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Media Day for the Boston Celtics 2026-27 NBA regular season campaign has come and gone, with the players on regular and two way contracts having spoken to the assembled masses of local and national media in attendance to the annual bookend to the league's offseason. And while this Celtics Media Day proceedings had the stereotypical positivity about the season ahead and what members of the team did with their break from play, there were plenty of interesting nuggets to help us glean what we can expect in the season ahead. New additions to the team like Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Mike Conley, Chris Cenac Jr., and Dillon Mitchell said all the right things while the team's rising tide of wing players like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh displayed the sort of camaraderie one wants to see from a cadre of prospective rotation players ahead of a key season in their development. Celtics president Brad Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla threaded the needle with forward-looking takes on what this team could be, but what did we actually learn from this year's Media Day? To answer that question as well as a quick look back at what little news there was for Boston fans last week, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down to dive deep into everything we learned at this year's big event. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Media day for the Boston Celtics and much of the rest of the NBA is nearly upon us. And with that milestone will come the endless cavalcade of positivity, boilerplate claims of progress, and general hot air meant to hype up fans with exaggerated positivity for the season ahead. And while that time-honored trend may serve an important purpose in terms of fan engagement, it can also contribute to unrealistic expectations. To that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with the Ringer's Howard Beck to pour some cold water on the Eastern Conference ball clubs, specifically by playing out all of the reasons each East squad (including Boston) may finish the 2026-27 NBA regular season lower than the fourth seed. Join us as we make the case why every team in the conference may end their coming campaign without homecourt advantage, as well as touching base on the trickle of offseason news still reaching our eyes and ears a week away from Media Day. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What did we learn from the Boston Celtics introductory press conference for Paul George and Mike Conley? The Celtics introduced the pair of veterans to the media and their fans in a presser this past Tuesday (Sep. 15) afternoon, the duo opening up about a number of aspects of their joining the Celtics this summer. From frank admissions on how they saw the trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers by team President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens to how they see Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla approaching his job as former outsiders, and their respective health, goals, and motivation, Conley an George joined Stevens and Mazzulla in a wide-ranging interview. To see what we can glean from what went unsaid or understated (as well as what we now know because of what they did share), the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" put their heads together with Hardwood Houdini Celtics beat writer Bobby Krivitsky. We also get up to speed on a smidgen of late-offseason Celtics and NBA news, so be sure to tune in to this episode. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2026-27 NBA regular season is nearly here, with the Boston Celtics set to introduce Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and Mike Conley this week, with training camp and preseason set to kick off soon after. And with this clarity comes the ability to assess our expectations for each of the 14 players on full contracts as well as the prospects who are on or likely to be on two way deals. To such an end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" put their heads together with "Celtics Chronicle" founder Adam Taylor to break down what we think are reasonable expectations for each player who will don the green and white next season. We also address their ceiling and floors in the coming campaign, as well as getting caught up on some fairly substantial Celtics news making the rounds. Be sure to tune into this week's episode of the show, if for nothing else than to hear which legendary fighter Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla might be able to glean more tactical advantages for the Celtics from. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Los Angeles Clippers/ Kawhi Leonard scandal has dominated the NBA news cycle this week, and for good reason given the potential implications of the cap circumvention allegations the league levied one of the most aggressive penalties ever seen in modern sport. And the Boston Celtics are among the ball clubs in the NBA who may be most impacted by the Clippers scandal. From the 2028 first round draft pick that the Celtics control off the court, to how the landscape of the Eastern Conference standings may shift as a result of Leonard likely being dealt to the Toronto Raptors, there is no shortage of ways this news may change Boston's future in the Association. So to that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with "Third Apron" NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan to take a magnifying glass to all the ways this debacle could shape the Celtics moving forward. We also get into the trickle of news still bubbling up, from the chatter surrounding seasons ahead and in the past from Boston alumni to former players hanging it up to make the leap to the other side of the clipboard and more. So be sure to tune in! Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For better or worse, the NBA is now a league dominated by billionaires. Whether we're talking the new wave of private equity ownership groups led by the likes of Bill Chisholm and company with regard to the Boston Celtics, investment banking billionaires like outgoing Los Angeles Lakers owner Mark Walter, or tech giant billionaires like Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. And as for the 'worse' side of the better-or-worse continuum of NBA billionaire proliferation, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with HoopsHype's Cyro Asseo to talk through how Ballmer's Clippers scandal may impact the Celtics – and how the dynamics of the league are changing due to this shift in team ownership. We also get caught up on the rest of the news this deep into the dog days of summer, from FIBA play and uniform colorways to Jaylen Brown's goodbye party to Boston fans. Check it out! Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have almost made it to the month of September, that magical moment of the league calendar when rosters are (mostly) set, and training camp and preseason begin as ball clubs around the NBA metamorphosize into their final forms for the campaign ahead. And with that clarity (and paucity of news), we have the perfect moment to take a deep dive into the big Boston Celtics questions for the season ahead. Are they contenders? Will they have home court advantage heading into the playoffs? Who will start for the team, and who is in line for some serious full-season hardware? To get a handle on all of the above and more (as well as what little news there is to talk about), the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Forbes and Hardwood Houdini Celtics beat writer Bobby Krivitsky. Check it out! Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deep in the depths of the August doldrums of the NBA, there are few things for fans of the Boston Celtics to sink their teeth into when it comes to their favorite team. But with the full 206-27 NBA regular season schedule having been released earlier this month, we can finally take a finer-grained look at what we can expect from the Celtics. So to that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with Celtics Blog contributor Gio Rivera to take a magnifying glass to Boston's 2026-27 campaign on a week-by-week level. We dove into the road trips and home stands, the (many!) back-to-backs, the rough patches in November and March, the measuring stick games, and more in our analysis, and compared our snap assessment in how many wins we think the Celtics will have at the end of the season vs. how many we came up with as a collective. We also get caught up on the tumbleweed's worth of news blowing lazily in the wind of the content desert that is the month of August, so make sure you tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A light at the end of the tunnel that is the August doldrums of the 2026 NBA offseason has emerged from the league offices to illuminate the Boston Celtics season ahead. We now know when the season starts for Boston, and which teams they will play for that contest, om Christmas and Martin Luther King Days, in the 2026 NBA Cup, and all but two contests of Boston's 82-game regular season schedule. To that end, on the most recent episode of "Havlicek Stole the Pod", cohosts Daniel Donabedian and Justin Quinn took their first deep dive into the NBA's 2026-27 regular season slate of games to get an idea of what the contours of the campaign will look like for fans of the Celtics. We track the back-to-backs, the marquee contests, and the ebb and flow of difficulty in the season ahead, as well as highlighting the games we want to see in particular. So tune in to get up to speed on the Celtics' '26-27 schedule release, as well as the trickle of NBA news still percolating up to the surface. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deep in the depths of the NBA's annual August doldrums, that part of the league calendar most bereft of basketball and basketball-adjacent goings on, one small light flickers for the most ardent fans of the sport. That would be the schedule release for the season to come, and with the Boston Celtics on the cusp of a new era after the trade of star forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, this schedule release may end up being even spicier than usual. Boston, of course, has a long history of playing on some of the Association's most important dates, from Opening Night to Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Day as the winningest ball club in NBA history. And to get ahead of what might be coming down the pike for the Celtics this season in terms of marquee contests, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" caught up with "How Bout Them Celtics!" cohost Sam LaFrance to break down what we hope to see on the league's 2026-27 regular season schedule. We also cover the news still making the rounds so late in the offseason, from the passing of Celtics icon Don Nelson to how recent rumbles about Kawhi Leonard could impact Boston's draft assets, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Now that the month of August has rolled around, and the NBA doldrums with them, most of the league's business for the 2026 offseason has been done. And with that relative certainty that comes with each of the rosters for the Association's Eastern Conference, we can start to project how all 15 ball clubs will fare in the 2026-27 regular season, and the 2027 NBA Playoffs beyond it. And to that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Third Apron cohost and CBS Sports analyst Sam Quinn to suss out how the NBA's East may pan out when the dust has settled on whichever team ends up hanging a banner this summer. We also touch on where Boston will fall in that milieu, as well as all of the Celtics news still finding its way into print at the slowest stretch of the NBA calendar. Check it out! Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Across the NBA, all but a handful of impact players have signed with or been traded to the teams they will play with for the 2026-27 regular season. And with that development, we can start to take stock of how the league might look at the start of the 2027 NBA Playoffs -- and even which teams might emerge from each conference to contend for a title. To that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took some time to talk with the host of the "NBA" podcast, Yahoo Sports analyst Morten Stig Jensen to project how the NBA's Western Conference will pan out from a Celtics perspective. And while there may not be a ton of Boston-centric things going on out West, from who might represent the conference in the finals to how the ongoing Kawhi Leonard situation pans out, getting a bead on how the West may play out is the first step toward understanding how Boston's season may go as well. Join us for a deep dive into how the West may be won – and how it affects the rest of the league. We also get caught up on the trickle of news that is still percolating up at this late hour of the offseason. Check it out! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Las Vegas Summer League is firmly behind the Sin City Celtics, their identity now starting to morph toward being the Boston Celtics ball club we will see on the court for the NBA's 2026-27 regular season. Training camp and preseason are still there for the deeper rotation players to earn themselves a role, and the Celtics incoming class of rookies and undrafted players will also be fighting to assure their place with the team as well. Rookies Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell stand out in particular as potential deep rotation options who could conceivably see the floor with Boston this coming campaign. But they have some serious competition ahead of them and some limitations to their play to go with some surprising developments that were on display in summer league. What can we expect from the Celtics incoming rookies next season, and beyond? To that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" caught up with Bryce Simon of Motor City Hoops and the "Game Theory" podcast to project what we expect from Mitchell and Cenac in the season to come as well as their ceilings and floors. They also touch on some of the other hidden gems of the Sin City Celtics, and get caught up on what little news there is to dig into. Check it out! Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What have we learned from the Sin City Celtics at Las Vegas Summer League? The Boston Celtics are nearly done with their slate of exhibition tilts in the great state of Nevada, having gone 3-1 in Las Vegas so far this summer with one more game left to play. Over the course of those four contests, we have learned some things about Boston's younger players, the incoming rookie class, as well as what other players might be worth trying to keep in the Celtics' developmental system. What do we think of Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams heading into their second season? Will we see any play from Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell with Boston next season? Will any of John Tonje, Tucker DeVries, or Milos Uzan end up on a two way deal with Boston? And are their any other undrafted, unsigned diamonds in the rough on the Summer Celtics roster? The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with Forbes and Hardwood Houdini's Bobby Krivitsky direct from Sin City to talk all things Celtics and Las Vegas Summer League, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What are the long-term implications of the Boston Celtics trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers? By now, most fans of the team have an answer for why they elected to move on from the 2024 NBA FInals MVP. But what it will mean for the team in future seasons when it comes to contending for NBA titles? For that matter, what can we expect to see from Brown with the Sixers in the long term -- and the Eastern Conference while we are at it? Are fans of other NBA teams in for a rude awaking when it comes to hanging onto their favorite players? Are we going to see major changes in how people are fans in this league moving forward? While the dust on the tectonic shift of a trade has mostly settled, it's implications are only just starting to come into focus. To get a better idea of how this all might play out, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Bleacher Report's Bryan Toporek to talk about all of the above. We also get caught up on what little news is still making the rounds this deep into the 2026 NBA offseason. Check it out below!           Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.