Havlicek Stole the Pod NBA Basketball Podcast

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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The NBA's 2024-25 regular season is officially past the quarter-season mark with Boston having played more than 20 games. And with that sample size in the books, we can finally say we have some idea about what this version of the storied ball club is compared to their peers around the league.

With that in mind for the Celtics' current body of work, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down with Sports Illustrated's Bobby Krivitsky to talk about player grades from the players on the roster who likely deserve an incomplete all the way up to the starters. We grade each player against their preseason expectations, however, rather than against the best of the best in the league for each granular case.

We think we were tough but fair in our assessments, but we'll let you, the listener, be the final arbiter in that regard. And we also get caught up on the news, and there's a little to speak of this week, from Jayson Tatum's Player of the Month nod to who Boston was looking to trade before the start of the season, so be sure to tune in.

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Fans of the Boston Celtics will finally see star Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis make his season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden on Monday (Nov. 25) evening, barring any unexpected setbacks. And with that news will come change for the Celtics -- but in which ways?

For one, Boston's frontcourt rotation will immediately be a more talented and diverse one, allowing for the team to paper over some of their weaknesses in the paint. But it will also change the rotation itself, shortening the playing time for some players, and changing which players get on the court with whom. It may also have less obvious but still important impacts, so the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down with cohost of the "First to the Floor" podcast Ben Vallis to talk it over.

We also get into how the East itself has changed since the start of the season and get caught up on some significant news about the sale of the team and plenty more, so be sure you don't miss this important episode of the pod.

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When it comes to playing NBA basketball at the highest levels, what you can (and can't) see clearly can be the difference between winning it all and going home empty-handed. This perspective is not lost on veteran Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, who recently sat down with the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast to talk all things Celtics, sight, and community.

We get into everything from how the new City Edition jerseys look and how the right fit can do wonders for your self-esteem to the importance of visibility and representation for the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Foundation, and even get in a little talk about how soccer and boxing can make one better at other sports and aspects of life.

Join us for a wide-ranging interview with Holiday made possible by Zenni Optical as we get up to speed on what Holiday is seeing with the Celtics this season, as well as the latest Boston news.

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The annual league event known somewhat generically as the "in-season tournament" has returned for its second-ever iteration, and it has a new name to go with it. Now known as the "NBA Cup," the midseason tourney is starting to pick up some momentum from fans and players alike, yet is still far from being a hands-down hit that is certain to return for many years to come.

What do we like about the NBA Cup? What still needs work? What else could they add to it to make it even better? And with regard to this season's NBA Cup, what do we think of the Celtics being in East Group C with the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Washington Wizards? Will Boston advance to the knockout round in Las Vegas? Could they win it all this year?

To take the pulse of the NBA Cup ahead of the start of the Group Play phase kicking off this week, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast cohost and Celtics Blog analyst Sam LaFrance. Join us as we get down to brass tacks on the event formerly known as the IST, as well as the recent news surrounding Boston and the rest of the league.

The Celtics Lab podcast is powered by Prize Picks and Gametime.

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What is going on with the Milwaukee Bucks to start the 2024-25 NBA regular season (and are they still a threat to Boston)? This was supposed to be the season that star Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and new(ish) arrival Damian Lillard learned to play together, that coach Doc Rivers got the team chemistry in order, and that Khris Middleton got back on the court with two healthy ankles.

But none of those things has happened yet, and after a 1-5 start and comments about trades leaving the mouth of the Greek Freak, the time to push the panic button is closer than ever. Should the Boston Celtics stop worrying about Milwaukee to focus on the rest of the East? Or can this team still be a threat to Boston come the 2025 NBA Playoffs?

To try to get a handle on what's behind the Bucks' rough start and how much fo a threat they might be this and in future seasons, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with Dalton Sell of Behind the Buck Pass and Hoops Habit to talk it over.

They also get into what's been going down elsewhere in the East, the Mexico City Game and NBA Expansion, and get caught up on the news. Check it out!

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

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Not even a full week has passed, and we are already projecting the entire NBA season for the Boston Celtics off entirely too little data. But that has never stopped the league's media from trying to do so in the past, and we have new tools to project how the season might go in NBA 2K's official season projection for the Celtics that the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down with NBA 2K spokesperson Ronnie "2K" Singh to learn more about what might happen in the season ahead.

Ronnie gets us up to speed on what went down in the official sim, and how his unique point of view affects how he sees the league's 2024-25 regular season and beyond may unfold. We also get into the news and results of real games that count to get our first glimpses at what the contours of the season ahead might tell us.

Join us as we beat a sample size entirely too small to tell us much to death, while learning everything we need to know about what the official 2K sim can tell us about what Boston might encounter on a run at Banner 19.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by Prize Picks and Gametime.

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The Boston Celtics elected to take Ring Night to a whole new level, blowing out the new-look New York Knicks 132-109. That it was against the team that was framed as their biggest rival for the 2024-25 NBA regular season made the victory all the more sweet, wrapping up a timeless ring ceremony replete with Celtics champions of past eras there to celebrate the historic moment pre-game.

Most impressive of all was star Boston forward Jayson Tatum, who had himself one of the most efficient nights in league history on his way to putting up 37 points and 10 assists, while the Celtics as a team tied the record for made 3s (29 in total) in the win.

What was worth a second look from the big celebration? What is sustainable from the beatdown victory? And what else should we take from Game 1 of 82 in the new regular season? The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast convened directly from TD Garden to talk it all over, so check it out below.

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