Kristaps Porzingis getting closer & how Boston Celtics defend Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving 

Yay for Bonus podcasts! This is the only basketball media I can stand right now. The haters are out in full force and Thursdays first punch can’t come soon enough. Thanks, John. ☘️☘️

Mavs fans here lol! Love the Locked on Franchise! Good job keep it up! Well see u guys in the Finals! Great series is coming!

Mid day Saturday bonus Locked on Celtics hell yeah. Go Celtics we’re winning it all ☘️🏆☘️

BONUS POD! 🤜🏼🤛🏼 Appreciate it John! ☘️🔥

In Luka’s last 4 games vs the Celtics he’s averaged 33.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 9.0 app…. He is 0-4 vs Boston during that stretch.

This is the kind of down-to-earth analysis that I hope Joe Mazzulla can figure out and pass to the team. Great job as always, John. Cheers from Portugal. 🇵🇹

John we cannot thank you enough! Thanks for the extra podcast! Got me through the rest of my workout❤

Mavs fan here. I loves Thea videos of the game plan. Helps to keep an eye on specific strategies. Thanks for the insight!

Thanks for the bonus Podcast and KP update. Your the best 👍

WHY IS NO ONE ASKING THE REAL QUESTION?? HOW IS DALLAS GOING TO GUARD BOSTON!!! Are they going to let horford and porzingis shoot? Are they going to let white and holiday score all over them? How will they guard 5 perimeter players when they dont allow their big on the perimeter? Those are the real questions!

We love and appreciate you Big John!💚

Mavs fan here. Your plan is solid. Maybe you’ll be the first team we’ve seen to actually implement this strategy, which with your talented started 5 might work. The one flaw is Luka is masterful at drawing fouls and fooling defenders. I actually think your problem may be on the other end of the floor. Dallas’ D has been so so good. A cohesive unit that has frustrated stars and offensive firepower in the West. If those 3s don’t moderately fall, I’d worry about the offense grinding to a halt. Enjoy the show!

I luv the mindset of this squad all season long with a consistent mindset which leads to consistent results. Like Joe said it’s no difference between the reg seas and the playoffs people only realize u hve to be locked in to play these gmes and bos has been tht all seas long🍀🏀💪

Mavs fan here - great episode, John. I think you hit on a lot of really good ideas that are more or less the highlights of the best defensive elements we saw from the clippers and the thunder. I think you’re right that the goal with Luka is to play him straight up and limit passing, and attack Kyrie with size. But, I think asking Holiday to fused Luka as the primary is a mistake. No one his size has successfully defended Luka consistently, and the result will most likely be a 2v1 on a Luka drive to the basket (where Luka likely will carry his body into the body of the defender in the restricted area and DHO to the big for a layup). He matchup hunted a much better rim defender in gobert than anything Boston has because he consistently put his smaller defender in jail. It will need to be a team effort between Brown and Tatum. I expect the Mavs to attack the basket as much as possible, since center depth and rebounding is the weakness of this defense relative to their perimeter defending. They will matchup hunt KP, don’t think there’s any chance they go elsewhere. Dallas’ best path to winning is what they did in game 1 against MN (albeit with their typical 3P shooting vs 24%)- offset 3P disadvantage by dominating offensive glass and 2nd chance points. I expect the Mavs to sell out against the corner 3 and paint points on defense, and give up above the break 3s to KP/Horford and mid range 2s to Tatum/Brown. You will probably see PJ guarding KP/Horford for any 5 out formations. SGA’s series against Dallas is the mold to success for Tatum/Brown (easier said than done). I think making Luka work on defense will be easier said than done (though obviously you’re right to try, it was baffling MN failed so much at this)-his job in this defense is to funnel his player to whoever is nearest or PJ or DJJ and switch if it is a star player. When supporting players have tried to go 1:1 this post season against him the numbers have actually been terrible for them (statistically, opponents are performing worse when guarded by him than by Tatum this post season because he’s been winning the matchups against the lesser scorers). Itztok Franko has some excellent short bits of analysis of Mavs offense on X if anyone wants to get into the details of it to see why some of these ideas need some refining.

I want them to really test that Mavs backcourt. Let's see if Luka and Kyrie can guard anyone on the Celtics. And put Tatum on Luka down the stretch please. Celtics in 5 (max). LFG🍀

6:31 HOLY SHIT MILL CITY MENTIONED. Was literally born and raised there I love hearing my cities name since outside of Boston nobody knows we exist 💀

Locked On Celtics- Game 1 of the 2023-2024 NBA Finals is tonight. I hope the Boston Celtics are ready for it--especially since Game 1 is in "Bean-Town". This is just the video to watch in order to help me get hyped up for it & stay focused, too...

Wohoo bonus episode! Thanks for that John!

AYOooo! Thanks for the bonus pod, dude! ❤🔒☘🏀

Locked On Celtics- I came to the realization of something in the 2023-2024 NBA Finals, tonight. When all is said & done, we're gonna either have a former Boston Celtics player in Kyrie Irving helping take the NBA championship to the Dallas Mavericks, or, a former Dallas Mavericks player in Kristaps Porziņģis helping take the NBA championship to "Bean-Town". It's gonna be a wild ride & it all kicks off at TD Garden/"New Boston Garden"/whatever you want to call it, tonight in Game 1.

Thanks John for the bonus podcast. Much appreciated!

No matter how we all think this will go down, we will just have to wait and see. Boston is a great team. Go, Mavs!

If Luka is backing his way down and getting to his spots on every possession, staying home and limiting the others doesn't matter. HES SCORING ON EVERY POSESSION while the alternative could be proving weaker shooters to beat you. Minnesota played the most conservative defense and I don't think it's a coincidence that Luka had his best series.

As a Mavs family I was excited when Dallas Maverick picked the unicorn i still have his jersey it just it didn't work out.

The finals schedule is a plus for Kristops. Two days in-between games, which will allow for more rest and recovery.

Dallas on the Road oooh man .. Luka loves it . Make sure to piss him off.. then watch a greatshow

Luka used to take defensive possessions off because he needed rest, but now with Kai he takes the occasional offensive play off instead.

White was able to stop Kyrie and even turn him over in the regular season. I'm confident he'll be locked in for that assignment. We're going to be fine Celtics in 6

Awesome podcast John you are always so informational and love how you break down the Celtics ☘️ strategies on the offense and defense end. Hopefully Celtics can win this ☘️☘️☘️

I have this feeling that the C’s are laser focused. I think Tatum opens up eyes this series. I think it’s gonna be a sweep. Am I crazy to feel that way?

Great pod John if KP is ready for game 1 i would have him come off bench in short stints 5 mins here and there. With the long lay off hopefully Sam will find his groove again really need him to hit his open 3's. C's in 6 but could go less if they defend really well which i feel will be the difference. Defense definitely wins this🏆. ☘️☘️☘️☘️💪💪

Kyrie and Luka may be better but the Celtics just want it more. They have all the pressure for banner 18. Celtics in 6.

-Dereck Lively was 14-14 in 4 games! And we got 38 yr old BULL DOG That’s gonna bite a chunk outta that lil puppy’s ass! 🐶 Bet on it 💯☘️

Mavs in 5! Raccoon squad!

GO MAVS

As a celtics fan ive learned the talking doesnt do you shit. Let the games play out and see where it goes from there. Long story short, the best team will win. Lets see who leaves it all on the floor. Kyrie been there and done that ( won a chip with Bron) veltics been there and done that (lost a chip against Golden State) what did they learn? Interesting series

John bringing the heat in a non content-rich environment! Celts in 6. LFG!!

How does Boston recover if the Mavs dominate game 1 at the Garden?

Thanks for the knowledge

Let the Mavs fans talk. They don't get these moments much. Boston in six.

I love how every team thinks they can play Luka 1 on 1, and expect not to have to double. Lolz Guy acts like no one has tried to rush Kyrie

I’m not sure when Luka became anointed but I still do not think he is THAT guy. Jokic is better, Giannis is better, and Tatum is better. Luka will pass but only so much. He will become inefficient all on his own just to get his shots in. I think we should push him to that point faster. Kyrie’s game is matured. He does not get the assists but much like JB, he is passing the ball. It’s just that the person that receives it either misses or passes themselves. I would be surprised if we ever see a game where Luka has more assists than points and I am saying that if we gave him the easy pass every single time he will still insist on getting his own points no matter what. Jokic would throw the pass every time.

The last time Boston beat Dallas Luka changed his shoes and took off the head😂😂 there ya go Luka that ought to show em you mean business.

Celtics fans talking about how we defend your stretch 5, but how are you going to counter our interior presence? Easy buckets with lobs and alleys and dominating the boards with 2nd 3rd chance opportunities.

Celtics in 6!!

Man John idk.. Brissett plays so hard and is all energy and crashed the glass I wouldn’t mind that for 5-7min occasionally

3pt shooting gonna be super important in this series for the C's.

LETS GO MAVS!!! 🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵🐴🔵

Go celtics

GOOOOOOD Take

Celtics in 6

It's not only Mavs fans, John. It's like the whole NBA fanbase, especially Laker fans. It's always the same narrative. Who's gonna stop LuKai? What I don't hear is the flipside of that argument: who's gonna stop the Jays? Hope you can do a podcast on how the C's can attack the Mavs defense.

Celtics traded for Prozingis and Jrue and the Mavs traded for Gafford and PJ Washington enough said.

If the Mavs were going to leave a man open, who would they choose? They are going to try and have their big roaming around so he can help on drives.

Boston in 6☘️

Another bonus podcast, no days off?

KP and Big Al should outplay Lively and Gardford in order to beat the Mavs

John I like your ideas a lot

Let's go Celtics!! C's in 6

This is Celtics to loose… however the Js have to play consistently and close games and have the killer instinct….. if The KP is back that’s huge but he won’t be able to play in full thrust anyhow…. Rim protection is important

Move out the way, Joe Mazzula! This guy is taking over 😆😂😆😂

This strategy makes sense. Luka isn’t in the best shape. Go Celtics!! ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️

Holiday is too small. It's too much of a weight difference, but Boston switches so often it may not matter.

Go Mavs!🐴

Guard Luka 1 on 1 but also hold him and and Ky to 50? Good luck holding Luka by himself to 50 if that’s the game plan. I just don’t see how getting Luka to pass the ball to less efficient scorers is a bad thing? Also… go at Luka on defense? Genius!!!! Why didn’t anyone else think of that!? Go at their “worst defender” who is also their best player. Riveting stuff there. That whole rant was absolutely adorable… a pod caster coming up with a game plan 🤗. Bless your heart. mavs in 5

If you double Kyrie and single cover Luka you’re in for a loooong day!

Some of y’all Celtics fans are hilarious. KP has played in 3 playoff series in his career and he’s been terrible or gotten hurt in all of them. He’s super talented and I hope he can stay healthy and have a good series, but acting like that’s a sure thing is delusional. Dereck Lively has literally already had a more successful playoff career than KP going into this series.

Without Porzingas Celtics in 7. With him C’s in 5! ☘️

would you start KP or stick with Al. horfords had enough rest since the pacers series, he should be good for 30-35 minutes and then kind of limit KP off the bench. the recent starting 5 has built chemistry for around 10 games now

What hurts more? When Luka hits a 3 from Lucky or Kyrie stomping on him?

Porzingis wont last this series. Too much physicality. Seen it too many times with him. Hes soft like charmin.

Lets GO Mavs! Mavs in 6!

I actually think we sweep them, we'll have close games but we'll figure it our late

Hi John

Mavs in 4 💙🩵

Celts have this provided no injuries

You are not stopping Luka and Kyrie the only chance you have is not to double any of them and for your fans to play nice with Kyrie and not insult him, also for players to be real nice and friendly with the Mavs too and than you maybe have a chance

Luka has a new son....his name is Jason Tatum...LET IT RIDE!!!!!!! #LUKAFINALSMVP #KYRIESTOMPSBOSTON #raccoonsquad

Atlanta tried that strategy, not doubling Luka....

Kyrie mr 4th quarter sir, must not be watching. Luka mr 1st quarter 😉 can’t wait for the Boston Russell’s to test this man.

They gotta win this so john can get on that duck boat!

26:30 Dallas is 12-1 when they score over 100. Yikes…

☘️☘️☘️👊

that opening monolauge was a mistake

Did I see that porzingis hasn’t played 7 games in a row all season??

Go, Mavs! Great games are coming!!

“Van A Ganar!” RA⚡️NA #18banner☘️✊🏾 🧨🇩🇴🔥

LETS GO MAVS BABY!

GO MAVS!

mavs fan here, gonna be a tough series against you guys! love the storylines going into this one

🦝🦝🦝🦝🦝

As good as jt and jb are they aint no Luka or Kyrie

Yall sleeping on kyrie, we’re going to out rebound Boston leading to more possessions, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we pulled out some sort of zone defense at some point. Yall better makes those 3’s at a high clip the whole series, if not it’s lights out. Also if yall only go 7 deep and only one of those subs is a guard, how are yall gonna chase us around for 48 mins game after game for potentially 7 games and be effective with a 32/33 year old Drew and Derrick white, it’s gonna make Tatum or brown have to take the load and it’s gonna tire them out and we haven’t got to kyrie yet.

Why should I worry about the number of Mavs fans comments because if I also comment and kind of even out the comments, it doesn't affect anything in the real world.So why should I be concerned about it?

No one over here is saying revenge game. It's just yall getting worked up. And it's not like I didn't hear the big radio station call him anti Semitic this week.

Banner 18 now or never.

Tell this plan to Joe please 🙏

Let's Go Mavs!

The magic tried that and he put up 73

Let s goo Mavss!!!