Are the Sixers still a CONCERN for the Celtics? | Big 3 NBA Podcast - video Dailymotion

CLNS Media Sports Network

A. Sherrod Blakely is joined by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer to discuss the tragic state of the Philadelphia 76ers, as they sit at 14th in the Eastern Conference with drama surrounding the squad. Despite the slow start, does Philly still pose a threat to the Celtics when fully healthy? Can they still figure out how to integrate all of their talent?  0:00 - Intro 1:13 - Sixers' disappointing season 4:34 - Finding the locker room snitch 7:30 - Joel's health concerns 9:24 - Sixers' playoff chances 11:17 - Aging roster issues 14:10 - Maxey's leadership role 16:25 - Maxey and Joel's relationship 18:02 - Joel's physical challenges 19:39 - Sixers' big decisions 24:56 - Fan frustration 30:51 - Roster concerns 32:32 - Yabu's success in Philly 34:11 - Sixers' current challenges 36:01 - Episode conclusion   CLNS Media is Powered by:  💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!  🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!  💳Start earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/GARDEN. Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you: joinbilt.com/GARDEN, to start earning points on your rent payments today!  Elevate your style game on and off the course with the PXG Spring Summer 2024 collection. Head over to https://PXG.com/GARDENREPORT and save 10% on all apparel.  Nutrafol! Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code GARDEN!   #celtics #NBA #BostonCeltics The CLNS Media Network is the leading provider for video/audio content. CLNS is a fully credentialed member of the media with access to all NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB teams & venues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  CLNS' rebuilt their YouTube community in less than 12 months, during a pandemic that attacked sports. Wondering how? Find out here (and support our channel) - https://www.tubebuddy.com/clnsmedia  Visit the Official Home of CLNS Sports Coverage -  https://clnsmedia.com  Twitter - https://twitter.com/CLNSMedia Celtics - https://twitter.com/celticsclns Patriots - https://twitter.com/patriotsclns Bruins - https://twitter.com/bruinsclns Red Sox - https://twitter.com/redsoxclns Non-Sports - https://twitter.com/northstation Facebook - http://facebook.com/clnsmedia INSTA - http://Instagram.com/clnsmedia INSTA Celtics - http://Instagram.com/celticsclns INSTA History - http://Instagram.com/nbahistoryclns

Transcript

00:00The Big 3 NBA Podcast is powered by PrizePix and the Game Time app.

00:25Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of The Big 3 NBA Podcast.

00:29I'm A$AP Blakely, and I'm joined by the one and only, the award-winning Keith Pompey of

00:35the Philadelphia Inquirer.

00:36What's going on, Keith?

00:37What's popping, man?

00:38How you been, bro?

00:39Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

00:41My football team is hanging in there.

00:43Your football team is hanging in there.

00:45We're not going to go too, we're not going to talk too much about our football teams.

00:48Keith, just so y'all know, is a University of Pittsburgh alum, and I went to the Syracuse

00:54University.

00:55We'll talk a little bit about that a little bit later.

00:57They play earlier this year.

00:58They didn't go quite how I thought it would go, but that's another story another day.

01:02We need to go to your first loss, right?

01:05Something like that.

01:06Something like that.

01:07But when you talk about things not going quite how you thought they would, that brings us

01:12to our conversation today with Keith, who covers the Philadelphia 76ers, who haven't

01:19quite had a season that many folks thought they would.

01:23I mean, there's so much on the plate to talk about with these cats, Keith.

01:28But the biggest thing right off the bat is that this was a team that many thought was

01:32going to challenge the Celtics for supremacy in the East, and basically the Sixers have

01:39just been challenged, period.

01:42The 3-12, the only team with a worse record in the Eastern Conference than them is the

01:48Washington Wizards, and there's a lot of different factors.

01:52We're going to delve into many of them.

01:54Right off the bat, Keith, Joel Embiid, he is the center of everything and anything that

01:59is Sixers basketball.

02:01And obviously, when they played well, he's been a big part of that, and when they've

02:04not played well, he's been a central theme.

02:07So only having played a handful of games this year in Philly, what's your take on what's

02:14going on with Joel and his future with the team?

02:19There's always been some type of drama, but it seems like the drama has been on a different

02:23level this year.

02:24Yeah, it really has.

02:26I think the reason why the drama is on a different level is because of his knee.

02:32He's frustrated.

02:33In the past, Joel, we would all criticize Joel.

02:38We would say things, and he was like, okay, wait until the next game.

02:43So I'm going to make you all have to praise me in the article.

02:48You could criticize me today, but I'm going to make you all praise me in the article

02:52at the next game.

02:53I feel like right now, there's a lot of frustration with him, right?

02:57And when you look at it, he's been having this knee problem.

03:02Right now, he has swelling in the knee.

03:05And it's one of those things, when he gets on the court, everybody knows he's not the

03:09same player.

03:10Like the last game he played, 15 and 11, 35 and 11.

03:15But even still, you didn't see that lateral movement.

03:18There was no lift on his jumper, you know what I mean?

03:22He didn't get around as quickly as he did before.

03:26And I think that when you're a player, and you're so used to playing at a high level,

03:31and you don't, things that used to bother you and that didn't bother you in the past,

03:36or you could shrug off in the past, now all of a sudden it's like, oh, you wrote this

03:41about me.

03:42Oh, somebody leaked out something that somebody said in the locker room.

03:46So I just feel like there's a lot of frustration, but the frustration is rooted in him not at

03:53this particular time being a player that he used to be, or he's used to being.

03:57Yeah, yeah.

03:58And you just touched on something that Joel has mentioned recently, and again, for those

04:04who weren't up on it, there was multiple reports out about just a team meeting in the

04:11locker room that had some very specific details in it, the kind that, you know, definitely

04:17somebody who was in that meeting was absolutely spreading the gospel of what happened in that

04:22meeting.

04:23And Joel, you know, his response, among his responses was that he wants to find the snitch

04:28who basically ratted out that team meeting.

04:33Here's the thing that I kind of came down on with that.

04:35I understand wanting to find that information, but to keep it 100, doesn't his brother got

04:43more problems than finding out who snitching in the damn locker room?

04:45I mean, how is that playing out within the locker room?

04:49The fact that, you know, yeah, you're real interested in finding out who said it, but

04:53what about being interested in making sure your body right was for the start of the season?

04:57What about some of the things that I guess he had control over?

05:00I mean, it just feels it again.

05:02This is from the outside looking in, but it seems like there is a growing divide between

05:05him and that locker room.

05:07Yeah, it kind of so it is.

05:10But but but at the same time, I think that when you have so many new players like publicly,

05:14they're not going to say anything.

05:16Right. They're still trying to figure us out.

05:18Right. So they're all like, you know, like Paul George podcast P.

05:24Oh, yeah. Nothing went wrong.

05:25Like it was easy.

05:27I mean, it was like it wasn't a drama field, like everyone says.

05:31But deep down inside, yeah, it's a distraction.

05:33Like it's one of those things where you look at Joel and you want to say to him, like,

05:38bro, I get it.

05:40I would be frustrated, too.

05:42But what you have to say in this particular time is, you know what?

05:46What we had stayed in house.

05:48I'm a little disappointed that it got out there.

05:51But now it's time to move forward.

05:53At least say that to the media.

05:55You know what I mean?

05:56Like you can you can have another team meet in the curse area by out like why you do me

06:00like this. Right.

06:01But at least to the media, just say, you know what, I'm just going to move forward

06:07because now what it looks like is we talk about a team divide, but it makes him look

06:12worse because is now the thing is, well, what day he didn't heed what they were saying

06:18in the meeting when he's talking about who the snitches like the team is at the time

06:24they were two and 12, the worst team in the league.

06:27And you weren't about who the snitches like, oh, like what you're going to run.

06:31You need to worry about winning the game.

06:34Right. So it just I don't know.

06:36I just feel like it's a bad look.

06:38It's a bad. Yeah.

06:39And I guess that that's that's kind of a point.

06:42It's just like of all the things that you have to worry about, there's a lot of things

06:46that he definitely need to be concerned with.

06:48Who said what to the media shouldn't be?

06:51You know, that shouldn't be the thing that you are putting all your chips in on.

06:56And, you know, as you talked about and as we've read and we've seen, his health is a

07:02major problem.

07:04And this is a guy that came into the league, you know, with some serious health issues.

07:08I think like he had that that foot ankle issue that was the kind of injury.

07:12Just talking with people in the medical profession, that type of injury has ended

07:17careers. And this was and this was something that he was recovering from before his pro

07:22career even started.

07:24So what where is the concern level for the Sixers from a health standpoint for Joel going

07:29forward? It was a major concern because, you know, here's the deal.

07:33Like you look at Joel and I we talk about the concern.

07:38But, you know, the Sixers preseason was derailed from the start when Joel went

07:45immediate day and said, you know what, I'm going to take my time.

07:49I'm ramping it up.

07:51And they all know it in training camp comes and next thing you know, Joel and B's not

07:55practicing. And Nick Nurse is getting that attitude because everybody's asking, is Joel

08:00practicing? So at that particular point, you know, that's a major concern because you look

08:06at it and say, well, bro, you came back from surgery, played in the playoffs, you go to

08:13the Olympics and we give you some money and now you can't play.

08:18And now you look at it before they kept saying load management, right?

08:24Right. Load management.

08:25And now all of a sudden they coming out and saying it's swollen, swelling in the knee.

08:30So when you look at it, Gerard, you've been in this thing for a long time.

08:36If you had surgery months ago and you still have swelling in the knee, what it means is

08:43the surgery wasn't a good surgery.

08:45Right. Or secondly, you messed it up at a later date and it's not and it didn't reheal

08:51yet. So that's a major concern.

08:53And you look at the Sixers, right?

08:55Come on, bro. Like the Eastern Conference.

08:58I mean, you've seen how this team is.

09:01Joel Embiid has always been the head of the snake.

09:05And if you and if he can't go the way that this team is built, even though they always

09:11bring other people in there, now is Paul George.

09:14Right. Even though they bring other people in there, the way the team is constructed is

09:20all about Joel.

09:21And if Joel can't go, this team is in trouble.

09:25And that's that's the concern.

09:27Certainly, I know for them as an organization and and, you know, when you look at just the

09:32way the Eastern Conference is taking shape, this is the year where basically spots three

09:38through whatever are wide open, because even as even as they've struggled, there's not

09:44basically one really good week of basketball week and a half.

09:48And you back top four, top five in the East is I mean, is there some sense of we still

09:54have time to right the ship among the players, among the organization right now, even

09:58though they've gotten up to obviously really pretty horrific start?

10:02Yeah, they do feel like there's a chance to write to write the ship, so to speak.

10:05But at the same time, I think they're a little bit realistic, though, right?

10:09When you look at this roster and you compare this roster to the Boston Celtics, you

10:15compare it to the New York Knicks, you compare it to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team

10:20that no one expected to be this good.

10:22Right. They're just not as deep.

10:24And when you look at those teams like, you know, you have the Boston Celtics who have a

10:30lot of guys right now in their prime.

10:32You have the New York Knicks who have a little bit of a younger roster.

10:36The same thing with Cleveland.

10:38When you look at the Sixers, yeah, they can get back and they can be in playoff

10:42contention. But when it comes down to like going deep and far in the playoffs, you

10:47know, whereas the Celtics are bringing in younger players, the Sixers got to bring in

10:54Kyle Lowry, Reggie Jackson and Eric Gordon.

10:57And it's nothing against those guys.

10:59Right. They had great careers, but we look at it and we just see how much older they

11:06are. And this is like a young man's game.

11:08So while they can say, yeah, we can go to the playoffs, I don't see them going far in

11:15the playoffs. So to me, yeah, you can write it.

11:19But at the same time, it's like, what are you doing?

11:22Just trying to get a first round playoff appearance.

11:25Right. You know what I'm saying?

11:26Because even still, I don't see them if they match up with the wrong team, they can

11:31lose in the first round, in my opinion.

11:34Absolutely. Absolutely.

11:35And just for our listeners on this episode of the Big Three, NBA podcast is brought to

11:39you by PrizePix, the exclusive Daily Fantasy partner of CLNS Media Network.

11:44Sign up now at prizepix.com slash CLNS and use code CLNS and win up to 100 times your

11:50cash. And for the Mathematically Challenge, that means you can turn $10 into $1,000 in

11:55a single game watching your favorite sports team.

11:59And a special shout out to GameTime app, which takes the guesswork out of buying last

12:03minute tickets to your favorite sporting events.

12:05Just download the GameTime app, create an account and use code CLNS for $20 off your

12:10first purchase. Terms apply.

12:13Now, Keith, I wanted to keep it moving a little bit and, you know, kind of pivot from a

12:17guy who ain't really doing a whole lot to a guy who kind of is balling a little bit.

12:22And I'm talking about Tyrese Maxey.

12:24When he's been healthy, he's been really, really good.

12:27But he's also and again, sounds like he's also becoming increasingly frustrated with

12:33what's happening in Philly.

12:35How do you think he is, you know, just kind of dealing with a lot of things that clearly

12:40he didn't sign up for when he, you know, as he kind of asserted himself as one of the

12:45better players on this on this franchise?

12:47Yeah, you know, it's weird because, you know, Tyrese is a nice guy.

12:50Right. And I think, you know, the losing everything when you come in there and you

12:57you're a guy, you're making more money now.

12:59You want to go out there.

13:00You want to assert yourself.

13:01You want to do this.

13:03You want to do everything you can for the team to win.

13:06And I feel like when the team starts struggling, you know, sometimes you put a little

13:10bit more pressure on yourself.

13:11Right. I think that's what he was doing offensively and they're not working out.

13:15But then also he also right now, it's not just that I don't think he's totally 100 percent

13:22frustrated. It's just that he realizes that he has to be the leader of this team.

13:28That's what Kyle Lowry, that's what Nick Nurse, that's what they all want.

13:31So he has to take it upon himself at times to get out of his comfort zone and then step up

13:37and say stuff. Right.

13:39But I think that, you know, a prime example, like there was a time before Paul George and

13:45NB came back and we talk about frustration where he was out there playing and this

13:52brother was taking 30, 28, 29 shots a game.

13:57I mean, he was and he was tired playing 42 minutes, you know, stuff like that.

14:02And it gets to a point where, you know, you look at it like I just got a max deal.

14:08I'm an all star and I got a win for this team.

14:11Everybody's dependent on me.

14:13And that's how he got injured, man.

14:15He was playing too many minutes.

14:17That's how he strained his right hamstring.

14:19So, you know, I feel like, yeah, it's frustration, but it's frustration.

14:24And like I'm trying to do whatever we can to keep us afloat, because at the end of the

14:30day, he wants to be there with the Celtics and the Cavs, you know what I mean, in the

14:36But so that's where the frustration lies.

14:38And like, you know, but he does, you know, I give him respect.

14:41He has been more of a leader this year than in seasons past.

14:46Now, how has it been since that report came out about him?

14:49Basically, he basically called you all out.

14:52How has the relationship been with you?

14:54Well, I mean, is there a noticeable difference that you can see in that locker room or even

14:58on the floor? It's hard to see on the floor because you all don't really play.

15:02But is there any any change that you see or sense between those two?

15:08No, I haven't.

15:10Like when he was on that road trip, I didn't go on that one particular road trip.

15:14But after that, though, you have you saw him talking.

15:17You see him chatting and everything.

15:19And the thing about Tyrese, like of.

15:23I would have to say of just about of all the all star caliber teammates that Joel has had

15:31Tyrese is by far the closest one to.

15:35Right. So I think, oh, yeah, he's the closest.

15:38Really? Even close.

15:39Oh, yeah. He's the closest.

15:41Because so you got to understand something.

15:43When when when Joel and Ben Simmons came, it was kind of like both of them was trying

15:49to be the man. Right.

15:50Like they were trying to be the man.

15:52To me, when James came, James was like low key trying to be the man until he got hurt.

15:58You know what I mean? It was like one of those.

16:00Well, Maxi is kind of like, yo, I just want a ball, man.

16:04I'm here. I just want a ball.

16:06And then Joel was the one who told him, like, nah, bro, you got to start looking for your

16:11own shot, man.

16:12Like you kicking the ball up like you got to go in and get it.

16:15Don't worry about me.

16:16Get yours. I'm gonna get mine.

16:17You get yours.

16:19And that's how to be honest with you.

16:21That's how Maxi became an all star last year with that two man game.

16:25So they have a pretty good relationship.

16:27But but also I feel like that's the reason why that Maxi was the one who had that

16:34conversation with him, because believe me, he wasn't the only one that felt that way.

16:39Right. And, you know, you you, you know, you covered the Celtics, you covered the

16:45Pistons. You know what a veteran locker room is like, right?

16:49You know, the things the do's and the don'ts.

16:52And I feel like you got all these guys like Kyle Lowry was here at the end of last year.

16:56You got Paul George, you got Eric Gordon, you know, you got Reggie Jackson and all

17:02these dudes are looking around like, bro, this ain't how we do things at other teams.

17:07Right. So what happens is it's like, all right, young buck, you supposed to be the

17:12leader, this and that.

17:14Go talk to your man.

17:15You know what I mean?

17:16So, again, I don't have any proof that's how that went down, but it makes the most

17:20sense because of their relationship.

17:23And he's been here the longest.

17:24So, yeah, it hasn't been a problem.

17:27Yeah. And that actually that that makes sense, because for Joel to, I think, take that and

17:33not be completely, you know, pissed off and, you know, want to fight somebody, it has to

17:39come with somebody that he respects.

17:40And you're right. The role that he played in, you know, in Maxi's evolution into a

17:45really good player, he's got a different kind of respect for him.

17:48And knowing that Maxi ain't coming at him because he thinks he's a bum or he thinks

17:53he's trash or anything like that, Maxi's coming at him like that because Maxi wants him

17:56to be better. And I think Joel probably takes it better in that regard.

18:03But I go back to something that you said earlier, LaKeith, and I think this is really

18:09where it's going to be very difficult for Joel to kind of work his way out of this.

18:14He physically can't bounce back the way he's used to.

18:18He because to your point, he's been it's not like this the first time he's been like

18:22criticized, but he's always had the benefit of talk smack about me now and I'm gonna go

18:27out there and get you 40, 15 and six because I'm I am him.

18:32He can't do that now.

18:34Exactly. And you remember, what was it, two years ago, two seasons ago when he got MVP

18:40and he came back in the Boston Celtics series, right?

18:43You know, his knee was his knee was messed up.

18:45Right. But the thing that people didn't know, it was like what he would do is he would go

18:50to TD Garden Arena at night and he would just do up, downs, up, downs, up, downs, up,

18:56down. Now, when your knee is swollen like this and it keeps getting swollen in the knee,

19:02you can't do all that stuff.

19:04So it's kind of like in the past, we always looked at Joel and you would say, man, the

19:10second game, he always looked way better.

19:13But Joel wasn't telling us he was putting it in.

19:16He was getting his cardio in.

19:17And now I feel like he can't do those things anymore, because if not, you're going to

19:23mess the knee up and you don't want to put a wear and tear.

19:26And you're right. There's not a lot of bounce back.

19:29And, you know, you know, you'll get to see him on on Christmas and hopefully for the

19:34Sixers, he'll get some stuff back by then.

19:37But, dude, I'm here to tell you, like the lateral movement isn't there.

19:41He just always seems like he's a step too slow.

19:44Now, when they went up against Memphis, he did have thirty five points.

19:48But at the same time, he had a six, eight guy guarding him.

19:51Right. He was a backup power forward.

19:53So, you know, my question is, what can he do against other seven footers?

19:58But yeah, he just he just doesn't have the luxury of bouncing back the way he used to.

20:04And this could be something that they may decide to just sit them down for a little

20:08bit. Yeah, definitely some big, big, big time decisions the Sixers are going to have to

20:13make as far as how to utilize Joel Embiid going forward and just really figure out

20:18what's what's the direction of this organization, which, you know, this is part of the

20:21this is a type of process that they did not plan on, but they definitely are in the middle

20:26of some kind of process, whether it's to, you know, figure out whether to go all in on

20:32Cooper Flagg at some point or whether they still got enough time to make a run towards

20:37position themselves for the playoffs, because there's a lot of games left to play for

20:40sure. Before I add one thing right quick, just to address this, so you remember the

20:45process. Yeah, you remember the process.

20:48We all do. We all do.

20:50Now, the process was like four years, a four year tank period.

20:55Their record right now through, what is it, 15 games is the third would be the third worst

21:04record during the process.

21:06Wow. Yeah, they were tanking and they had more wins than them.

21:11Damn. Damn.

21:15Damn. Wow.

21:19Tough times in Philly, tough times in Philly for sure.

21:24But before we before we go any further, I want to, again, give another shout out to our

21:29sponsors, PrizePix, the best place to get real money sports action with over 10 million

21:35members and billions of dollars in awarded winnings.

21:37PrizePix has made daily fantasy sports super easy and accessible to all.

21:40You just pick more or less on at least two players for a shot to win up to 100 times

21:44your cash. Run your game all season long on PrizePix.

21:48Again, you can win up to 100 times your money on PrizePix with as little as four quick

21:53picks. Sign up today and get $50 instantly when you play $5.

21:58You don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus.

22:00It is guaranteed.

22:03It's the best way to win real money this basketball season.

22:06You look at which players are going off, which ones aren't.

22:08Make your picks in less than 60 seconds and turn your sports opinions and feelings into

22:14real money all season long.

22:16I can tell you right now, as I'm looking at the schedule coming up, I'm looking at that

22:20Milwaukee-Utah game real close.

22:22Dame Willard, if he scores 24 or 23 and a half points, that's what we're looking at, or

22:29more or less than that.

22:30I'm thinking he's going to score less than that because Dame Willard has been scoring

22:34less than that consistently of late.

22:36I think five of his last six games, he's had 24 or less points.

22:39So I'm going to go less with that.

22:42And Colin Sexton, a point guard for the Utah Jazz, looks like a one and a half, three

22:47pointers is more or less of that shot.

22:51Will he make? I'm going to say he's going to make more than that.

22:53And the reason why, because he has been making more than that lately.

22:58Last four or five games, he's made at least two, three pointers.

23:01And so I'm going to go with the more on that.

23:04And if you want in on this action, here's what you do.

23:06You download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly.

23:11After you play your first $5 lineup, that's download the app, use the code CLNS and get

23:17$50 instantly.

23:19Prize picks run your game.

23:22Now, Keith, I wanted to get back and talk about the third member of the big three that

23:28we haven't seen. He's the newest member, a guy that we haven't really seen as much of

23:33as a lot of people thought, which is kind of surprising because missing games, ain't

23:37that kind of like PG-13 thing?

23:40He does miss a lot of games.

23:41What has been the reaction among the Sixers faithful to Paul George just being, you

23:51know, nowhere to be found for long stretches of this still young season?

23:56Frustrating. The Sixers faithful is frustrated.

23:59I mean, it's funny because, you know, I've even had I mean, you see people on social

24:04media, I received emails, stuff like that.

24:07People talk before now.

24:08They hated Tobias Harris.

24:11But now they miss Tobias Harris, you know what I mean?

24:14They do because they miss him because they're looking at the numbers right now and

24:18they're extremely similar.

24:20And then you look at it and you see where Tobias showed up and played all the time,

24:26where Paul is hurt.

24:27And it's a little bit of frustration because, you know, the Sixers, let's be real,

24:32like, yeah, he could have got traded to the Golden State Warriors, you know, on the

24:38sign and trade. But in regards to free agency, the Sixers were the only team that was

24:43willing to give him what he wanted, that four year max.

24:47So they give it to him.

24:48And then, you know, the guy hyper extends his knee and then he's out for three weeks.

24:53He's back for three weeks or two weeks and then he hyper extends it again.

24:59So, you know, there's a little bit of frustration from the fan base.

25:03And I think that part of the frustration is because of the injuries.

25:07The second part is, you know, there was a time when when Maxie went out and then Joel

25:14had yet to play and they played against the Lakers.

25:18And then they had another game and team and everybody thought they were saying it's

25:22going to be PG in the miracles, like Danny in the miracles.

25:26Right. That's what they were thinking.

25:27And then you're looking at it.

25:29And yeah, he was getting assists.

25:32He was doing a lot of other things, but the scoring just wasn't there.

25:36He was struggling offensively.

25:37So, you know, the Philadelphia fan base, how they turn on people.

25:42And they were extremely frustrated with Paul George and they're extremely frustrated

25:48with him right now.

25:49Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

25:50And, you know, he's a heck of a player when he's healthy, but that's a big win when

25:56he's healthy. Very tough.

25:59Very tough. The Celtics, they're not going to see them till Christmas Day, but you can

26:03still you know, there's still tickets available even at this early date.

26:06And one of the best places to get great prices on tickets is the game time app.

26:11For those of you who want to catch your favorite pro teams, college teams, game tap is

26:15game time app is the place to be.

26:18My guy Keefe here, as I mentioned earlier at the top of the program, is a University

26:23of Pittsburgh grad.

26:25And when his crew was playing, my boys from Syracuse, I actually went on the game time

26:30app and thought about getting tickets.

26:32The prices were great, but I had a weird feeling, Keefe, that that game was not going to

26:36be great, at least not for my crew.

26:38And I was right. I was right.

26:40But for those of you who, you know, have a little bit more faith in your crew can handle

26:44their business. Game time app is a great way to get in to games and get it at a great

26:49price. One of the really cool things I like about the game time app is the all in

26:53pricing so that when you get to the checkout line, the price that you thought you were

26:56paying will be the price that you'll actually pay, as opposed to some other, you know,

27:01apps that kind of the numbers get a little fuzzy in the end there.

27:05And before you even get to the checkout, you've got great panoramic views of all the

27:09seats. So you can not only get a great price, but you can get a great seat and know what

27:13that seat looks like before you actually have to buy the ticket for it.

27:17So, again, when I was looking at the game with Ashley Pittsburgh is going to be in

27:24Boston playing B.C. in a couple of weeks.

27:26And you can get in there for as little as four dollars and you can get a super deal,

27:31which is a basically a cheaper version of a really great seat for great price.

27:37It's like you can see upper sideline at that B.C.

27:39game for as little as five dollars and that game will be November 30th at B.C.

27:44And again, the tickets across the border are super affordable when you go through the

27:49game time app. And so, look, all you got to do is download the game time app, create an

27:54account and use code CLNS for twenty dollars off your first purchase.

27:57Terms apply. Let's download the app, create an account, use the code CLNS and get twenty

28:03dollars off. Terms apply.

28:06What time is it? Game time.

28:09And before we continue, we've you know, I want to talk about we've talked a lot about

28:15the players so far in the roles that they play and where the sixes are.

28:18But let's let's be honest.

28:20They don't assign playing time.

28:23They don't sign players to the roster.

28:25So we're going to talk about Nick Nurse and and Darryl Murray and just keep both of

28:32those guys, it seems from afar, are in this position where things are obviously working

28:36the way they thought. Are either one of them in a little bit hotter seat than the other

28:40at this point? I mean, I would say Darryl Murray has to be in like.

28:45I mean, dude, he played like his stuff.

28:48I mean, I would say, you know, if they're seeking the seat, look, man, the daggone is

28:53just the plastic and all the rubber.

28:55Everything is melted up.

28:56It's like a little ball for getting hot.

29:03That's a bird.

29:04It's ashes, right?

29:08I mean, so so here's the thing.

29:09The reason why I'm saying that is because.

29:12You know, and Nick Nurse and I'm going to get to Nick Nurse, too, but the reason why

29:16I'm saying that is because you look at it, there's only certain teams like, you know,

29:21you got the Boston Celtics, they're trying to bring everybody back.

29:25They're trying to figure things out.

29:26They know they got to pay the superstars.

29:29Right, right.

29:29Well, the Sixers, what they did is you can make an argument that the roster they had

29:34last year, it ain't an argument.

29:37The roster they had last year was better than the roster they had this year.

29:41Right. Yeah, go ahead.

29:43So especially towards the end.

29:44Right. So so what happened is he goes out there and everybody's scared of this second

29:52apron. So he goes out there and maxes up three, maxes out three players.

29:57And then when you do that, you hope and pray that you can get some quality guys at the

30:02minimum. You can get some you know, you can get some other guys at the eight million

30:06thing, but the quality guys at the minimum.

30:09Now, only how that thing is going to work out is those three dudes that you maxed out

30:14are healthy and at an elite level.

30:18And when Embiid went out, when PG went out, then all of a sudden, you know, no offense

30:25to Eric Gordon, who I like, but he at this stage of his career, he's a catch and shoot

30:32type of guy. But when you tell him, bro, we're going to need you to create against these

30:36young boys, you put them in a bad spot.

30:39When you say Kyle Lowry, yo, I need you to play a bunch of minutes.

30:43Now you wonder why his hip is messed up.

30:45Right. So in other words, Daryl Morey, this is his roster.

30:50He created this stuff and you realize they have holes.

30:54Now, so Nick Nurse.

30:57It's kind of sort of like the old Bill Parks thing, Bell Parcells thing, if you want me to

31:02cook the meal, then let me go buy the groceries.

31:05Right. Right.

31:05So I can understand that.

31:07However, Yahoo!

31:10Yahoo!

31:10Sally. Yeah.

31:12Pay for the play for the Celtics.

31:14Yeah. I'm telling you, everybody's talking about this guy, Jared McCain, who is being

31:20phenomenal, the rookie.

31:21But before he he took off, Yahoo!

31:25was the guy he was he was killing.

31:28And to me, the one thing that Nick Nurse made a mistake on doing was this is your best guy

31:33off the bench. You all play the Miami Heat.

31:36And this dude doesn't come in until two minutes and forty five seconds left in the third

31:40quarter. Like you got to play him.

31:42But I understand what he's trying to do.

31:45He's trying to get these different lineups and stuff like that.

31:48But at the same time, you have to play the guy.

31:52But I think it's more so.

31:56On on Darryl Morey, but we all know it's easier to fire the coach if something goes

32:03wrong, so I think if someone's going to have to leave, it's probably going to be nurse.

32:08But he didn't put this roster together.

32:12He didn't.

32:13Facts. You just touched on Yabusele.

32:16Why is it? Why do you think he's been able to fit in so well in Philly?

32:20Because I mean, obviously in Boston, things didn't work out how he or the Celtics thought.

32:23And, you know, even after he left, he still seemed like a guy that was hadn't quite

32:27figured out or found his niche.

32:29Why is it seems like Philly has been such a good spot for him, at least when he gets a

32:34chance to play? I think it's a different time.

32:36I also think that the fact that it didn't work out for the Celtics helped him out a lot.

32:41I do. I think that, you know, you come into the league, you go into the NBA, you see what

32:47it's like, you see all that.

32:48Right. And then all of a sudden you go, you know, after two years he's playing in China,

32:54then he's back over in Europe and this and that.

32:56And you see the difference.

32:58And I feel like, you know, I remember when I used to see him over there, when he played

33:02for the Celtics, he was just a brother, big dude, smiling all the time.

33:07Am I right, though?

33:08Yeah, it's a fact.

33:11So now I look at him and it's kind of like, yo, I'm on a minimum deal.

33:16I'm trying to break back in.

33:17I got to attack this.

33:19And I think it's more of a sense of urgency.

33:22And I think the fact that he had it and he lost it and the Celtics had success after

33:28him, I feel like that that that's part of the reason why he is like, you know what I

33:33mean? I think he worked on his game, too, because he's doing some things that I didn't

33:37see him doing in Boston.

33:40Yeah. Yeah.

33:40And just want to bring this whole conversation full circle.

33:43You know, we said at the very top that, you know, Philly, the way that they kind of came

33:47into the season, there was a thought that they would be among those teams challenging

33:52the Celtics for supremacy in the East.

33:53Obviously hasn't worked out that way so far.

33:55But where are the Celtics on the radar now?

33:59I mean, are the six are they just so far back that they can't even think about contending

34:03with the top teams in East or is that something that's still, you know, as part of the

34:08plan, part of the goal and purpose this year?

34:11I mean, that's part of the goal and purpose.

34:13But I think right now it's like they got to chip away, man, like right now do like no

34:19offense. They're behind the Detroit Pistons right now.

34:22I mean, if you want to be real, I mean, they're behind the Detroit Pistons and the

34:26Charlotte, the Charlotte Hornets and stuff like that.

34:30So you got to do baby steps now again.

34:33Like, you know, I think the big thing for the sixes and then also I think, you know, if

34:38we're going to be realistic, the Sixers have only played six minutes and nine seconds

34:43with their big three.

34:45So they got to get all these guys on the floor together and see how that's going to work

34:50out for them and then take it from there.

34:52But yeah, like I like they're not they can't focus on the Celtics.

34:58They can't focus on, you know, the New York Knicks, anybody like that right now.

35:04And they got to worry about, dude, they even they got to work about what we're going to

35:08do the next time we see the Indiana Pacers.

35:11Right, right.

35:12And which is crazy because, I mean, when you have again, when you have dynamic players

35:16like Paul George, like a Joel Embiid, Maxie, you figure that, you know, once they get

35:20them to get out there, they'll just figure it out.

35:21But to your point, Keith, six minutes and nine seconds.

35:24Damn. Yeah, I mean, that's that's that's crazy.

35:29That's crazy. Yeah, man.

35:30Paul, it was like so Maxie played Maxie played like.

35:35You know, five minutes in the first half, five minutes since I'm changing the first

35:38half, and then they were all on the floor together for 41 seconds in the third half.

35:44This was against this was against the Memphis Grizzlies.

35:47And that's when PG kind of like bumped his knee with Desmond Bain and then trying to

35:54grab, you know, grab the rebound.

35:56And then after that, it was it.

35:58That was it. Yeah.

36:00Wow. Wow.

36:01Well, and that is it for this episode of the Big Three NBA podcast.

36:06Want to thank our guest, Keith Pompey of the Philippian Choir, for giving us some time.

36:09Much appreciated, Keith.

36:11Want to give one more shout out to PrizePix, the exclusive Daily Fantasy partner of

36:16CLNS Media Network.

36:17And also a shout out to our good friends at Game Time, which takes the guesswork out of

36:21buying last minute tickets to your favorite sporting events.

36:24Just download the Game Time app, create an account and use code CLNS for $20 off your

36:30first purchase. Terms apply.

36:32Game Time app, download it, create an account, use the code CLNS for $20 off your first

36:37purchase. Terms apply.

36:39And again, Keith, once again, man, thank you for your time.

36:43Much appreciated.

36:44Hopefully looking forward to seeing you on Christmas Day here in Boston.

36:47Hopefully we'll get a good game out of it.

36:49Well, let's put it this way.

36:51You're going to win.

36:52I'm going to win.

36:54Philly, Boston, I don't know.

36:57I don't know who's going to win that game, bruh.

36:59Like the way it looks.

37:02I mean, come on. Yo, we was joking a couple of days ago and somebody said, man, if they

37:07don't get that stuff right, it's going to be the Christmas Day Massacre.

37:10Oh, gosh.

37:11They're going to play the game at 9 a.m.

37:14You ain't right.

37:16You ain't right.

37:17Oh, damn.

37:19Yeah, once again, man, keep pumping, fill up your car.

37:22Much appreciated, brother.

37:23All right. Peace.

37:24I see.

Are the Sixers still a CONCERN for the Celtics? | Big 3 NBA Podcast

Category

Transcript

Recommended