I think that feels like a nice package there.

Yeah.

Wow.

Look at those phones light up.

It's Selger and Maz.

I'm not at the Sports Hub.

Early on, you can see, like, Jason Tatum, you know, he's really been motivated not to be a destructive force.

You saw it from the very first game he played when he came back when he was operating as facilitators and doing a lot of that in the games he's played with Jalen Brown.

He's not looking to upset the apple card here. But as he gets more comfortable, he's just going

to be so much better. It's getting more aggressive and they're going to be a much more prolific

offensive team. And though they're a really good offensive team anyway. And when I look across the Eastern Conference, just a lot of flaws. I mean, I don't know if Detroit has enough three-point shooting. I mean, they were on a skid earlier this month, and that's because they went from averaging like 60 points in the paint to like 45. So if they're not dominating in the paint, they're not going to be quite as good. The Knicks are in the middle of a mess right now. People are blaming Jalen Brunson for some of that stuff. You know, there's just a lot of unreliability, including Cleveland, amongst other teams in the East. When we get to the playoffs, assuming Tatum continues this kind of uptick in how he's playing. The self is going to be the most reliable Eastern conference team that's out there. The most experienced Eastern Conference team when it comes to playoff stuff. Yeah, I mean, I was very interested to see how Tatum looked like in the first couple of weeks, but given that this seems to be the floor for him for how he's going to be playing, I see, I can't see an argument you can make or a good one that says the Celtics aren't the team to beat in the East. Tatum is only going to get better. They're only going to get better and they're the clear favor coming out of the East. Any arguments there? No. No. There shouldn't be unless. That should be the expectation, right? Yes. So if they don't, are we going to say they underachieved? In the postseason, yes, with Tatum back, yeah. I mean, I just, I do. The goalposts have moved. You don't get to walk this back now. Now the Tatum is back. Yeah, in the season that Jaylon Brown's having, the season that they're having, yes, these should be the expectations. Yeah, now look, Mike, there's always the caveat of let's see what it looks like. Okay, like, you know, if they have a good series against someone and there's something fluky that happens, we could, you know, there's always you can reassess. But what do you mean, Fluke? It's the balls round.

Okay.

This isn't, could, you know, there's always you can reassess. But what do you mean, Fluke?

It's the ball's round.

Okay.

This isn't football, the bounce of a ball, one game, single elimination.

These are seven game series with a round, round sphere.

That bounces the way it's supposed to.

Okay.

I'm just saying that, you know, sometimes you get into a seven game series and... Someone gets hurt that obviously changes. Okay. I'm just saying that, you know, sometimes you get into a seven-game series and someone gets hurt that obviously changes. Okay, so I don't even mean injuries. I'm just saying, what if you get into a tough series and, you know, you lose on a shot at the buzzer? Well, listen. I like it gets, it can get, you can make a different sort of judgment depending on how it goes. but but but but but I would say to you not for these green teamers yeah I'm not going can make a different sort of judgment depending on how it goes.

But, but, but, but, but I would say to you. Not for these green teamers. Yeah, I'm not going to make a decision ahead of time until fully on, but if you're asking me generally speaking, do I think that they should be, you know, that they should be the, uh, favorite to win the conference? My answer is yes. I'm just saying, most of you agree lock, stock and barrel with Chris Mannix that Tatum should only get better, they should only get

better, and they're the clear favorite in the East. There's no one else that you can make a case for.

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