In the modern NBA, offensive production has risen to historic levels, and seems to inch higher by the week. But defensive fundamentals have always been a key part winnign basketball, and few know that better than champion Celtics shooting guard Tony Allen and his Grit N' Grind Memphis Grizzlies teammate Zach Randolph.

With Boston looking like the favorites to come out of the East this postseason and the Griz making a strong case to represent the West, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with the duo to talk all things defense from that era to this one, their own "Out the Mud" podcast that brings together the league of today and their own experiences as players, and their unique perspective that generates.

Don't miss this episode to catch some behind-the-scenes tales from the Celtics and Grizzlies squads of their time, as well as their takes on where the NBA is today -- and where it could be headed.

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Do we need to stop fibbing to ourselves about the Boston Celtics postseason potential given what we know they can do? If you ask Drew Hanlen, star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum's trainer, the man has plenty to say on the subject. So we did! This week, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast, Alex Goldberg, Cameron Tabatabaie, and Justin Quinn, linked up with Hanlen to talk about Boston's season so far, Hanlen's new book, and the trades currently sending shock waves through the NBA among several topics.

We also get caught up on the news and the Celtics' recent play (and whether a few close calls are cause for concern or just midseason boredom), so join us for a pre-trade deadline glimpse into Hanlen's world of late with a Celtics-oriented perspective.

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While the Boston Celtics may not make any major moves at the 2025 NBA trade deadline, but much of the rest of the league's Eastern Conference will be looking to improve their rosters to try to get closer to the level of the Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the top of the conference's standings. Which teams are gunning for major moves? Which ball clubs will look for medium-sized but impactful trades?

And which East clubs will pull the trigger on retooling or rebuilding their rosters? The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast, Alex Goldberg, Cameron Tabatabaie, and Justin Quinn, took a magnifying glass to the lay of the land with regard to the East order ahead of the deadline, which teams need what roles filled, and what moves might shake things up.

Tune in to hear how things might look after the dust from this season's trade deadline settles -- and how it might shift Boston's fortunes, if at all.

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The depths of the NBA's winter doldrums are here, and with that comes rampant trade speculation. And while the Boston Celtics are unlikely to make any major trades given the strength of their roster and the restrictions put on the team by the league's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), it is also widely expected that Boston will make a minor move or two to shave some hurt off their massive 2025 tax bill.

There are also plenty of trade rumors out there that could shift the order of the Eastern Conference and maybe even the entire league, but in this new CBA era, it is harder to pull of deals than ever, meaning much of these rumbles could turn out to be hot air.

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast recently sat down to suss out what might be about to happen with Boston's roster and the rest of the league with regard to trades. Join us in getting our bearings on all the trade intel we've been hearing -- and what among it is worth paying closer attention to. We even try our hands at some fake deals within the confines the Celtics will likely be working in.

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The Boston Celtics have made a name for themselves as a team that is pushing the 3-point shot to ever greater heights under head coach Joe Mazzulla, and having done so helped win them a title in 2024. But now there is hand-wringing over the shot by analysts and fans of the team alike as Boston is currently in a bit of a funk from beyond the arc in recent weeks.

Is the team shooting too many treys? Is such a thing even possible? Could it be that the wrong players are taking the shots? To get an answer to all of the above and some historical context with the team and the long-distance shot, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast joined forces with WEEI's Justin Turpin and SB Nation's Noa Dalzell to talk to former Celtics assistant coach and player Dana Barros for this week's pod.

A pioneer of the shot among Boston's past players, Barros has some interesting opinions on Boston's current slump from deep and plenty of tales to share as well, so this is an episode you do not want to miss.

Celtics Lab is brought to you by Prize Picks and GameTime.

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The results from the first round of the fan vote for the NBA's 2024-25 All-Star Game are in, and while the media and players have yet to vote (along with several more rounds of fan voting, Boston Celtics fans, you know what to do), we can start to get an idea about which players are locks, which are still up in the air, and who is probably not going to make this year's squad.

There are some new wrinkles to how the starters and supporting cast will play, but on the latest episode of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast, we decided to solely focus on the projected field of All-Stars -- and of course which Celtics make the cut.

We also touch on Boston's ugly second-half flop against the Oklahoma City Thunder and some other news round-up, so be sure to join us for this week's pod.

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The Boston Celtics will start their first West Coast swing of the NBA's 2024-25 regular season, with the pinnacle of that trip coming in the first meeting between the other of the two teams widely seen as most likely to meet in the 2025 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trip will test Boston's mettle as they face tougher teams than most of the mostly Eastern Conference foes they have played thus far, just as they have shown some of the first signs of mortality since winning the title.

To get a bead on that matchup and the other West teams Boston will face after their home tilt with the Toronto Raptors this Tuesday night, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down with OKC Thunder Wire editor and Thunder beat writer Clemente Almanza.

The crew also gets caught up on news and even share some New Year's resolutions for themselves, the league, and the teams we cover. Check it out below!

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The Boston Celtics may be on a roll to open the 2024-25 season, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to nitpick. And what better day than Festivus to air some grievances about the Celtics?

In what has become an annual tradition, the folks at CLNS Media's "Celtics Lab" podcast decided to unleash their inner Frank Costanza and speak the truth. And this year that meant bringing on two special guests, Forbes' Bobby Krivitisky and comedian and lifelong Celtics fan Gary Gulman.

After laying into the Celtics just a bit, the rest of the episode was set aside for grievances about the broader NBA and some musings about life, too. A Festivus for the rest of us indeed.

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Fans of the Boston Celtics now find themselves in what is probably the dullest part of the NBA's 2024-25 regular season. At present, the Celtics are on the outside looking in with regard to the 2024-25 NBA Cup knockout round in Las Vegas, with a slate of mostly uninspiring opponents coming at Boston at a fairly relaxed pace in terms of the frequency of games.

With that lethargic pace depressing the league's midseason news schedule a bit, we felt it a good moment to test the waters on Bluesky -- the popular new Twitter/X alternative -- on its ability to deliver a quality mailbag episode. And thanks to a bevy a great questions from our listeners, the site has more than delivered.

We cover everything from potential trade targets, how Boston plays on the court, and how we feel about said NBA Cup to player development concerns, causes of player slumps, and some fun, less-serious inquiries as well. So tune and and hear what we cooked up for answers to this great mailbag episode courtesy of all of your excellent questions.

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The Boston Celtics are the best team in the NBA thanks in large part to their depth, but the league's collective bargaining agreement and age will eventually force changes to the heavy-minutes players on Boston's roster in the next several seasons. Thankfully for the Celtics, they have most of their younger core players under contract beyond this season, and have several promising prospects already on the roster to help offset the inevitable exits Boston's roster will face.

Taking a more granular view, which members of the team's rotation could one day become starters? What deep rotation players might be able to step into a larger role to become second-string options? And which players currently on the team look like their future lies on another roster -- whether in the Association or abroad?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with "How Bout Them Celtics" cohost Jack Simone to talk it all over, leaning on his time covering the Maine Celtics to add some depth to the conversation. We also get caught up on the news while we look back on the busiest (and dullest?) part of Boston's 2024-25 schedule.

Celtics Lab is brought to you by Prize Picks and GameTime.

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