On the NBA Beat Ep. 184: Jake Fischer Explores the East

On the NBA Beat

Jake Fischer, Yahoo! Sports senior NBA reporter and the author of Built to Lose, makes his fourth appearance to break down the Eastern Conference's biggest storylines as the season approaches. Tune in to hear why he regards the Celtics as favorites, his thoughts on Evan Mobley's next leap, rookies you should keep an eye on, Jake's dark-horse team out East and so much more.

4:16-6:30: “I am pretty bullish on the Bucks. … but I think that Boston is the favorite. I’m not so certain that Milwaukee got so much better as opposed to how much better Boston got by adding Jrue Holiday to what they had. … I just think the Celtics’ top six is way better and stronger, and that’s kinda how I like to look at things, from a playoff standpoint. … The fact that Boston has its same core four basically of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Al Horford, you throw in Kristaps Porzingis and then Jrue Holiday, that’s a pretty strong, switchable, malleable group.”

10:18-10:58: “The Clippers haven’t put Terance Mann in any deal, and the draft capital that they’ve been able to figure out they could potentially send to Philadelphia in addition to the original offer of a first-round pick and a pick swap just hasn’t gotten there to close that gap for the Sixers, so I don’t think it will. The last call I had about this, before we were recording, was like 30 minutes ago, and my impression following that call is that [from] the Sixers’ side of things at least, they don’t seem to think much will change from a negotiation standpoint between now and the start of the regular season. So, if something were to happen, it would definitely be something out of left field.”

12:24-13:01: “Can he be a linchpin on offense? Can he be a legitimate stretch 3-point shooter that makes defenses guard him out to that perimeter and then he’s got opportunities to make plays off the bounce, attacking closeouts? It’s all about Evan Mobley in terms of what they’re ultimate ceiling is, and I think we’ll know within 10 to 15 games. We knew 10, 15 games into last season that Paolo Banchero was gonna be a force driving to the rim and he was gonna be one of the greatest players in the league at getting to the foul line. We’ll know pretty early if Evan Mobley has taken that step or is in position to take that step.

13:53-14:34: “The Knicks could easily be the third seed and host playoff games and what have you. To me, the question marks are going to be there about Julius [Randle] in the postseason until they’re not. … I am struggling to see the next leap from them being a good team to a great team. I don’t know what it will be, but I feel like there is some move that has to be made for them to kind of take that next step.”

15:49-16:19: “Tyrese Haliburton was one of the most impressive players I saw in the FIBA World Cup. I’ve really come to appreciate him as a personality and a mind as much as a basketball player from my conversations with him. … I’m a big fan. I think he can lift that team pretty high, especially if all the other complementary pieces can continue to perform.”

22:24-22:54: “There’s an organization pressure, especially when you’ve got…right now, the Eagles are one of, if not the, leading candidates for the Super Bowl…the Phillies are six wins shy of winning a World Series. That city’s pretty used to winning right now, and if the Sixers come out and they fall flat on their face I think it will be heard rather loudly and clearly.”

*Our Built to Lose book special, Jake's previous appearance