Brian Scalabrine checked in to today’s episode of Scoop B Radio.
An NBA Champion during his 11-year stint in the NBA, Scalabrine is a media maven post career as the co-host of “The Starting Lineup” on SiriusXM NBA Radio with Frank Isola and a Boston Celtics broadcaster on NBC Sports Boston.
Scalabrine discussed a host of topics including the origins of his White Mamba nickname. The former USC Trojan shared that the late great Kobe Bryant, owner of the Black Mamba nickname, had mini conversations with him over the years about the nickname over the years and shared that Bryant had no problem with it and that it is all love.
“So he hit me up on Twitter a couple times,” Scalabrine tells Scoop B Radio of the Black Mamba.
He dapped me up in the last game I had in LA like one of his last games against the Celtics, but we never really discussed it. But I think he stamped it one time for me so I think I’m good.”
Scalabrine enjoyed watching the Celtics win the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Even before clinching the franchise’s 18th championship, the 2024 Boston Celtics established themselves as one of the most dominant teams in NBA history.. Boston finished the regular season with a league-best 64-18 record for the 25th-best winning percentage of all time. “Sometimes they’re a couple steps ahead of everyone,” Brian Scalabrine tells Scoop B Radio.
“They’ve got six guys that can shoot the three, they can move it, they can defend.”
Led by head coach, Joe Mazzula, the Celtics’ talented roster includes two superstars in NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The team’s fortified from top to bottom with a supporting cast that includes big man Kristaps Porzingis, point guard Jrue Holiday, swingman Derrick White and their season center, Al Horford.
“The league will catch up, but it was a great year, no problems, the playoffs run pretty easy, but it’s gonna get more difficult as you try to repeat.”
One team that is looking to compete in the NBA’s Eastern Conference is the New York Knicks. The orange and blue made a move this offseason by adding Mikal Bridges via trade from interborough rival, Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks already have a talented roster with Jalen Brunson as the team’s center piece.
Coupled with a healthy Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks have a lethal combo of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
Million Dollar Question: Should the Bridges move scare the Celtics?
“ I mean you gotta prepare for that, “ said Scalabrine to Scoop B Radio.
“They didn’t give up much. When healthy and adding Bridges? They’re legitimate.
“I think they’re a big time team, a big time defensive team since the OG Anunoby trade. His advanced analytics were off the charts.
“Never ever will you ever hear an NBA team, player or anything say they’re scared of anybody but you have to keep an eye out on the Knicks. I think they’re legit.”
On the Celtics side of basketball, Scalabrine says that Jaylen Brown’s dominance in the NBA Playoffs and the NBA Finals was a box office attraction. “You can say the next level is what he did in these playoffs,” said Scalabrine on Scoop B Radio.
“Did you see his playmaking? Eight assists? Seven assists when Tatum and Brown are combining for 17 assists in a game? You’re not beating them. When they were averaging seven combined, you have a chance. But not when they were playing like that. And I think his defense and his passing were next level.”
That’s high praise for the MVP. Kristaps Porzingis was also given a big nod from Scalabrine. Last season, the Latvian center put up 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc in 57 games played for the Celtics.
Despite injuries, Porzingis averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in his first six games this postseason, including 20 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in Game 1 against Dallas.“He was great for us all season,” said Scalabrine.
“He could stretch the floor. He knocked down threes, created space and anytime you had a mismatch you could go inside to him.”
Porzingis is recovering after undergoing surgery in late June to repair his torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. There’s a possibility that Porzingis could return to NBA action sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“For him it’s always gonna be can you stay healthy and if you stay healthy the Celtics are gonna be dangerous next year,” said Scalabrine to Scoop B Radio.
“That’s always the question with Porzingis. He had the surgery. Five to six months, he’ll be back. But if he’s healthy, good luck to the rest of the NBA.”
Jrue Holiday was also a key cog in the Celtics’ Championship win back in June. An NBA Finals MVP candidate during that series, in Game 2 of that series, the Los Angeles native had a team highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 11 of 14. During that game and throughout the series, Holiday was a defensive pest as well. The UCLA product wore down both Dallas Mavericks stars in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
“I don’t know why they thought that matchup was close,” said Scalabrine.
“I didn’t see it that way. I think Minnesota would’ve been a good matchup. I think Denver would’ve been a good matchup. It’s just really hard when you have six guys that can guard the isolation, for them to play isolation basketball. So I was really never ever worried about that matchup. But I guess nine out of the 13 people at ESPN were. They picked Dallas to win that. Everyone doesn’t watch the Celtics like I do.”
Lastly, Scalabrine, a member of the 2008 Celtics Championship team that included the big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen weighed on a topic that was buzzworthy through and through back in June: Coaching.
Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell, a teammate of Scalabrine’s during that ‘08 run, has had extensive experience as an NBA Champion as both a player and as an assistant coach.
But, Cassell has yet to get any serious consideration to become a head coach.
Why?
“It’s only 30 jobs available,” said Scalabrine.
“I don’t know why. But he’s shown how successful he’s been throughout all these years. I mean he’s been a part of winning teams. He coaches superstar players, he took players from this level and brought them up. He took Tyrese Maxey under his wing, Jayson Tatum under his wing. All these guys he helped out? If I was an NBA team, I would hire Sam in a second.”
