It's good to hear from you, even if you're not writing as much on Medium these days.

I'm starting to give up hope on Ball, even though his 3-point shooting percentage is above league average this season.

The problem is his ability to finish at the rim has regressed to his rookie season, and his free throw shooting still sucks. Without those tools, his ceiling drops down from my hoped-for Jason Kidd level to the Rondo-Rubio range.

The Celtics are pretty much the same team they have been the last three years: great coaching, good defense, limited size, and an overdependence on the 3-point shot. They remind me of the Rockets, except Harden is a better offensive player than anyone on Boston.

If Kemba Walker can play 35 minutes a night and shoot great from deep, they have a shot at upsetting a higher seed in the playoffs, but I don't think their formula is sustainable against 3 straight elite teams.