NBA Notebook: Celtics-Giannis smoke, Blazers layoffs, and new lottery odds

There’s a lot of ‘he said, she said’ going around in the NBA world. Specifically, when it comes to the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. And the Boston Celtics have found themselves right in the middle of it all.

Most of the conversation right now stems from Bill Simmons. On his most recent podcast, he said this: “I think Giannis wants to go to Boston, and I’m not sure Boston wants Giannis. And I think that’s the push-and-pull right now.”

Obviously, that first sentence got aggregated. It was everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of people saw it, retweeted it, shared it, and commented on it.

But as is always the case, the full context is important. Here’s the rest of his conversation with co-host Rob Mahoney:

Mahoney: “What makes you think he wants to go to Boston?”

Simmons: “I just think he does.”

Mahoney: “Aggregate it?”

Simmons: “I don’t care.”

Mahoney: “There’s your social clip. There’s your aggregated blog post. Let’s just run with it.”

Simmons: “I think he wants to stay in the East. And I think a certain guy on the Celtics has the same shooting coach as him. And I think there’s a lot of respect for the organization, and I just think that would be a team he would be interested in. But I also think Miami is another team he would want to go to.”

Maybe Simmons is playing coy. Maybe he really does have sources. But this could also just be Simmons sharing his theory. The point is, take everything with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to the Celtics.

That said, as I’ve said here many times, smoke means fire. And there is plenty of smoke swirling around the air in Boston right now.

Simmons didn’t mention the Miami Heat for no reason. Much like the Celtics, there have been plenty of rumors swirling about Antetokounmpo’s potential interest in Miami for years.

Should Antetokounmpo join either side, they would immediately become a top contender in the East. And it’s no coincidence that the two teams he may be interested in joining are two of the most highly-regarded organizations in the league when it comes to culture.

But the Simmons-Antetokounmpo discourse isn’t the only Celtics discussion being thrown around on social media. Brian Scalabrine also weighed in on Boston’s current positioning, noting that the team could choose to take a patient approach.

He noted that it was a “miracle” the Celtics were able to get under the tax this season, and followed it up with the following statement: 

"I know that if we stay under the tax for one more year, then I know that Brad Stevens, Bill Chisholm, and the Tatum-Brown situation is going to lead at least one, if not two, championships."

Quite the bold statement, especially with the current state of the league.

What would that even look like? What superstar will be available to trade for a year from now, assuming that is the caliber of move Scalabrine is hinting at? And how good will the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs be by then?

Probably still dominant.

There’s no such thing as a guaranteed championship in the NBA. Scalabrine can be as confident as he wants, but the Celtics are in a dangerous spot. Spending one more year getting under the tax while depending on the same Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown two-man combination that has struggled in the last two postseason runs is scary.

Antetokounmpo may be the Celtics’ best chance at substantial improvement while also finding a new way to generate offense in the postseason. But even with that potential idea, there are inherent risks.

What about Antetokounmpo’s injury history? The Celtics would have to be confident that he can stay healthy. What about the rest of the roster? How would they build it out with little trade flexibility (from a contractual perspective)?

All of this is to say that this summer may be the most important Boston has faced in a long, long time.

There are many potential moves on the table. A world of options staring Stevens in the face.

And unfortunately, even if he makes all the right choices, nothing is ever guaranteed.

1. ECF thoughts

The New York Knicks are up 2-0 on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it doesn't look like that lead is going to shift anytime soon.

Jalen Brunson absolutely diced up James Harden in Game 1, and when the Cavs upped their pressure on him in Game 2, he dished out 14 assists. Josh Hart caught fire from deep (5-of-11), and Cleveland had no answer.

There are some rumblings that Donovan Mitchell may be playing hurt, but regardless, he hasn't looked like himself in these playoffs.

Cleveland had Game 1 in the bag, then poof. It all went away in an instant. Now, New York owns all the momentum. 

2. WCF thoughts

A thrilling Game 1 has been cast aside after two straight Oklahoma City Thunder victories. They now own a 2-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs.

Much of the conversation in the series has surrounded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's flopping escapades. My thoughts? Two things can be true.

One. he can be the best player on the planet because of his innate shot-making abilities, clutch gene, and unstoppable offensive prowess.

Two, he can be a terrible watch.

It's not fun to