Jay King

They've got a dynamic playmaker.

They've got, like I said, Diabate and then Kalkbrenner comes off the bench and gives them some good minutes at backup center.

I just think it's a pretty complete team for a team that's so young and inexperienced and

is is only like this this is should only be the start for this team and obviously you know they're they're in a kind of a tough place in the eastern conference standings right now they're gonna have to fight their way into the playoffs but but if they do get in there then then that's a team that that could probably give some teams some problems

So I thought coming into this year that the East was as wide open as it's been for a long time.

Like with Halliburton's injury, with Tatum's injury, it was just like that whole East is wide open.

I don't really feel quite that strongly about that anymore because I do think the Celtics have started to separate themselves as a team that might be a step above the rest of the East.

That said...

Like, Detroit's defense is real.

They are burly men.

They will fight you literally, figuratively.

They will make every bucket challenging.

I love watching those guys play because they're just old school, just...

They just want to just destroy you.

The Knicks, they're still there.

And I know their starting lineup has had its issues, sort of like it did last season.

But they're a team with a lot of proven guys, a lot of veterans.

They have defensive versatility.

They can throw Mitchell Robinson out there to just bully you on the glass.

I still think they're going to be a factor.