What obtained you into basketball and the Celtics?
Effectively, I’m really the kid of first-generation immigrants, each of my mother and father having moved to the US from India. Neither of them actually adopted any American sports activities, so we solely actually ever watched Tremendous Bowls in our home, and possibly the occasional baseball recreation. As my brother and I had been rising up, our mother and father needed us to search out new actions to get us out of the home and assist us meet new individuals, so that they began by signing us up for baseball classes once I was 4 and my brother was 6, and later once I obtained to 4th grade, they signed us each up for basketball.
That’s actually the place my love for the sport began, and it was complimented effectively by the truth that a brand new household moved in simply subsequent door to us the identical yr. My brother and I immediately turned finest mates with them, they usually’re actually those who launched us to the NBA. Carlton, the second oldest of the six youngsters, was an avid Cavs fan, specifically due to none aside from LeBron James. He spent numerous time explaining LeBron’s greatness to us, and even obtained my brother to affix the bandwagon.
I, nevertheless, was all in on Boston.
I used to be raised in Connecticut, and since we didn’t actually have any huge sports activities groups of our personal on the time outdoors of UConn (and the current addition of the WNBA’s Connecticut Solar), we had been at all times left to choose between Boston and New York groups. Humorous sufficient, we had been at all times a lot nearer to New York than Boston, however as quickly as I used to be placed on the Purple Sox workforce in a scrimmage at one in every of my first baseball practices, I latched on to Boston all through all my sports activities groups. Thus, as I began to look at the NBA I turned a Celtics fan, and simply in time to look at them win the ‘08 championship as well.
Simply in case my brother reads this, I ought to point out that though he was a Cavs fan (extra so a LeBron fan), his fandom additionally stretched to the Celtics, and he made a customized cut up hat to show it, with a drawn-on Cavs brand on one facet and a Celtics brand on the opposite. Looking back, that might be thought of blasphemy, but it surely’s not as unhealthy as him beginning out as a Yankees fan and finally changing over to the Purple Sox after he realized they had been the superior workforce. Since then, my household began watching practically the entire Celtics video games collectively, and my brother and I had been in a position to convert our mother and father into followers, too.
What are your strengths and/or favourite subjects as a author?
I by no means really envisioned myself being a author since I used to be extra of a math and science man all through college. I even obtained my diploma in Software program Engineering, and there’s form of a working joke within the software program engineering neighborhood that we’re recognized for being illiterate, horrible communicators. I’d say the few issues that actually set me on this path are my capability to overthink and overanalyze the issues I care about, my limitless have to yap, and my real love of the sport.
I by no means had something near a proper training on the X’s and O’s of basketball, however the recreation at all times simply made sense to me. I’ve at all times admired the circulate, making an attempt to choose aside how every play impacts the subsequent, and what little particulars might be tweaked to turn into extra environment friendly on each ends of the courtroom. I’d continually have these conversations with my brother and mates, together with talks about how totally different gamers match in numerous techniques and will assist enhance the workforce. We even spent numerous hours crafting super-teams to pit towards one another within the MyGM mode of NBA 2K to check our basketball acumen whereas we had been rising up. Finally, I began writing my ideas and opinions down, and to my shock, individuals really learn them.
I feel the explanation why individuals get pleasure from what I write is due to my capability to craft narratives, use movie and information to again it up, and maintain issues optimistic but sincere (in contrast to what you discover on NBA Twitter.) I don’t come at it making an attempt to push agendas (for essentially the most half,) and I write it as I see it. Often, the subjects that I write about most come from a GM or coach mindset, making an attempt to offer some evaluation on workforce efficiency and desires. I feel “what would I do if I had been in Brad or Joe’s place?”
What’s your daring prediction for the approaching season?
It’s onerous to provide you with daring predictions for the Celtics when the roster has had nearly zero turnaround and is coming off of a historic, banner yr. Actually. The one actual unknown for us going into the subsequent yr is well being – of our workforce and the remainder of the league. We already know that Kristaps Porzingis will doubtless be sidelined till not less than December, and I’m not one to make predictions about different individuals’s well being as a result of I don’t wish to put any unhealthy power out into the world.
My subsequent line of thought can be to foretell the common season awards, though aside from Jayson Tatum’s All-NBA alternatives, the Celtics haven’t been getting a lot respect in that division, so I’d hardly name one other yr of snubs a daring prediction. Any of Jrue Vacation, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum might be thought of for an All-Defensive workforce, the Jays doubtless ought to and can make All-NBA groups, and if the Celtics find yourself atop the league once more, I think about Joe Mazzulla would really find yourself getting the Coach of the Yr nod this time round. None of that’s daring sufficient, although.
To be sincere, there’s not far more concerning the Celtics that makes me skeptical of them going into subsequent season. The largest variable I see is the extent of competitors this yr, specifically that of the New York Knicks. Most individuals have them as the largest hurdle for the Celtics, and a few even have them on prime. They exceeded expectations final yr, till accidents consumed them and introduced their playoff run to an finish. They completed the yr going 50-32, 2nd within the East, and falling to the arms of the Indiana Pacers after going 7 video games within the 2nd spherical.
Regardless of their offseason upgrades, I don’t have them ending above 50 wins this season, and I don’t see them making it previous the 2nd spherical of the playoffs both. In idea they need to be higher this yr given their improved well being and including in Mikal Bridges, to not point out getting a full season of OG Anunoby. They’ve an awesome defensive workforce, and are very succesful offensively as effectively with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle main the way in which. Not solely that, however they’re a deep workforce, even when Tom Thibodeau holds them to a 8-9 man rotation once more. That being stated, I don’t see them having as a lot success as they did final yr.
Probably the most obtrusive situation in my eyes is that the lack of Isaiah Hartenstein. With Isaiah off the roster, the Knicks are pressured to decide on between enjoying Randle on the 5, enjoying Mitchell Robinson north of 28 minutes a recreation, or happening the depth chart to usher in Treasured Achiuwa or Jericho Sims for significant minutes every night time (barring one other offseason commerce or acquisition). Robinson has solely managed to play 65+ video games in a season twice, these being his rookie yr (66 video games) and the 21-22 season (72 video games.) He doesn’t have an awesome document of well being, and that comes whereas enjoying within the 24-27 mpg vary. I wouldn’t take into account him dependable at this level, however evidently numerous duty will fall on his shoulders when he’s accessible.
Randle and Treasured each stand at 6’8, making them fairly undersized towards the East’s expert 7 footers like Porzingis, Embiid, and Giannis. Having the ability to include these guys defensively is tough sufficient as it’s, however with such a major measurement benefit you’re asking for bother. Outdoors of Randle, that huge man rotation leaves loads to be desired on the offensive finish, so it’s not like they’ll get their get again both. Hartenstein was an awesome rim runner, offensive rebounder, and an underrated facilitator from the publish. He created numerous alternatives for that offense which don’t look like they’ll be accessible once more this season.
Lastly, this isn’t a daring take, however I don’t love the match of Randle on this workforce offensively. Whereas he will help area the ground, he performs a slower recreation than the remainder of the workforce, and if he has to tackle additional facilitating duty he’s going to want to work on that 5 : 3.5 help to turnover ratio. The Knicks had been his workforce when final season began, however Brunson took possession shortly after Randle’s shoulder damage and is now the official workforce captain. That places Julius in a tricky place the place he has to take a again seat, however nonetheless know the right way to be aggressive and management the sport whereas enjoying within the system that introduced the Knicks a lot success final yr. It’s not one thing I imagine he’s able to simply but, and I feel their document will replicate that.
I see final yr’s Knicks workforce as a little bit of a Cinderella story, and whereas I feel on paper, they’re deeper and extra gifted this yr, they’re not fairly a contender simply but, though they’re knocking on that door.
