Felger on Pacers: It’s just another warm-up
The Boston Celtics will take on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals after the Pacers took down the New York Knicks. On Monday’s Felger and Mazz, Felger said that it should be a non-series between the top seeded Celtics and the Eastern Conference’s 6th seed.
Just another warm-up
Felger
This should be a non-series, alright. And it probably will be. But I’m just going to tell you this, the Pacers are going to give you a little bit more than you’ve got in the first couple rounds. And they should. It’s the East finals. Like, that’s hardly some sort of scorching take. I don’t know if that means it goes 6 or is ust a harder 5 games. The Pacers are going to give you more than Miami or Cleveland, and again they should. It’s the East finals. I do think the Pacers have a quality that people are sort of overlooking. I think they’re a competitive team, they have a knack. I think Halliburton is kind of a big time player. He’s kind of a, “this is my moment kind of player”, which is important. They have size that I think can be problematic. I think the coach, he’s been around a long tim and he’s a good coach. Like he’s going to have something for you. OK. So between Halliburton, the coach, their size…
J-Stew
Siakim’s a good defender and NeSmith will have the ass this series..
Felger
I think they’re going to give you more of a series. It’ll be a little more interesting than what we just experienced. But not by much. I don’t know if it goes 6, but 5 games will be harder. So like there’s your Eastern Conference final preview. It’s still just another warm up for what could be an entire run of warmups.
Mazz
Yeah, the Pacers are going to want to play up-tempo, which works in the Celtics favor if you ask me because of the less physicality and the more space. That’s more the way the Celtics want to play because the Celtics are soft. So the worry for me if you’re a Celtics fan would be that you’re still not going to see a quote unquote, tough opponent until you get to the finals.
Listen to Felger and Mazz from 2-6 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Mike Felger, Tony “Mazz” Massarotti, and Jim Murray “Big Jim”. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @FelgerAndMazz on Twitter to keep up with the show!
McKone: Previewing Celtics-Pacers and the Eastern Conference Finals
Pacers vs. Celtics…. No, it doesn’t have the juice that Knicks vs. Celtics would have had. But this will absolutely be the Celtics toughest test of the postseason so far. And likely a lot tougher than a matchup against the banged-up Knicks would have been. As we get ready for Game 1 on Tuesday night let’s take a look at the five players that will play the biggest roles in determining this series.
1. Derrick White
You aren’t going to find a bigger Derrick White fan than me. Brad Stevens has put together a longggg list of impressive moves during his time as the president of basketball operations for the Celtics. Still, turning Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and picks into White back in 2022 might remain his best move. He was arguably the Celtics best player in their opening round series against the Heat and after three consecutive poor shooting games against the Cavs, White finished that series with a strong 18-point performance in Game 5. If White can continue to give you the type of play he did in round 1 and in Game 5, this series won’t last long.
2. Pascal Siakam
The Pacers acquired Siakam at the deadline from the Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first round picks. So far this postseason the trade has worked out. In 12 playoff games he is averaging more than 21 points per game while shooting better than 50% from the field. That is NOT what Siakam brought to the table the last time he played the Celtics in the playoffs.
During the bubble postseason the Raptors and Celtics went 7 games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, in that series Siakam saw his averages plummet from 23.6 points per game on 45.9% shooting during the regular season to 14.9 points on 38.2% shooting. For his career against the Celtics he has averaged 17.6 points in 25 games (his biggest game a 40 point performance against the Celtics in 2022 came against a Celtics lineup that did not have Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, or Al Horford).
The question is which Siakam are the Pacers going to get this series. The one they have gotten so far this postseason or the one that showed up in the bubble against Boston. If it’s bubble Siakam this series will get ugly.
3. Tyrese Haliburton
May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts during the fourth quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
I’ll come clean and admit that I was a way bigger fan of the In-Season Tournament than any rational person should have been. Sure, it was artificially created by the league but it also gave players an incentive to really care about games that weren’t actually playoff games. And it worked! Players did really care!
I was especially excited for the Celtics to have an opportunity at a dress rehearsal for the playoffs. Some actual reps with this new group in games that meant a little bit more! Unfortunately, those reps came to a premature end against the Pacers thanks to a fantastic performance from Haliburton in which he had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. He was the best player on the court that night. And while Siakam is a two-time all-star, I’m confident in saying that Haliburton is the one player the Pacers have that has the ability to take over games against Boston. If the Celtics can keep Haliburton in check the rest will take care of itself.
4. Kristaps Porzingis
MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 27: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball against the Miami Heat during the first quarter in game three of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Kaseya Center on April 27, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Yes, I am cheating a little bit with this one but stay with me. The latest update we received on Porzingis over the weekend is certainly encouraging if you are Celtis fan. According to Woj, “Porzingis is expected to remain sidelined for Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals next week, but there is optimism he will be able to return sometime in the series barring any setbacks.” I still don’t think the Celtics are at a point in the playoffs where they need Porzingis to win the series (I said the day after the injury took place that the only team they will need him until the finals and I haven’t wavered on that take). That being said the injury took place on April 29th, Game 3 of this series is May 25th, that is nearly a month off for a legit seven-footer.
Getting Porzingis up and running, back in game shape, and confident again before the Finals actually begin is vitally important. There will not be a lot of wiggle room in the Finals. Making sure the rust is knocked off and Porzingis is healthy and productive is one of the biggest goals for Boston in this series.
5. Jayson Tatum
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 15: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 15, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
He is the best player on the best team. Enough said.
