SHUTDOWN THE FIVE.....THE FIVE!!! WITH 20 BOARDS TO SHOW FOR IT

[@davidcarter6491]

If the Celtics win the championship then you will see the increase in his shooting next year! He dedicated this year to the championship!

[@SeunAdekoya]

Which is why I be wondering if ppl saying Brown is better than Tatum an insult likeeeee ok so we got two superstars on the Celtics now 😂🤷🏾‍♂️

[@darren138]

Mailbag question: Draymond has said on his podcast that Dallas should use Luka more like jokic where he should get fed the ball in the post and let him go to work there. Do you think this would be better?

[@curtiszyr]

Tatum just needs to have one monster game and he’ll get the finals mvp .

[@yanncourtel8538]

wtfc about FMVP... the most overrated award in history...

[@Itz5916]

Luka is a defensive liability, gets blown by the Jays

[@Kevin-cm3dr]

Just found this channel during the finals and it's the best breakdown of the games I've come across. I'll be tuned it moving forward.

[@adrianrodriguez6869]

Thanks for doing an analysis that makes sense. I feel like a lot of commentators are talking about how Luka is so great and that he needs more help and how Tatum is bad. There is some truth to that, but if Luka played 50% of the defence that Tatum is playing Dallas would have won at least 1 of the 2 games so far

[@billscott6819]

Luka is a potato.

[@KiLlACaMrOn94]

Mailbag: Can we please talk about how great Joe Mazzulla has been all postseason? He’s out coached every coach the Celtics have faced so far?

[@SDesWriter]

Kidd outcoached him last night. All Dallas had to do to win was shoot at least 25% from 3 (or skip a couple of those misses and drive to the basket) but they shot 10% instead. Luka skews the number because he shot well but the rest of the team was non-existent offensively. You can't coach people how to shoot but this defense everyone is laughing at held Boston to 25% from 3 and contested the 3pt shots at 72% while Boston (such a great defense) only managed 53%. If the role players finally wake up at home, we will find out if Boston's coach can make the adjustments necessary to beat Dallas. Sadly, if they continue to shoot like shit, Kidd won't get any credit for the masterful job he did in this series.

[@SkeetWeezy]

@@SDesWriterKidd did not outcoach him at any stretch of the imagination you are buggin.

[@SDesWriter]

@@SkeetWeezy Dallas shot 10% from 3 and only lost the game on Boston's home court by 7. That's the definition of great coaching. What did Mazzulla do last night?

[@mikotagayuna8494]

@@SDesWriter Mazzulla took out every offensive scheme the Mavs have been known for (lob threats. Kyrie PnRs & three balls) save for Luka showboating while Kidd failed to stop the Celtics from executing theirs. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

[@SDesWriter]

@@mikotagayuna8494 the Mavs failed to stop Boston’s offensive execution except for the 25% shooting from 3 and 45% shooting overall? Right…..

[@Qsaine9]

My only thing is can we put Luka in that top 3 when he’s a liability on defense ain’t them spots saved for the best of the best on both ends