Havlicek Stole the Pod NBA Basketball Podcast

The Boston Celtics dropped the first game of the Jayson Tatum era to the Detroit Pistons 121-113 in an all-too-familiar fourth-quarter collapse after running up a big lead earlier in the game. And while there were certainly plenty of familiar complaints (and some new ones, while we are at it) in the Game 1 of 82 loss, there were also some promising silver linings to be had.

Still, with their next game against the reigning NBA champions in the New York Knicks and a brutal November schedule not too far beyond that, Boston does not exactly have a long runway to get their kinks worked out. What did the loss tell us about this version of the Celtics, and what do we want to see from Boston moving forward?

The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took a deep dive into the Opening Night loss, with an eye to what can be addressed in the short term. Join us as we work that bad taste out of our mouths as we try to find what the Celtics need to be the team we're expecting them to be this 2026-27 NBA regular season.

Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

The future of the Boston Celtics is starting to come into focus as the team gets its sea legs in preseason play and the front office lines up their cap sheet with timely extensions. And the potential of their own and opposing players for some full-season hardware is starting to become clearer as well, with all 30 teams having settled for the most part on which players to hang onto for the season soon to arrive.To talk through what we've seen from the Celtics in preseason play, what we think of Payton Pritchard's new extension, and who we think is in line to get All-Defense and All-Rookie nods, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with WEEI's Justin Turpin for this week's pod.Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about the Celtics preseason, who might be in line for some heady hardware, and whether Fast PP's next paycheck is a fair one.

Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

Exhibitions, extensions, and expansions share more than alliteration in shaping the future of the Boston Celtics. Preseason, of course, is upon us, and we will get our first look at how this iteration of the Celtics look on the court, as well as a glimpse at what we might be able to see with Boston's opponents in the 2026-27 NBA regular season coming from that handful of exhibition tilts.Extensions have plenty to tell us about what the Celtics and the teams they are trying to outmaneuver have planned in terms of roster building, hinting at expectations and potential needs of the medium-term future. And NBA expansion is no longer a distant whisper but an increasingly concrete practice that could very well change the longer-term future of Boston's roster and the foes they take on in future seasons.To dive deep into how these forces are shaping the Celtics, the East, and the NBA beyond it, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with "Third Apron" cohost and CBS Sports senior contributor Sam Quinn to talk us through all of the above and then some. Check it out below!Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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