thePeachBasket ChatRoom - 2023-24 Finals Thoughts and Predictions

ChatRoom-Finals-Predictions === Speaker: [00:00:00] Alright, welcome to thePeachbasket chat room. We are all a part of thePeachbasket podcast network of shows that includes, and it's a nice long list, 13 rules, random NBA thoughts, run it back, NBA week in review, Lakers, Clippers, and Knicks. Open run 10 on the clock with Tyrone Smith the Milwaukee Bucks beat Nick NBA and Houdini, I'm Jose Salviati editor at thePeachBasket.net. And host of running back NBA week in review Joining me today are Brandon Sparks host of running back NBA week in review Los Angeles Lakers edition and Steve Purciello host of 13 rules random NBA thoughts podcast This chat room is open today to discuss the now settled 2023 24 NBA finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the And the Boston Celtics. How do we get there? What do we see happening when is over? And someone list, we're gonna talk about it. Now we're gonna start by talking about the strengths and weaknesses of both teams. We wanna hear from both Brandon and Steve. But before we get there, I wanna [00:01:00] give some time to some of the others that weren't able to make it. thePeachBasket is growing. It's great, it's exciting. We've got, you know, we have roughly over 50 con creators, contributors this season. And some of them, you know, wanted to make be here today couldn't make it for whatever reason But they did share their thoughts. We're going to start with eric labrador He covered the miami heat for us did a great job covering an exciting heat team. This is his take celtics In six, they can't have any more luck than they've had this season. There's that whole scenario about the easiest path I'm sure that'll come up the key injuries to opposing stars butler brunson haliburton. I mean, it makes sense He did go on to give him credit though. They are the better defensive team than Dallas Although Gafford and Washington have tightened up the defense. Well, they have but his take eric Celtics in six so shout out to Eric for that Let's and we can address that or we can you know We can just kind of let eric have his take and go on with it But I want to start brandon with [00:02:00] you the boston celtics now brandon You are a lakers fan the lakers have and and you know We we we we knew that the lakers were going to be involved and it's right off the bat the lakers have 17 titles boston has 17 titles. There is You know, I'm in L. A. Area. I think you are, too. There's a lot of hatred, and it is hatred for the Boston Celtics, but I know that you can appreciate the fact that this is a very, very good team. And you know, their path, regardless of what it took to get there, this is a very good basketball team. What do you see? As their strengths and what's it going to take for Boston to lift the LLB. Speaker 3: I wrote an article on, on a few teams on like how this team can win the final. And one of them I wrote for the Boston Celtics and cause Boston is actually one of my more watched teams. My family's used to be a big fan of them and they actually stopped being a fan after the fumble of last season, I guess. [00:03:00] And they, their strengths are obviously like their. The player, the talent level on that team is just far and above every other team in the NBA, it's unreal. Drew Holliday is a winner. He carried them in a couple games where the other players weren't showing up as much. Like, Drew Holliday had like his highest points in a game this season in a playoff game recently. And yeah, he's just a clear winner. Derek White is like turning into a superstar, not superstar, but like he could, yeah, he could potentially be an all star in the next couple of seasons with how great he is. And he made an all defensive team with Drew Holiday, Jason Tatum. I mean, he's talked about way too much, honestly, but he, he's, he's great when he plays correctly. And that's the main thing is he. ends up [00:04:00] settling for like these contested three pointers or these contested like Kobe esque shots that he is not putting in the basket and that's really frustrating to watch and was one of the main reasons I stopped enjoying watching Boston was just Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. Doing a lot of one on one work and that is where their weakness lies is the offense can become very stagnant and relies on Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown to make a lot of things happen and At times, it's just Derek White, Al Horford, Orpizengas Andrew Holliday sitting in the corners and somewhere else on the three point line while Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum are just dribbling around their defender And hoping that they can dish it out to a three pointer. And we saw in the game two win for the Cavaliers, where the Cavaliers took away the three point shooting, and they ended up winning that game. And I think they figured something out there for a second. [00:05:00] And although Donovan Mitchell got hurt, which again, arguably the weakest East I've seen in quite a while with injuries, of course, I There was no team in there that was not injured except for Boston. Even Orlando had Jalen Suggs get hurt for a second. So every team had an injury, a significant injury. So the path was very easy for them, but besides that, they would have probably still come out of the East anyways. So they were the number one seed for a reason. But yeah, those are my main thoughts. I don't want to talk too much on it at the current moment, because I know there's other takes to be, to be talked about, but those are my main, that's my main opinion on their strengths and weaknesses right now. Speaker: Plenty, plenty, plenty to talk about, plenty of opinion to go around. I will say in the cell and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I mean, I think it's a fact you know, in the Celtics defense, they were hurt too, right? Porzingis was out and that was a key cause. Yeah, Speaker 3: that's true. Speaker: So, you know, and, and, [00:06:00] you know, you could argue that they were better, you know, without him, but I do think they need him against Dallas. I really, I Speaker 3: don't think they needed him. Coming out of the East. I do think they need them in the finals though. Speaker: Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. But let's shift now to to, to Steve Priciello, who all cards on the table is a Boston Celtics fan watches the team closely. What do you see in Boston? Strengths and weaknesses. Speaker 4: Biggest weakness they have is they seem not to always take these games seriously. Speaker 2: And Speaker 4: they fall into these bad stretches of basketball. And, and it could happen at any time. I know they got beat by Miami and Cleveland. If you look at the stats, the one thing they fall to is other teams that are red hot. Both games, those two teams, I think Miami was well over 50 percent from three in that game. So I think, I think those things happen and they don't play. They do, they have probably five [00:07:00] best teams. Defenders on one team in the NBA. And that's with either Porzingis or Horford. However, they don't always defend and they'll go stretches where there's no ball pressure and there's a lot of problems. Those are the negatives. The positives when they're moving the ball. driving and kicking and moving the ball. It is great basketball to watch. It's really fun. It's the way it's designed and they do some nice things. The other positives, if you were to look at that five band team and Orford, that's a ton of talent on one group. And far and away, they do have the most talent. The question is, how will they play? The other question is, you know, obviously that's always a question, but the other question is what kind of move to Lucas in? Those are the big questions going in. Speaker: Yeah, Luke, Luke is, I'll share my thoughts on Luke in a minute. Let me, before I give you my take here [00:08:00] I want to call out John Camacho. He covered the NBA in general this season. man. He plans to cover the Atlanta Hawks next season. This is his take on the finals. Advantages. Dallas coaching. Dallas good health. Dallas experience in closing games. Disadvantages. Celtics often stagnate when they shoot poorly from three. Prediction. John Camacho. Dallas in sixth. We can we can talk about that or we can leave it be. But that is John's take. We're talking about Boston, but you know, you, you called out Luca. And so I want to, I want to just, you know, I want to call out the greatness that is Luca Donchic, right? Sometimes it's really easy to take some of these players for granted. And we're watching some pretty amazing basketball from Luca. He's making great passes. He's taking great shots. He's ready. There's a lot. It's a not like a bottom if you're not a fan, Ray, because he does [00:09:00] tend to complain. But he's never fouled anybody in his entire basketball career. And that's hard to watch, but he is so, so good. And Steve, you said something to me. And it's funny, because I thought about this when Dallas took on Minnesota. I had Minnesota. And I was certain of it. I'm not a betting man, but I would have bet money Minnesota was going to demolish Dallas. But something in the back of my head, remember that, you know, Steve said, always bet, and it isn't exactly what you said, but, you know, essentially always bet on the best player, the team with the best player. And I thought to myself, who's the best player between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves? And I think it's Luka Doncic, Speaker 3: right? Luka. Speaker: Yeah. Right. And I mean, he proved it. Proved it again. And so now I ask myself, who's the better player? Who's the better player? between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. Now I'm just gonna leave that there. We can debate it. We can talk, cause it's all subjective, who knows? But you'd make an argument for Luka [00:10:00] Doncic. When I think of the Boston Celtics strengths, I just think that they are the Boston Celtics. They are the best team in the NBA, or maybe certainly top two. I think Denver Nuggets are a very, very good team. And what I mean by that, right, is Denver They know each other really well. So there's a group that plays together well, knows each other well, knows, you know, where, where to make the pass, right? Kareem used to love magic because he knew where to give him the ball, you know, and, and that's just something that you get through, through years of playing together. And I think that the Boston Celtics know each other. They're the, they're the better team that the Dallas Mavericks haven't been together long enough. So I do think that they are the better team. I think they're the better defensive team, but the number one defensive team where is the Minnesota Timberwolves and we see what Dallas did to them. So I, you know, is that going to matter? So I don't know enough about Boston to, to call out their weaknesses. Honestly, when [00:11:00] I see them, they've won every game that I've watched them play. Honestly, I don't see a weakness. This team is just really, really, really, really good. , yeah, I mean, that that's my take. We'll pivot to the West and I'll certainly have a little bit more to say. But before we go to to the Mavericks, let me call out one of the guy, Christopher Henderson. He is a credentialed creator covering the Los Angeles Clippers. And he said this, I like Dallas. I think they are deeper, more athletic and they play better in the half court. And after playing against PG, Shea and Ant, I think they're prepared to go against Tatum and Brown. Boston doesn't generate easy baskets like Dallas does with Lobs or Luca and Kyrie finding open shooters. I think Dallas will control the tempo the entire series. Dallas is six. Christopher Anderson, credentialed creator covering Los Angeles Clippers. Let's pivot on Christopher's bet That the the Dallas Mavericks going to win the LLB. Let's talk about the maps. [00:12:00] All right, Brandon, what do you got? When you think of the Dallas Mavericks strengths and weaknesses, what do you see? Speaker 3: Dallas was also one of my most watched teams. Cause I am a huge Luka fan, probably my favorite player to watch. Or just favorite player in general there. He's. He is Luke of Magic. He is magical sometimes. I cannot believe some of the shots he was making in Game 5 specifically. But you could say that about the whole entire series. How he would just make these insane shots that look like curry shots. And the guy is jumping at him to try and block the shot. And he just shoots over him and it's like they're not even there. It is, it is magical sometimes how he puts the ball in the basket. And he really opens up the floor for other players. Like PJ Washington has been incredible. He's the corner three is just automatic for him. Dafford ever since getting out of purgatory in Washington. He has become an insanely great player, especially on defense. He made Rudy Gobert and Carl Anthony [00:13:00] Towns look like they're scrubs compared to him. And Derek Lively, who also is a rookie, which is insane. Him and Gafford are this one two combo of centers that like, it just, there's no break from a good center when it comes to Dallas. Like there's always a good center on the court who can catch a lob from Luka or Kyrie. And there's nothing that teams can do about it. There was Rudy Gobert who was doing drop coverage to try and stop the, the lob. Like he was doing with Aaron Gordon against Jokic. And then Luka would just put the ball in the basket like Jokic was. But at a higher rate because he was able to shoot farther away. And, or shoot a three. And then there's Kyrie who just does what Luka does. And it's, they just take turns sometimes where Luca takes a rest. It's like, all right, I scored 20 in the first quarter and now Kyrie is going to go ahead and score another 20. Like it's ridiculous sometimes watching those two play together in the synergy and just like everything. Like [00:14:00] they just gel well together. You say they, they, that they haven't had a lot of time together, but they look like they have, like, they look like they've been playing together for years and it is really fun to watch. Who was the person who just said that they are the deeper team? I would like to debate that one. Cause having Maxie Cleaver come off the bench is definitely not as good as someone like Peyton Pritchard and Al Horford off the bench for Boston. They are known as the best. starting six players in Boston. So I definitely think Boston's the deeper team, but I do think Dallas has the best player in Luca and Jason Tatum can completely disappear sometimes, especially if his shot is not falling, he starts to get frustrated and then it just gets worse and worse. And then Jalen Brown has to bail him out. And that's why Jalen Brown won finals, Eastern Conference finals MVP is because he was the better player. Besides Tatum, or, like, better than Tatum, [00:15:00] so, yeah, I, Dallas has a lot of strength. Weaknesses, they, I mean, I keep watching them and it's like, they don't have much weakness. Their, their coaching is definitely better than Boston. Joe Mizzoula, I, I do think should be on the hot seat if he loses this finals. I think he should be, I think he should have got booted after last season, but they kept him around. I don't think he's that great of a coach as many people might call me out for, but I mean, he should be calling out Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown for this one on one battle where they just have the green light to shoot these contested shots that don't go in half the time, more than half the time. So Dallas has better coaching. I think they have better defense. They are the number one defense ever since the trade deadline. They have the better. They have been tested way more. The number one seed with number two in MVP voting, Shea Gilders Alexander, beat them in [00:16:00] six. Timberwolves, who have just came off of beating the champions, Denver Nuggets, like they should have been on the highest. Cloud nine I've ever seen and they, they look like a completely different team against Dallas. They look defeated and washed and awful. Gobert looked like a defensive liability, which who would expect that one? And then they beat the Clippers granted without Kawhi Leonard, but that was still James Harden, Paul George, Norman Powell, some great, a great team. One of the best coaches in the NBA arguably, but. Yeah, they they're way way more tested. They have way more intensity. They do not falter when a Team is beating them. I think when the Celtics start to keep losing They kind of, they're kind of just like going through the motions and like, all right, we'll just beat him in the fourth quarter. You're not going to beat Luke and Kyrie in the fourth quarter, especially if they have the lead. So I don't want to say my prediction. Oh, you just did. You know, yeah, I do think Dallas is going to win [00:17:00] this. I do think they just have more, they have the best player and they have a better defense and I do think they're more tested in this current playoff year and I think Dallas wins in save Speaker: that, save that. Speaker 3: No, no, no. That's okay. I didn't say it yet. Speaker: Save, save, save the number for later. Yeah, so we, cause we still got a couple of people's opinions to read. And obviously we want to hear from Steve. I am just, just, I, I, I gotta thank you, man. Steve, I, I saw him chomping at the bit, just wanting to chime in and I think he might have a different opinion. I don't know. I might be wrong. Steve, strength and weaknesses. Go ahead. Speaker 4: Start with a little trivia. How many teams When's the last team that was seated fourth or below, won the, won the world's championship by fourth or below, meaning they came in fourth or below with total record in their conference. Speaker 3: Would it be the Rockets? Yeah. Speaker 4: [00:18:00] 30 years ago, 29. So like other times in my life, I've watched these lower seeded teams get hot and everybody jumps on the bandwagon. If I'm a betting man, which I'm not anymore, but if I am, I go with the trends. That's the first thing. I did say the best player. What I will say is for Boston, it's very difficult to say the best player because each of them save each other and each of them do things. So it is really okay. Very close distinction between the two. Tatum has gotten the praise through the years in the press, which Alan Brown's good. He's real good. Very good. You're, you're, you know, you're talking about not just Tatum when you're trying to compare it. You look at the whole effect of those two guys. Next thing, I kind of think Boston starters are way better. And then when we, we talk about Joe Mizzoula, if you get a [00:19:00] chance, the old man in the three before the season, Redick had Mizzoula on. Joe Mizzoula is very cerebral. and very sharp. And I'm gonna point something out. The game against Indiana Game one. I play. He ran pretty good, pretty good because they didn't give them time to switch or to foul. And Brown got that three away. All you want to do in that situation is get it, get it away. So Missoula's got some chops on that. And also, if you think about it, he moved up from the back bench to be the head coach. You don't give the guy one year. You give him time. And he's become a darn good coach and a very sharp person. One of the things he has that even Brad Stevens didn't have when Kyrie was there, he's got everybody buying in. Those who, again, Jason Kidd has the same thing. He's got buy in and Kyrie Irving's not easy, [00:20:00] but I'm going off the subject. But Missoula's got all his players buying in. And that goes from the spokesman, Al Horford, to Tatum, to Brown, and everybody else. That's a very important piece for a coach, probably the biggest thing. If you look at this, and I'm going off the subject, but I'm going to make a point. J. D. Brickerstaff got fired. He got fired not because the team improved, because Mitchell didn't want to play for him. Speaker 3: And Jared Allen. Speaker 4: Think about that. Yeah. And think about that. Think about that for a while. Missoula, they all want to play for it. It's easy to pick on this. Nobody who came out of nowhere, but I'm going to say something. I think, I think Nico Harrison has done a tremendous job as a, as a GM. I think Brad Stevens has done even better. And I think if Brad Stevens trust Missoula, I do too. Because I think he has a little bit better knowledge of this thing than I do. Dope. That's my thought on [00:21:00] Missoula, and that's my thought on Boston. As for Dallas, I think they're really good. Huh. I think they're real good. I think they do play defense well. Yeah. Boston was second, second in the lead for this season defensively. Let's not forget that. So they're not slouches. They have four legitimate guys who could be all defense. The two that made it, plus Jalen Brown, who's an outstanding defender. And Jason Tatum, who's a very good defender and a good rebounder, but everybody looks at the offense and they don't think about that. So I understand they made this trade, but let's again, look at this. I know in my heart, I think if Brown and Tatum hold their own against Irving and Donchik, I don't think there's a series because I think, I think Holiday is better than anybody on the floor. Outside of those four. I think Derek White is better than anybody on the floor [00:22:00] And I think Porzingis if he's healthy is better and if he's not and Al Horford Plays he's as good as anybody else on the floor So when you really start looking at I keep thinking about it and saying this looks like boston's here I I just I try to find the way the only way I can see them losing is if Luca goes off like he did in game four or five the other night, the only way I can see it. And if it happens, God bless him. But I just don't know that I don't see another way. All this happens. It's I've been wrong many times. So this could be one more. But that that's how I see it. Okay. All right. Speaker: Let's I'll give you my thoughts on on on the Oh, I took the Lakers. Go ahead. No, but I'll, I'll, I will interject a few later. Thanks for the tidbits, honestly, Speaker 3: to be honest. Jarvin Ham got fired for the same reason Bickerstaff got fired. That's right. I don't wanna play for him. Speaker: That's right. [00:23:00] Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And, and JJ Reddick's gonna do a great job. Oh, for the for the Lakers next season. , let's not go there. Let's not go there. Let's not go there. Speaker 3: Jeanie sell the team. But I definitely wanna talk about that. No, I Speaker 4: don't, I don't want her to sell the team. I like the way it is, I think. No, stop. Speaker: Send the Celtics fan. Get me out of here. Tyrone Smith! This is, sorry Tyrone, this is the best segway I got, man. Now you are the host, he's not on with us, but he did we wanted, he wanted to share his thoughts and, and you know, we want to read them. He's the host of 10 on the Clock with Tyrone Smith. He covered the Pistons for us this season, he'll cover the Charlotte Hornets. Next season. He says this about the finals. One of the big things I've been talking about this playoffs is destiny overcoming the odds and putting it together to reach that common goal. Dallas is a team of destiny right now, I think the stars, excuse me, the stars will cancel each other out, which will mean the others will have to pick up the slack, which is interesting 'cause you know, Steve, this is what you said. You said [00:24:00] Celtics, others are better than Dallas's others. Tyrone. Respectfully disagrees. I trust Dallas others more than I do Boston's others. In six games, give me the Mavericks. That's Tyrone Smith. He's not here to defend himself, so we can't we can't yell at him. But that's his thought. I'm gonna give you mine on the Mavericks. What's interesting to me about the Dallas Mavericks is Luca has been this player for a very long time and they never won anything. I mean, certainly they had good runs. They made it to the playoffs, but they were never a serious championship contender ever. Everything changed for this team with Kyrie Gofford and P. J. Washington. Just everything changed. This team is not the same team. The Clippers ran through them to two seasons in a row, and it was because The Dallas Mavericks were not a very good team, right? I talked before about the Celtics being a good team. Dallas was, they watched Luca. Luca was so good. [00:25:00] I think they, they kind of fell into that trap that the Lakers did at times with, with Kobe, right? When Kobe was, was being great. The other four guys, you know, depending on the team, the other four guys would sit back and watch him. And I think Dallas did a little bit of that too much. And it wasn't until you get somebody like Kyrie. Who Steve, you called him a great to write a great beta, not a great alpha. He is in a perfect position right now with a guy who is clearly the alpha and Luca and, and Brandon, you said it and the, and the, the, you're right. I mean, Luca in, in the, the the closeout game against the Timberwolves had 20 points, right? In the first quarter, we had one, I think, maybe a shot. I don't remember exactly. Speaker 3: Two. Speaker: With 30, right? I mean, It's amazing that one two punch and and they they're figuring it out. They're so good But they you know, they had to they had to get there.[00:26:00] They they're a different team now than they were then Then they were when they lost to the Clippers, obviously So I give a lot of credit to Dallas. They, they look different. They are different. I bet against them. I didn't bet. I picked against them against the Clippers. I picked against them, against the, the Nuggets. They're not against them. It's against the Timberwolves. Everybody they played against. I bet against them or picked against them. I just didn't think that they were that good. But they proved me wrong. They they've proven me wrong time and time again. I think they are a very good team. They, they figured it out. I'm not as sold on Jason kid, the coach. I just can't get past the thing he did with the soda years ago. You know, you're Speaker 3: Brooklyn. Oh my God. He's Speaker: just so silly and so immature. It's so dumb. And I don't know, I can't get past that quite honestly, but you know, you got to give him props. He's where he is. He's gotta be good. I do think Dallas is of the two teams. Dallas is the one that's most [00:27:00] likely to wilt under the pressure. of the finals, right? You are the only game in town. Everybody who's anybody is gonna be at those games every night will be packed. The media will be intense and and You know, I think Boston has been to the finals before this team has been to the finals before, for the most part, Dallas, you know, you know, certainly Kyrie has been there Luca has never been, it's different. And I do think that that's going to cost them a game or two. And, and well, I'll, I'll save that when we get to the prediction, but I do think that for both teams, right, the weaknesses are minimal, right? These are two very, very, very strong teams. And that's what you want. That's what you want when you get to the finals, which is pretty exciting. Let's see. I think I read Tyrone. Let me, before we get to our predictions, let me read Kevin. Kevin's thoughts. Kevin Julian, he covered the Phoenix Suns at thepeachbasket. net. His thoughts, it's kind of long, but i'm gonna read the whole thing. My prediction is [00:28:00] Dallas, but I think it could go seven. I really think it could go either way. He says Dallas, I think, Has the better closers in Kyrie and Luka, especially if games end up being close down the stretch They've had a tougher path to the finals. So they're battle hardened Boston will play them close and have home court advantage. So they'll put up a good fight He also finished with the best regular season record tatum and brown were born into playoff royalty in a sense Making several conference finals as a as a final. I think it's you know as a final before they lost Yeah, they've been there before. Speaker 2: This is Speaker: sure is a reason for some to give them the edge. My concern with Boston is that at times they give away games. We've all said this. That they should, that they shouldn't lose at times. Which we've seen in years past. And even in this year's playoffs. I also question their mental toughness at times. For example, I think of someone like Jimmy Butler and what happened. To them facing him over the years. So another, I'm not keeping track, but I do think Dallas is [00:29:00] ahead in our predictions based on the folks that aren't here. So I've got one more prediction. I'm going to save that one from last is from Roger straws. Let's pivot to us. What do we think? You already tipped your hat Brandon is that the right term? Tipped your hat, tipped your hand, right? So I think we know who you got. How many games? Speaker 3: So, I guess to respond to what was said about the Indiana game and Jalen Brown hitting that shot. Speaker 2: Hmm. Speaker 3: Should that game have been close in the first place? Should have really been. With Andrew Nembhard and, and that Pacers team. Should that game really have been that close at home for Boston? No. Joe Mazzuola has at times. He's, he's smart. So is every coach. It's the matter of applying the smart to the players. And getting them to buy in, correct? And at times it's just watching Tatum and Brown While the Derek White, [00:30:00] Drew Holliday, and Prazingis are sitting at the three point line. There's no cuts There's no, there's not a lot of screens There's one screen for pick and roll that ends up not being a pick and roll. It's just Prazingis fading away Or Prazinga sometimes gets an actual pick and roll, which, crazy, they did a play. But yeah, there's a lot of watching around for Boston. And that, what was said about how Luka used to, everyone used to just watch Luka during those Clipper series. There's a lot of that for Boston too, currently. How they kind of just watch him do their thing and, and if they miss. Or if they miss or they, they turn it over, which is, they're very prone to doing, is turning it over. Then they start losing and they start getting very frustrated with the officials. Tatum complaining to the officials is the bane of my existence. I hate watching it. I know Luca does it too. But Tatum does it equally and he is 6'10 and he's shooting three pointers the entire game. [00:31:00] Contested. It is very frustrating to watch with that guy. Anyways, that's a side tangent. I, I do think Dallas wins the series overall still. Boston just, I just don't see the, the passion, the fire, the intensity. There is none there it seems like. Speaker 2: I don't, Speaker 3: like when I see, watch the Dallas Mavericks. When I watched that dunk by Gafford over Gobert in I think game four or game three, I think. The emphatic dunk. It was amazing. And he was sitting on the, on the, on the floor and all the bench came over and picked him up. That is a finals winner. Not what Boston does. Boston, it just seems like they're bored, which like respectfully, I don't blame them for being. Cause like the East was completely, you know, hobbled. But they would have beat everyone anyways. So, yeah, I just don't see it with Boston. I don't see the [00:32:00] intensity that it needs to be there to win the whole thing. But I see it with Dallas. So I believe Dallas is going to win in six games. Speaker: Okay. In Dallas. All right. Steve, do you have a counter? Speaker 4: No, I will say one thing though. If you do want passion, I would rent love story and watch the movie. But now let's go away from that for a minute and let's just, let's just be logical here. Teams played a whole season. One team won 64 games. The other team won, I don't know, 50, 45, I don't even know. Speaker 3: At the trade deadline, they were 20, they were what, now, right now their record is what, 28 and 5? Ever since the trade deadline? Speaker 4: Okay, that's wonderful, that's wonderful. I, I just, you know, I look at it, I've looked at it 15 ways. I don't, again, better players usually win. And Boston's got [00:33:00] better players. It's kind of simple. I don't, I don't, I'd like to say that's why I said the only thing I'll say is if Luca goes off, then it's ballgame. But if he does it and if he just gets his normal 25 to 30 each night, I don't, I don't see how they beat him. You know, let's not, let's not, you know, have a parade for Washington or Or what's his name, right? Gaffer, guys. They, they, Gafford, g , Gafford had trouble with Charlotte. I mean, come on. You know, like, like, like we gotta slow down. You know what, they threw a lot of AlleyOOP, but if you watch Boston all year, they threw a lot of AlleyOOP. Big deal. That just means, all it means is they're not in drop and they're getting blue corn. All his points came on I rest my case. He's a nice bench player during the regular season He's a great bench player during the playoffs, but he scored his points In fact, I think he got near 20 one night and most of them were passes He's one of [00:34:00] the one other interesting thing if you watch boston all year If you watched boston all year, and I know you did Just think about this whenever boston was in trouble talk about the clutch and all that One guy always carried him derek white And he did it the other night, too. White in the fourth quarter would bang threes all night and just put him back in games. He did it all the time. The other thing I'll say to you, Boston shot around 40 percent this year from three. I believe I'm not, I might be wrong. They haven't done it really in the playoffs. They're going to get, they're going to start in the, it's going to happen at some point that Sam Houser's made one. Yeah. Sam Houser is one of the better pure shooters in the league. Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 4: So, so, these kind of things get interesting because if Houser gets rolling, oh my goodness, I mean you got everybody you can throw at. Speaker 2: Huh. It Speaker 4: gets very interesting. So, and we're not even talking about Sam Houser, but, because he'll probably get ten minutes a game if [00:35:00] that, but, but that's the depth and the ability to score that Boston has. And we didn't talk about, I did, with the defense. So in my mind, I think, I think that's it. By the way, they didn't play well in game one. You're totally correct. Totally. But I will say this. I believe that Indiana runs as good an offense as any team in the league. They're moving, they're moving, they're getting open shots, bodies move, ball moves, nobody holds the ball. That's a very difficult thing to defend. And that's one of the things that, that, that. You know, and again, I'm not going to say Indiana is a great team, but they were a difficult team to defend. And this first game of a playoff coming off, you don't expect them to do this. You know what the difference between Boston and Indiana in that series and Boston didn't play well, they didn't shoot well, the difference was at the end of the game, Boston made plays. That's what won the series. So, [00:36:00] you know, game one, three, and four were all big plays at the end. That won the game. So they did prove they can score down the stretch that, so I just see, you know, Boston in six and that's only allotting the fact that allowing the fact that Luke is going to go off a couple of times and I, and I believe that'll happen one last thing. I just want to throw out. Boston did not lose more than two games in a row at any time during the season. Think about that for a while. It's now they've played about 100 games. 90 96. I believe. No, 14 96 96 games and never lost more than two straight. So it gets, it makes it a little bit more difficult for Dallas. If they break that, that's fine. I'm betting on precedent. So I'll take Boston at six. Speaker: Boston's got to go four and three the rest of the way to win it. [00:37:00] Obviously the Mavs have to too. And yeah, I don't think I, and I can't, I tried to find it. I can't, I couldn't find the tweet, but I think somewhere I read that in any seven game stretch this season, they have not gone four, three. You know, they've been better, right? So they, they've just not lost three games out of seven. And so it's an, I think it's an uphill battle for Dallas. I think Dallas is, is, is a very, very, very good team, but I just think, again, I just go back to the Celtics in my opinion are the better team. I looked it up, right? The Celtics since the trade deadline, February 8th, 25 and six, the Mavericks since the trade deadline, 22 and nine. I mean, you got two of the best teams which is the way it should be, man. It's the way it should be. You know, you've got a lot of teams at home arguing. If my guy was healthy, That ball would have gone in if this would, you know, whatever, man, these are the two, two of the best teams in the NBA and they're playing for the yellow B and I'm excited. Before I share [00:38:00] my thought, I'm going to let Roger have his Roger Strauss covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for thePeachbasket. You can also find his content on King James gospel. And he said succinctly Celtics in three. All right, Roger. Too bad you couldn't be here. That would have been a fun conversation to have. I think that the Boston Celtics will win. I think this will be a contested matchup. I, I just think that they are the better team. Now I will say, and let me, let me repeat that, or let me say this again, cause I said earlier, I will repeat that I have bet against or picked against the Dallas Mavericks every step of the way. So all of Dallas right now is rejoicing. That I am picking the Boston Celtics because I have not had any success picking against the Dallas Mavericks, but I do think Boston lifts number 18. And we'll see. I think it's going to be, you know, six [00:39:00] would put it in Dallas. I honestly think it's either goes five or seven, but I don't think that Dallas is going to lose in Dallas. So. Yeah, I'm not going to be as exact as you guys. How Speaker 4: many straight, how many straight has Boston won on the road in the playoffs? Speaker: Yeah, this is different though. I don't know man, Dallas is just a different team right can't get Speaker 4: one out of two in Dallas? Speaker 3: Boston hasn't, hasn't, Boston plays better on the road, it's crazy. I don't understand. Do they really? Yeah, Speaker 4: they can't get one out of two in Dallas. The only Speaker 3: losses they've had are at home. Speaker 4: They can't get one out of two in Dallas. Speaker 3: They almost lost that game one against Indiana at home. I mean, it's something about playing at home. Speaker: Right. Speaker 3: It's worse than Minnesota at home. Speaker: Well, I'm going to stick with it because, you know, I don't know any better. We'll still say five or seven Boston Celtics. I'm shocked. I really am. I think our team collectively favors Dallas. And I, I, I'm shocked. But let's see how it plays out. That's it. That's our show. [00:40:00] I'm going to give you guys the last word. Any final thoughts, Brandon? Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not, I'm surprised. I am surprised everyone's picking Dallas, but I do think it's just the everyone against Boston type thing. Like everyone just wants to see Boston lose a little bit, especially considering watching Dallas, like just how they've battled through some incredible teams, the number one seed, the number three seed. Three seed who were the number one seed for the majority of the season. And then the Clippers too, like they seem like the team of destiny being the five seed going to the NBA finals. And I do think it's just, and then they watch Boston who plays against. The Miami Heat without Terry Rozier and Jimmy Butler. The Cleveland Cavaliers without Jaron Allen and Donovan Mitchell for half of it. And then the Indiana Pacers who lose Tyrus Halliburton. So it's, watching like that, that road compared to the Dallas road, it, it does make a lot of fans cry. I [00:41:00] want to favor Dallas just because they've watched them overcome so much adversity while Boston has been walking the yellow brick road to the NBA finals. So it's, I do think it's a lot of people are just like, I just want Dallas to win. But talent wise, Boston is the better team. It's totally, I mean, I don't, I understand picking Boston over Dallas completely. They are the better talent team. The third best player on Dallas is P. J. Washington or, or the rookie or Gafford, who are all very young, inexperienced, especially in the NBA finals. And then you have the Boston Celtics, who with their top four players have been to the finals before and they lost to Golden State. I still can't believe that one, but they lost to Golden State and they're, they're battle hardened in the sense of the years before. And I'm hoping to see the intensity and like the, the, the grit, the [00:42:00] fight to want to win the NBA finals when the finals actually show up. Cause I do think it was just a boring road for them. And then they find like every loss they had, like they did with Miami, when they lost to Miami, they, they showed up game three, they destroyed them in game three. So and then when they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two, they, they, they beat them in game three. So. I do think it's a matter of like, they lose and they're like, okay, hold on. We got to actually show up now. So maybe it's just been Boston just being like, they're just going through the motions. Cause it's like, no one's even close to being better than us. And now that they're actually at the finals, they will, they will pick up the intensity greatly. And then Dallas might, so now I'm wavering a little bit, like, I don't know. Cause I could see Boston being like, all right, this is it. We got to do it now. Speaker 2: Yeah. Speaker 3: And we only have to do it for seven games in two weeks. And then there's Dallas who have been doing it for forever in this year of the playoffs, so. I don't know, man. I mean, my pick [00:43:00] could waver after game one. Like, it's, it's a matter of of Chris Hopsper's Angus. It's a matter of Dallas and Luka's health, and there's so many factors. But at this current moment, I don't know. I have Dallas winning in six, because they just seem battle hardened and ready, and Luka is the best player. And, at times, Boston just seems very stagnant, while Dallas just says, There's no answer to Luka. Like, Lou Dort, Jada McDaniels, Anthony Edwards, no one, no one could stop him. And, even with the off defensive Drew Holliday, and, and Derek White, Luka's still gonna get his 30, at least. But can they stop the others? That's more likely. So, but I still got Dallas in six. I'm, I, I, I sound like I'm wavering, but I still got Dallas in six. I'm gonna stick to it. Speaker: There's a little waiver. Yeah. I mean, there's a little waiver there. I had not considered the Dallas Mavericks is the Cinderella team. I think that that [00:44:00] is a big part of it. I think that a big part of it is also, we just saw what they did to the Minnesota Timberwolves who demolished the Denver Nuggets. And so there's that. You know, what's in front of me kind of thing. And we saw them just look really good. And we just think they're going to continue to look really good. But Timberwolves looked really good against the Speaker 3: Muggins or Speaker: against Dallas. So it's all about matchups. And you're right. I think after game one, I think all of us might have a different opinion. We have to just see how it plays out. But Steve, any Speaker 4: last words? I Speaker: remember in, Speaker 4: I guess it was 98 or 99 when the Knicks were the eighth seed and they got red hot. Beat everybody in the East. And everybody was saying, look out for those Knicks. Boy, they ran into San Antonio. Wasn't pretty. Speaker 2: Huh. Speaker 4: Everybody likes to jump on the hot team. Now they're getting in with the big boys. You could say Speaker 3: that about last year too with Miami. They were the eighth seed. They came all the [00:45:00] way to the finals and then they got whooped by Denver in five. I Speaker 4: remember the Knick thing. It may be because of the New Yorkers. I was living there at the time. The Knick fans thought, oh, this is our year. San Antonio wasn't even serious. But just remember everybody jumps on that. Boston won 64 games. So that one team they didn't beat this year. Think about that. Dallas, they swept. But the only one team they didn't beat, that was Denver. And I thought that was the kryptonite for Boston. Speaker 3: Huh. Michael Lakers. Speaker 4: The Speaker 3: kryptonite. Are they Speaker 4: still, they still have a team or what are they doing? Speaker 3: I hope they still have a Speaker 4: team. They're not, they're not, they're not, they're, Speaker 3: they're, Speaker 4: they should go to the G League. They're gonna Speaker 3: draft Bronny James, just because. That'll do, Speaker 4: that'll six one and a half, we'll get them over there. Speaker: I'm, I'm stopping this right here, right now, we cannot go down that rabbit hole. Much as I'd like to, because there's a lot to talk [00:46:00] about my gosh. Alright. So we're good. I think that is it. I've lost, I've got so many tabs open right now. And then you guys talking about the linkers again, got me all rattled. Here's my copy. All right. I do want to say yes, the Dallas, or pardon me, the Boston Celtics. Their worst stretch seven game stretch this season was end of November. They were four and three. That was their worst stretch. So let's see how it plays out, but that's it. That's our show. Those are our predictions. Things are etched in stone. Let's see how it plays out. We're glad that you found this. Thank you for listening. You can find us at thePeachbasket. net. All of our articles, all of our shows are there. We'll be back. Maybe after the finals, let's see how it plays out. But you know again, thank you for joining us. We're thePeachbasket podcast network chat room. We'll talk again.