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NBA analyst J.J. Redick dismissed Boston radio host’s Celtics take as ‘asinine’
"OK, well I'll disagree with you on that."
J.J. Redick’s back and forth with Mike Felger: With a whole week to go before the Celtics begin the NBA Finals, local (and national) commentators are finding plenty of basketball-related subjects to discuss.
One especially spirited discussion arrived on Wednesday in the form of a J.J. Redick back-and-forth with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Mike Felger (of Felger & Mazz). Broaching the subject of predictions for the finals, the ESPN analyst (and former player) said that while he is bullish on Boston, he’s not yet convinced the Celtics will clinch banner 18.
“I think Boston is the better team. That doesn’t mean that Dallas won’t present a problem, or Minnesota won’t present a problem that Boston can’t solve,” said Redck. “I think Boston is the better team for sure. Why wouldn’t I think that?”
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It led to the following exchange with Felger:
Felger: Well, they would lose for a reason other than being a better team, like that happens, right? You get outworked, or out-coached.
Redick: I don’t think you get out-worked at this stage of basketball. I think that’s a very asinine way to talk about the NBA. You think Boston beat Indiana because Indiana got out-worked?
Felger No, not in that case. I think Miami out-works Boston a lot of times when they play.
Redick: OK, well I’ll disagree with you on that.
Felger: So you think Miami is better than the Celtics?
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Redick: You think Miami wants it more? Is that what you think?
Eventually, Redick boiled down his opinion on the question of if he thinks the so-called “best team” consistently wins.
“The better team always wins because they present a problem that can’t be solved,” Redick explained. Of course, his determination of the “better team” was predicated on creating matchups, not necessarily talent on paper.
Asked what matchups that either Dallas or Minnesota present for Boston, the former NBA 3-point specialist pondered the question.
“I think in general, one of the things that Dallas has become is a really good defensive team, particularly against isolation,” he said. “Boston obviously is a heavy isolation team, and the reason is the size of P.J. Washington, the size of Derrick Jones Jr., [Daniel] Gafford, [Dereck] Lively on the back line. Porzingis’s health is important here. I think if Porzingis is the Kristaps Porzingis that we saw all season long, he could be a problem that Dallas can’t solve. Right? Because of his ability to space the floor, and also punish mis-matches.
“You get to this stage of the season, and it is a little bit of a chess match,” Redick concluded. “It’s not who’s outworking someone, or who wants it more.”
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Trivia: J.J. Redick played in one NBA Finals, with the Magic in 2009. Who coached that team?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Vermont in 1981, and has coached the Heat, Magic, Pistons, and Pelicans at the NBA level.
Scores and schedules:
PWHL Boston couldn’t find one more magical win, falling 3-0 to PWHL Minnesota in the decisive Game 5 of the Walter Cup Finals.
The Red Sox also lost on Wednesday night, as the Orioles rode Gunnar Henderson’s grand slam to a 6-1 win. Boston begins a four-game series against the Tigers tonight at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.
Also tonight, the Timberwolves will try to once again stave off elimination in the Western Conference Finals (trailing in the series 3-1) against the Mavericks at 8:30 p.m. The series winner will face the Celtics in the NBA Finals starting June 6.
More from Boston.com:
- PWHL Boston’s title run comes up short against Minnesota
- 8 takeaways from Patriots’ latest OTA session at Gillette Stadium
- Gunnar Henderson’s grand slam lifts the Orioles to a 6-1 victory over Red Sox in series’ rubber match
- Is Bailey Zappe the ‘elephant’ in the Patriots QB room? He’s not dwelling on it
- 98.5 The Sports Hub reaches 10-year extension to continue carrying Patriots games on radio
- Current, former Celtics call out ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ for narrative about ‘tension’ between Tatum and Brown
- Shams Charania says there’s ‘definitely optimism’ that Kristaps Porzingis will be ready for Game 1
- Dont’a Hightower welcomes chance to return to Patriots as linebackers coach
Fans’ reaction after the PWHL Walter Cup Finals: Though Boston came up short on Wednesday, the sellout crowd at the Tsongas Center was still appreciative of a great run in the league’s inaugural season.
Expectations for Kristaps Porzingis: The Celtics’ center is working to get back into the lineup for the NBA Finals.
On this day: In 2001, Pedro Martinez out-dueled Mike Mussina in a 3-0 Red Sox win over the Yankees. Martinez pitched eight scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts before turning it over to Derek Lowe for the save.
Daily highlight: Wilyer Abreu showed off his defensive ability with a diving catch on Wednesday.
Trivia answer: Stan Van Gundy
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