Stephen A.

Europe here first.

Do you think the Nets should be concerned about the Boston Celtics?

I don't think so.

Um, listen, I respect the hell out of Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown.

I think there's two stars in this league.

My problem is I don't like their depth.

I really, really don't on because of that, you know?

Listen, you gotta get Kemba Walker healthy.

We understand that because I think they're a different team when he's lighting it up.

Combined with those two on the court, I think that makes them and that makes them incredibly formidable.

But I I'm getting the sense that Boston had their window and I'm getting the sense that Danny Ainge should have been willing to pull the trigger on a couple of deals, that he was a bit reluctant to do so.

So he made a commitment toe, have a sustained level off success from the standpoint of being comfortable being successful enough to compete, as opposed to really, really going for it the way that he did in 2000 and eight, when he ultimately acquired K D.

On D and Ray Allen.

I just look at things differently.

I look in Boston a little bit differently right now.

I know they're to be respected.

I know you can't sleep on them.

They're going to the playoffs.

But in terms off, Brooklyn, needing toe, worry about them.

If I'm the Brooklyn Nets, I would be more worried about Philly in Milwaukee than I would be about Boston at this particular moment in time.

On def.

I'm k D.

I'm not worried about anybody, because if K D is healthy, he is simply unstoppable.

And Kyrie is box office.

He's a showstopper.

You walk through the turnstiles to see the show that Kyrie might put on because he's just got that kind of game.

I think the Celtics are something to be concerned about, primarily because of the ascension of Jalen Brown when we were looking at Jalen Brown like Look, Tatum could one day be this is going back a couple of years, the number one offensive option on a championship caliber team and Jalen Brown could be a really nice two way player.

Then I would agree with you.

You lost Gordon Hayward.

Kemba is hurt right now, and that doesn't sound like enough.

But if jail, if the difference between the value of Jalen Brown and Tatum is actually extremely narrow, in other words, Jalen Browns basically is good as Tatum, almost as good as Tatum, which is what it looked like to me.

He's a really two way star, is a wing right now.

If he's taking that next step, Celtics are a problem.

There a problem?

Because I understand what you mean about like depth without Kemba and Hayward gone.

But you look at their rotation at least one through seven.

They play it A.

They have very, very high quality players like Marcus Smart, anti IgE.

When Kemba comes back, that's three guys who can really play that position.

Or at least playing your backcourt.

Jalen Brown could be a two or a three, but you look at your wings dominant wings like Brown and Tatum.

And then they bring interest in Thompson to go with Thais who's a Tysons and above average player at the four or five especially, but he's a little undersized now.

You have Tristan Thompson, too, and you include on, you know, on top of that The fact is they're well coached and experienced in the playoffs.

I think you got to be concerned about the Celtics.

Well, listen, I'm not trying to sleep on J.

Jalen Brown because I consider him a stud and Jason Tatum.

I can't say enough about him, but we've seen those two producer.

We know what kind of noise that they could make, but we also see them get gassed out because you're looking for somebody else to step up and it just ain't there.

Marcus Smart this step up in the playoffs.

He had a lot of good playoff games.

He deserves a lot of credit for that.

But in the end, what it comes down to is that you just You just get the sense like there's another piece that's needed in order for them to get over the hump when we look at the Brooklyn Nets.

Yes, we talk about K D and we talk about Kyrie.

But we're also talking about Caris Levert now who could come off the bench for you?

An average 20 well at the snap of a finger because he's just got that kind of game.

You got Joe Harrison there, you got Spencer Dinwiddie in there.

Okay, Jeff Green, I think is a good acquisition for them.

All right, You got Taurean Prince.

We can't ignore him, okay?

And so you look at all of those things, and then you pick up Landry Chamakh from the Clippers last season and he's there for you now because he can give you some perimeter shooting off the bench.

The Brooklyn Nets a loaded.

And because they're loaded, I think that if you are the Boston Celtics, you can't just look a Tatum and Jalen Brown and say those two alone can do it for you because that's definitely gonna be offset by Kyrie and K d.

It's the other pieces that you have in place, and I don't see it in Boston.

I just don't Well, I mean, look, Kemba Walker might be that Gordon Hayward is not on the team anymore.

And in many ways, that hurts because I think they needed they enjoyed were benefited from his passing in the starting lineup.

The fact that he could score without the ball in transition.

All those things.

And yet it does mean you would think more touches for Jalen Brown.

It does when now Jalen Brown really steps up.

And that again, if you think of him and Tatum differently now, wait.

Tatum could be the number one option on a championship team, maybe, and Jalen Brown just about as good as he is.

Things are a little bit different, and that doesn't even include Kemba Walker.

If, like when Kemba gets back, if he is mostly his old self, that so, How's that for a number three option?

Kemba Walker.

Yeah, I think they got it.

By the way, you brought up Marcus.

Smart.

Smart is smarts.

A big is a money on the line type player.

Money on the line.

He elevates Thea.

Other night when we were watching K D and Kyrie put on the show, we also saw Caris Levert do his thing.

And we were excited about that.

If you go back and you watch Boston last year, Kimber and Jason Tatum, Kimber and Jalen Brown, Jalen and Jason Tatum etcetera, there always seemed to be somebody who sacrificed so the other could get off as opposed to the three really swarming you per se.

And I think that when you look at Boston, that's what's gonna be required in order for them tohave.

The kind of success that we once envisioned that they'd have.

It's not about somebody taking a step back so the other can get get step forward.

It's about all three of them needing to do so.

A formidable three When I look at K D.

Kyrie and Caris Levert, I don't see Caris Levert taking anything away from one of the other two.

I don't see one of the other two taking anything away from Caress, and I like that I like.

I like your Caris Levert point because liver sometimes well over dribble.

But he doesn't have to do that.

That's when he's less effective and he's not just a spot up guy.

You know who's gonna catch and shoot.

He can be.

He can get his own shot off the dribble as long as he doesn't over dribble and the presence of Kyrie and K D should help that actually, right, it's probably on his mind.

Don't monopolize the ball.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.