NBA on TNT crew on Joel Embiid's Injury & Preview 76ers vs Celtics

AN ABSOLUTELY JAM PACKED NIGHT OF NBA. ACTION. YES, 11 GAMES IN THE ASSOCIATION AND WE WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH ALL OF THEM RIGHT HERE IN STUDIO J IN ATLANTA. I’M JOINED BY SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS, CANDACE PARKER, JAMAL CRAWFORD. AND WE’RE TIGHTENING THE CAMERA SHOT. THERE’S A CHANCE SHAQ SHOWS UP. BUT IF WE TOLD YOU WHAT WAS GOING ON, YOU KNOW WE’D HAVE TO KILL YOU. SO WE DON’T KNOW WHERE SHAQ IS. AIN’T HAPPENING. MR. LOCATION. BUT WHEN I LOSE SHAQ I GAIN A STEPHANIE. READY. SO LET’S GO AND CHECK IN ON BOSTON. OUR

FIRST GAME BOSTON PHILLY TONIGHT. AND WE HAVE OUR OWN STEPHANIE READY WHO NOT ONLY JUST SPOKE WITH KRISTAPS PORZINGIS BUT ALSO HAS SOME NEWS ABOUT BOTH BIG MEN. SO STEPHANIE, TAKE US DOWN LOW INTO THE POST FOR THE GAME TONIGHT. >> OOH, I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, ADAM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD TO BE WITH YOU GUYS. I’LL START WITH THE QUICK UPDATE FIRST JOEL EMBIID. THERE IS NO FURTHER NEWS AS IT GOES TO HIS RETURN. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IT IS EXACTLY A WEEK FROM TODAY THAT WE ARE EXPECTING AN UPDATE ON

HIS SITUATION. PEOPLE AROUND THE SIXERS ORGANIZATION ARE VERY HOPEFUL THAT THIS UPDATE WOULD BE ABOUT HIM RETURNING TO PLAY. WE WILL SEE WHAT THAT ENTAILS

AND WHAT THE UPDATE ACTUALLY IS. REMEMBER, HIS PROCEDURE WAS THREE WEEKS AGO TODAY ON THAT LEFT KNEE. SO OF COURSE WE’LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU ALL POSTED AT HOME. NOW THE OTHER BIG GUY ON THE OTHER SIDE FOR BOSTON KRISTAPS PORZINGIS. HE IS HAVING A CAREER YEAR. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIS FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE FROM 263% IS WHAT HE’S SHOOTING FROM TWO POINT PERCENTAGE. AND I ASKED HIM WHAT’S CHANGED FOR

HIM. WHY IS HE SHOOTING MORE POST UP SHOTS INSTEAD OF THREES. HE SAID HE’S TAKING WHATEVER THE DEFENSE GIVES HIM. IF THE BIGS ARE PLAYING HIM AND HE HAS THAT ABOVE THE BREAK THREE POINTER, HE’S HAPPY TO TAKE IT. BUT IF THEY’RE PUTTING A SMALLER PERSON ON HIM, HE SAYS OF COURSE HE’S GOING TO GO TO THE POST UP. THE KEY DIFFERENCE FOR HIM GUYS IS HE IS A MORE MATURE NBA BASKETBALL PLAYER. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REALLY RECENTLY FOCUSED ON WHAT HE’S GOOD AT AND TRYING TO MAKE HIS GAME BETTER. MORE IMPORTANTLY,

MAKING HIS GAME A GAME THAT WILL HELP HIS TEAM WIN GAMES. SO I ASKED HIM, WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THAT? HE SAID, WELL, AS I’VE GOTTEN MORE MATURE, I’VE KIND OF NARROWED DOWN THE SCOPE OF WHAT I’M DOING IN GAME. WE ALL KNOW KRISTAPS PORZINGIS HAS ALWAYS FOUND SCORING VERY EASY. THAT’S HOW HE GOT THAT NICKNAME, THE UNICORN, BECAUSE HE COULD DO EVERYTHING NOW HE SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON DOING THREE THINGS. MAYBE ON THE OFFENSIVE END REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND THE OTHER THINGS HE’S KIND OF TOSSED TO THE SIDE. HE SAID. YOU KNOW WHEN

YOU’RE A ROOKIE YOU’RE TRYING NEW THINGS. YOU’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN STICK. HE KNOWS NOW, GUYS WHAT STICKS HIS MONEY IS IN THE PAINT. IF HE’S NOT SHOOTING THE THREE, HIS POST UP GAME IS MUCH IMPROVED AND IT’S SHOWING IN HIS 63% SHOOTING FROM THE TWO. >> STEPHANIE. READY. THANK YOU SO MUCH AS ALWAYS ENJOY THE GAME. WE’LL BE HEARING FROM YOU A LITTLE BIT LATER. IT’S NOT JUST PORZINGIS. EVERYTHING THAT’S GOING ON WITH BOSTON RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. BEAL NUMBER ONE RECORD IN THE NBA AT 45 AND 12. CHECK THIS OUT.

QUITE LITERALLY THE MOST EFFICIENT OFFENSE IN NBA HISTORY WHICH SAYS A LOT ABOUT THIS SEASON. BUT ALSO THIS BOSTON TEAM HIGHEST OFFENSIVE RATING IN FRANCHISE HISTORY. THIS NEXT ONE THOUGH CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. TOP THREE IN OFFENSIVE RATING D RATING AND NET RATING. THEY’RE DOING IT ANY WAY YOU WANT. HIGHEST HOME WINNING PERCENTAGE SINCE 1987. THAT WINNING PERCENTAGE 26 AND THREE. ALSO INCLUDES 20 AND ZERO AGAINST THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. S THEY HAVE NOT LOST AN EASTERN CONFERENCE GAME IN BOSTON SINCE MARCH 5TH OF LAST YEAR. IF THEY WIN TONIGHT, IT WILL BE A FULL CALENDAR YEAR

SINCE THEY HAVE LOST TO AN EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAM, BUT THEY MADE ALL THE MOVES. IT’S WORKING OUT AND WE’RE STILL GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION WE ASK EVERY YEAR IN FEBRUARY ABOUT BOSTON, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP THOUGH? LIKE HOW THIS ONE FEELS DIFFERENT, THOUGH I LOVE THE JRUE HOLIDAY MOVE AND I KNOW IN THE STAT SHEET IT’S NOT GAUDY. >> BUT COME PLAYOFF TIME IT WILL BE. AND I THINK HE’S A GUY THAT MAKES WINNING PLAYS AND A LOT OF TIMES LAST YEAR YOU COULD SEE THEY BECAME STAGNANT OFFENSIVELY. BOSTON

CELTICS ARE ARE KIND OF AN ANOMALY ALMOST LIKE GOLDEN STATE. THEY WORK FROM THE OUTSIDE IN. THEY DON’T GENERATE A LOT OF PAYNE POINTS. THEY DON’T GET FOULED A LOT. THEY DEPEND HEAVILY ON GENERATING CATCH AND SHOOT THREES. SO HAVING ANOTHER GUY THAT CAN GET THEM INTO SETS AND GET THEM THROUGH THE SCORING LULLS THAT THEY HAD LAST YEAR WHEN THEY PLAYED MIAMI LAST YEAR WHEN THEY PLAYED PHILLY, WHERE THEY WERE GOING THREE, 4 OR 5 MINUTES WITHOUT GETTING GOOD LOOKS AT AT THE BASKET. I THINK THAT JRUE HOLIDAY SOLVES A LOT OF THAT. SO

I AM A BUYER IN THE FACT THAT BOSTON POTENTIALLY IS GOING TO HANG A BANNER THIS YEAR AND DO WHAT THEY’VE DONE IN THE REGULAR SEASON, IN THE POSTSEASON. >> I’M A BUYER AS WELL. AND THE FACT LIKE YOU JUST SAID, IS THEY SELL OUT TO THE ‘3. THEY MAKE 16 THREES ON AVERAGE PER GAME. BUT I THINK THAT WAS THEIR ACHILLES HEEL IN THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR. THEY SOLD OUT SO MUCH THEY DIDN’T DIVERSIFY AND GET TO THE MID-RANGE AND PLAY INSIDE OUT, PLAY INSIDE THROUGH THE POST A LITTLE BIT MORE. THAT’S WHAT JRUE

HOLIDAY BRINGS. THAT’S WHAT PORZINGIS BRINGS. AND THEY GOT THOSE TWO. BUT THEY GOT MORE MATURE I FEEL LIKE THE TWO THAT THEY HAVE IN JRUE HOLIDAY AND PORZINGIS BRING A LEVEL OF MATURITY IN THE SERIOUSNESS TO THEIR GAME AS WELL. AND THEY HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS. IF THEY GET HOME COURT THEY’RE GOING TO BE TOUGH TO BEAT. >> THEY’RE GONNA BE TOUGH TO BEAT. BUT ALSO I THINK THAT THERE’S BEEN GROWTH FROM JAYSON TATUM AND JAYLEN BROWN. THAT WAS A BIG THING LAST YEAR OF LIKE WHEN DO YOU ISO. WHEN DO YOU TRUST. AND I

THINK YOU HAVEN’T. JRUE HOLIDAY ON YOUR TEAM SOLVES A LOT OF THAT. LIKE NOT THINKING AS MUCH AND JUST BEING PUT IN POSITIONS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. >> THIS IS JAYSON TATUM’S GROWTH RIGHT. LIKE HE AVERAGES 27 POINTS. BUT THE MORE HE’S PASSING IT THE EASIER THE SCORING IS. SO NOW HE’S PICKING APART THE DEFENSE. BUT HE HAD A HE HAD A COMMENT TO DOC RIVERS IN THE ALL STAR GAME. AND HE SAID YOU KNOW WHAT. INSTEAD OF MY MINUTES GIVE THEM TO JAYLEN BROWN. THIS I WANT HIM TO WIN MVP. WOULD HE HAVE SAID THAT

LAST YEAR I’M NOT SURE. BUT THAT’S WHERE THE GROWTH IN MVP LAST YEAR RIGHT. HE’S MVP. HE ALREADY KNOWS RIGHT. HE KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES. THE MVP YEAH YEAH. >> WHERE BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN THE QUESTION ABOUT JAYSON TATUM AND JAYLEN BROWN THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS. >> PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO TRADE THEM A FEW YEARS AGO. >> EVERY FEW YEARS AGO IT WAS LIKE AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR, I THINK ABSOLUTELY. >> THAT’S TRUE. >> UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SEASONING, THEY’VE HAD ALL THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS TRIPS, THE TRIP TO THE FINALS,

TAKING ON THE WARRIORS, YOU KNOW THESE GUYS REALLY WELL. CAN YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR MENTALITY WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM? >> ABSOLUTELY. >> LIKE EVERYTHING’S ABOUT WE IT’S NOT LIKE WHAT WAS IT BEFORE? I JUST THINK THEY WERE TRYING TO GET THE SAME GOAL ACCOMPLISHED. BUT THEY WERE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS THEMSELVES A LITTLE BIT. RIGHT. IF I BRING MY BEST GAME, THEN WE’LL BE BETTER FOR IT. INSTEAD OF NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT’S JUST, HEY, YOU GO TONIGHT. I’LL GO THIS NIGHT. WHATEVER IS GOING AND WHATEVER’S WORKING TO CANDACE’S POINT,

IF JAYSON TATUM WINS A CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR, WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT HIS TOTALITY OF HIS CAREER, IN HIS SHORT CAREER, AND LOOK AT EVERYTHING HE’S DONE. THAT’S THE ONLY THING MISSING. AND I THINK JAYLEN BROWN NOW HE SIGNED. HE SEALED. HE’S DELIVERED. AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP OBVIOUSLY HAS GROWN. BUT I THINK THAT’S WHERE PORZINGIS AND HOLIDAY HAVE HELPED BEHIND THE SCENES AS WELL. >> I THINK IN THE HISTORY OF THE NBA, IF YOU LOOK AT ROSTERS, THERE’S NEVER A12 PUNCH. THAT DOESN’T MAKE EACH OTHER BETTER. AND I THINK THE REALIZATION IN THIS OFF SEASON THAT

WE HAVE TO DO THINGS THAT MAKE ONE ANOTHER BETTER, WE HAVE TO DO THINGS THAT MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR OUR TEAMMATES. AND THEN YOU BENEFIT AND SO I THINK JUST IN THE PLAYOFFS, GOING THROUGH WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH LAST YEAR, WHERE JAYLEN BROWN WAS CARRYING A LOT OF THE LOAD, JAYSON TATUM STRUGGLED. I THINK SOMETIMES THAT CAN BENEFIT IN YOUR OUTLOOK OF THE WAY THAT YOU APPROACH THE GAME AND HOW MUCH YOU VALUE WHAT THE OTHER PERSON BRINGS. >> WHEN DREW CAME IN, THAT’S THE OFFENSIVE PIECE. PORZINGIS IT WAS IF HE STAYS HEALTHY, THEY’VE NEVER

HAD A PIECE LIKE THIS. I’M ALSO CURIOUS FROM A LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU GET RID OF MARCUS SMART, THAT LEADERSHIP HAS TO FALL ON SOMEONE ELSE, DOES THAT OPEN UP WHEN A POWERFUL VOICE LIKE THAT LEAVES A LOCKER ROOM? DOES THAT? HOW MUCH DOES THAT CHANGE FOR A TATUM AND A BROWN? >> I THINK IT’S BY COMMITTEE. BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE JAYSON TATUM DID EARLY AS WELL. HE’S LIKE YOU KNOW WE HAVE SIX STARTERS. LET’S ALL JUST HASH THIS OUT RIGHT NOW AND FIGURE OUT WHO’S WHO AND WHAT’S WHAT AND HOW WE CAN MAKE

THIS WORK FOR EACH OTHER. >> THAT WAS MARCUS SMART THAT WOULD DO THAT. >> THAT’S HE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT RIGHT. THAT WAS RESERVED FOR HIM. AND IT’S FORCED THOSE GUYS TO GROW UP RIGHT. AND I THINK AL HORFORD, DERRICK WHITE, THE VETS THEY HAVE AROUND THOSE GUYS ARE LIKE AS SOLID AS THEY COME I JUST LOVE HOW WE THINK LEADERSHIP IS JUST YELLING AND SCREAMING AND HAVING A VOICE. >> LIKE SOMETIMES IT’S JUST DOING YOUR JOB RIGHT AND JUST SHOWING UP AND DOING WHAT’S RIGHT AND MAKING THE EXTRA PASS AND MAKING THE EXTRA SWING

AND MAYBE SOMETIMES IT’S YOU TAKING A STEP BACK. THAT’S A LEADERSHIP. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD THAT THROWN AROUND THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF LEADERSHIP AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND IT’S LIKE PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE LOCKER ROOM. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO MOTIVATE AND BRING OUT THE BEST IN EVERY PERSON. AND I THINK THAT’S THE LEADER’S JOB. AND YOU ARE GOING TO TRUST THE LEADER THAT HAS DONE IT BEFORE, FOR SURE, AND HAS BEEN THERE AND I THINK YOU ADDED THAT TO THE

ROSTER, UH, JUST TO SHOW THE LEADERSHIP, BOSTON HAS ONLY LOST BACK TO BACK GAMES. >> ONE ONE TIME THIS SEASON. THEY DO NOT STAY DOWN ALONG 6’ ERS ARE DOWN RIGHT NOW FOUR AND SEVEN. IN THE 11 GAMES SINCE JOEL EMBIID HAS THAT TORN MENISCUS AS STEPHANIE SAID THEY’RE GOING TO DO AN UPDATE NEXT WEEK. TAKE A LOOK AT THE EAST STANDINGS. THE SIXERS ARE FALLING. IT’S ALL GOOD THIS IS WITH AND WITHOUT JOEL EMBIID. RECORD WITH I MEAN THIS IS THE REASON WHY HE WAS THE FRONT RUNNER FOR MVP AGAIN. WITHOUT EMBIID, THE POINTS

ARE DOWN TEN. THE OPPONENT POINTS ARE UP SIX. IT’S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ROSTER. AND NOW THE SIXERS ARE FACING A REALLY TOUGH QUESTION. DO WE TRY AND GET IT BACK. DO WE TRY AND MAKE A RUN OR DO WE REST A BIG MAN WITH A KNEE INJURY WHICH IS A REALLY SCARY SENTENCE TO SAY OUT LOUD. >> I’M SHUTTING HIM DOWN. IF RIGHT NOW, IF THE SIXERS SECOND, THIRD OR FOURTH BEST PLAYERS WERE ALL AT THEIR BEST, IT STILL WOULDN’T MATTER IF EMBIID IS HEALTHY. YES THEY LOOK GREAT, BUT IT STILL WASN’T LIKE THEY WERE

BONA FIDE CHAMPIONS. YOU HAVE HIM FOR. HOWEVER MANY YEARS. I’M NOT PLAYING THAT GAME. HE’S OBVIOUSLY THE MOST DOMINANT PLAYER IN THE GAME OR ONE OF THE MOST DOMINANT PLAYERS, AND HE’S HAD THIS INJURY BEFORE. I THINK IT’D JUST BE IRRESPONSIBLE TO FORCE HIM BACK TO SAY, BE READY FOR THE PLAYOFFS. WHEN YOU WHEN YOU MISS THAT KIND OF TIME AND YOU TRY TO COME BACK IN A SEASON WHEN GUYS ARE GETTING READY FOR THE PLAYOFFS, THAT’S A DIFFERENT SPEED. THAT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ENERGY BEHIND IT. >> THERE’S A THERE’S AN INJURY RAMP UP. >>

THEN THERE’S LIKE A CONDITIONING RAMP UP AND THEN THERE’S A HEY, WE NEED YOU TO GET TO THAT NEXT LEVEL OF PLAYOFF BASKETBALL. >> AND THERE’S JUST A RAMP UP OF I HAVEN’T BEEN ON THE COURT WORKING OUT WITH FIVE WITH NINE OTHER PEOPLE. LIKE JUST THE SPACING PART OF IT HASN’T PLAYED WITH CAMPAIGN, HAS HIM PLAYED WITH BUDDY HIELD WHICH THOSE WERE GREAT PICKUPS. >> WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON IT. >> THEY’RE SITTING AT FIFTH. UM IN THE EAST RIGHT NOW. ONE GAME AHEAD OF MIAMI OUT OF THE SIXTH SPOT. I DON’T THINK THEY HOLD

ON TO NOT BEING IN THE PLAY IN SITUATION, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO I’M WITH JAMAL. I THINK FROM A ROSTER STANDPOINT, YOU’RE GOING TO MISS A YEAR OF FINDING OUT PIECES AROUND JOEL EMBIID. UH, WHAT COULD BE SUCCESSFUL . BUT AT THE SAME TIME RISKING YOUR FUTURE ON MAY BE ADVANCING. I MEAN, IF YOU’RE IN THE PLAY IN POSITION YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY BOSTON MILWAUKEE IN THE FIRST OR SECOND ROUND. RIGHT SO I DON’T YOU KNOW, AND I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF IN SHAPE, YOU SAW THE WAY THAT HE WAS COMING OFF OF

NOT PLAYING FOR A COUPLE GAMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. LIKE THERE’S RUST IN THAT. >> RIGHT. >> WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IS TYRESE MAXEY TAKING THE REINS OF BEING AN ALPHA AND GETTING THAT EXPERIENCE. >> SURE. >> MAYBE MY EYES ARE PLAYING TRICKS ON ME, BUT AS ADAM LEFKOE ROCKING THE FLOOR, YES, HE IS, YES HE IS. >> FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY. >> NO, HE IS UH, THESE ARE MY DEEPEST PULL YET. BECAUSE HOW MUCH THOSE COST? >> YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO ON STOCK AND FIND OUT, BECAUSE THE NUMBER

CANNOT EVEN LEAVE MY LIPS. >> BUT IT’S ABOUT WHAT SHAY GILGEOUS ALEXANDER MAKES EACH GAME JUST EASY. >> YOU BETTER SELL HIM. >> WE’RE GONNA PREVIEW ROCKETS THUNDER COMING UP NEXT