Speaker
Kirk Goldsberry
Appearances over time
1 episodes
Episodes
1
Podcasts
Quotes & moments
Boston's net rating was 6.5 with Jaylen Brown on the floor but jumped to 10.5 when he sat, a stat advanced models cited as evidence against his impact.
Per Dunks and Threes' estimated plus-minus, Jaylen Brown ranked 87th in the NBA after a season where he received MVP votes — illustrating the gap between eye test and advanced models.
For the first time in NBA history, eight consecutive seasons produced eight different champions — a direct result of the new CBA's second-apron hard cap.
Before this trade, Philadelphia was willing to attach one first-round pick just to offload Paul George's contract — meaning Brown effectively cost Philly near nothing extra.
Kirk Goldsberry found that only 2 of the 25 players with the most playoff minutes in the most recent postseason were 32 or older — illustrating the NBA's shift to a young man's game.
The 3-point line changed everything on the court in the 2010s. The second-apron hard cap is doing the same thing in front offices in the 2020s. It's forcing the Celtics to trade Finals MVPs, the Knicks to let go of Mitchell Robinson, and teams everywhere to choose youth over loyalty.
In 2018, the Lakers called San Antonio asking for Kawhi Leonard. Pop said no. The Spurs also never cut Tony Parker to save cap space. That's how they stayed elite through the early 2010s and won the 2014 title. Boston just did the opposite.
Bill Simmons was under anesthesia getting a colonoscopy when the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown. He woke up, his wife told him, and his first thought was that he had died on the operating table.
Advanced models rank Jaylen Brown 87th in the NBA. His on/off numbers show the Celtics were 4 points better per 100 without him. But he won Finals MVP and showed up every night — and that's the tension at the heart of this trade.
Philadelphia was actively shopping Paul George before this deal, willing to attach a first-round pick just to shed him. Then they got the 2024 Finals MVP for essentially that same package. Even the Sixers' own ownership couldn't believe it.
The financial logic doesn't fully explain why Boston gave away a Finals MVP. The real story is a relationship that deteriorated fast: Tatum returning from injury, Jaylen winning both the ECF and Finals MVP, a 1A-1B dynamic that turned toxic, and extension eligibility coming up. The Celtics panicked.
For the first time ever, the NBA has had eight different champions in eight consecutive seasons. It's not a coincidence — the 2023 CBA made it nearly impossible to keep great teams together. The question no one wants to answer: is this actually good for fans?
LeBron James has 43,440 career points and every record there is to hold. What if he doesn't sign anywhere until January or February — watching the league, staying in shape, and parachuting into the best situation available? It's the Roger Clemens move, and it might be his smartest play.
In 2004, the Red Sox traded the most popular player on the team — Nomar Garciaparra — in July, and Boston fans lost their minds. Then Orlando Cabrera became a hero and they won the World Series. It's the only historical lifeline Celtics fans have right now.
The Celtics were genuinely close to getting Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee had an arrangement where Giannis would approve the trade, and talks got into extension territory. But Boston held at 2 years, 30% of the cap; Giannis wanted 3 years at 35%. He greenlit Miami instead.
Jaylen Brown guarded Luka Dončić to win Finals MVP, made the shot in the Indiana series, bridged generations across the Boston community, and never gave anything less than everything on the court. Whatever the analytics say, he showed up. Every. Single. Night.
Kawhi Leonard has played just 11 playoff games in five years, hasn't won a series since May 2021, and lost the first play-in game last year at home. The idea that he's the missing piece for Toronto runs on pure sports amnesia.
The Lakers gave up two first-round picks and $130 million for Walker Kessler, who played 5 games last year. They have no answer for SGA, Anthony Edwards, or Jamal Murray. Even a Spurs fan isn't scared. This is the franchise of Kareem and Shaq settling for depth-chart filler.
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