Havlicek Stole the Pod NBA Basketball Podcast

The Boston Celtics have all but locked up the top spot in the league, as well as home court in the East heading into the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Everything seems to be aligning for Boston to make a deep postseason run fans hope ends in a title.

At least, save one. It seems the path back to the finals might have just gotten considerably tougher for the Celtics with word that Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is set to return to the court. The perennial MVP candidate will have to play his way into shape as the regular season winds down, but at least as things stands at the time of writing, the Sixers are the leading candidates to face Boston in the first round.

To find out where Embiid and Co. are in terms of health and play, the hosts of the "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down with Sixers Wire editor Ky Carlin to talk all things Philadelphia - Boston.

We also touch on the other likely candidates and get caught up on what little news is still percolating up in the final weeks of the 2024 stretch run.

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

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Fans of the Boston Celtics (and, truthfully, the entire league) can't watch their favorite team without a gambling segment, an ad about betting, or an opportunity to gamble. And when the game ends, more and more of the players playing it are jumping on their podcasts to talk about it.

With the lines between multiple, entangled businesses that make up the NBA ecosphere blurring more with every passing day, what are the benefits -- and more importantly, the risks -- of these phenomenons? Is the ubiquity of sports gambling here to stay? Can we expect the same objectivity from NBA players acting as new media as we can from the old? And what potential concerns might be coming down the pike that we have yet to even think of?

To talk about the blurred lines of today's NBA landscape (and a bit about the Celtics), the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with Sopan Deb of the New York Times.

We get into everything from LeBron James' new podcast with JJ Redick to how these blurred lines both fuel and threaten the NBA's bright future. So, tune in for a headier look at the league while we slog through the rest of the stretch run.

The Celtics Lab podcast is sponsored by Prize Picks.

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March Madness is officially here, and fans of the Boston Celtics tend to start paying attention to the college game around now if they have not been the whole time with their favorite NCAA squad. Potential Celtics draft prospects can be scouted by the casual college basketball fan and pros both, and old rivalries transcend NBA allegiances for a bit of extra sauce at the next level.

Speaking of the stretch run, Boston is in the thick of it, with health and rest as important as seeding usually is for Boston, having all but sewn up the league's best record. What can we expect from the Celtics' coming tilt with the Milwaukee Bucks, and are there any trap games on their looming six-game road trip?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast took a magnifying glass to which prospects we ought to keep an eye on as potential Boston draft picks, waxed nostalgic about Celtics players in tourneys past, and got you up to speed with the news.

Apologies in advance for one of the mics being murky; our enthusiasm for our tech concerns was premature.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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

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The Boston Celtics are firmly within the thick of the NBA's 2024 stretch run as they try to wrap up loose ends on the court and nagging injuries while also getting into postseason form. That is not exactly the easiest of needles to thread, but they have a favorable schedule and the right personnel to pull it off, particularly given the lead they have over the rest of the East.

But what exactly is that schedule ahead of them? And when can they rest players, and what concerns remain to be addressed between now and the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs? The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with WEEI's Justin Turpin to talk over what they want to see from the Celtics in the rest of the stretch run on a recent episode.

From addressing late-game execution issues to getting everyone rest who needs it, they cover the gamut of issues in front of Boston before the playoffs. The crew also gets caught up on the trickle of Celtics news making the rounds as well.

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

If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Boston Celtics have been playing like a ball club full of All-NBA players, even if they will likely only have two -- and it has not shown more this season than in their 140-88 demolition of the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon.

Exorcising the demons lingering from their 2022 NBA Finals loss to the Warriors in a big way, now the question in front of Boston as they dive into the stretch run is how long their league-leading win streak will end with the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. 

And while we're talking about All-NBA, where are those presumed Celtics All-NBA players likely to fall among their elite peers in the league, and who else might join Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on which All-NBA teams?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down to tease out who they think will make which teams, and where Boston's players stand among them on their most recent episode. We also get caught up on the news and look back and the Celtics' week of excellent play.

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

If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the "Celtics Lab" podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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The NBA's 2024 trade deadline and All-Star Break are behind the Boston Celtics, and the stretch run to the 2024 playoffs ahead of them. With the best record in the league and a massive lead over the next-closest team in the Eastern Conference and among the easiest schedules left in the Association, what questions are left to answer for the Celtics in the regular season?

What full-season hardware is on the table for Boston players, coaches, and execs? What will the team's final record look like? When will they start resting players? What should they do with their last open roster spot? Is there a bench player who can still earn a spot in the postseason rotation?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with Jake Issenberg, cohost of the "First to the Floor" podcast, to talk all these issues over and more.

We even get into how trench warfare is the new midrange offense, but you'll have to tune in to find out what that has to do (if anything) with Celtics basketball.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA's All-Star Week has passed, and with it, attention now turns to the stretch run and whatever races for season-long hardware that is not already sewn up. This season, that includes the 2024 Most Valuable Player award. It feels like star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is making a late push to get in the running, but how exactly does the MVP voter think about such late risers for the award?

To get an idea about the politics and other invisible elements of MVP voting, the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with the mind behind ESPN's annual MVP straw poll, Tim Bontemps.

Join us as C Lab cohost Cameron Tabatabaie gets into the nitty-gritty of the 2024 MVP race and how voters tend to approach the award race with Bontemps in a special bonus audio-only episode of "Celtics Lab".

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

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The NBA's 2024 All-Star Game has come and gone, and with it the successes of the Boston Celtics who participated. The week of All-Star festivities saw some significant changes, but perhaps none more so than the actual All-Star Game itself.

Gone were the target score endings and charities for each quarter of the event, along with the East vs. West dissolving playground-style team choosing. The ostensible goal -- stronger player efforts on both ends of the court -- was decidedly not reached with a record-breaking offensive output. But it wasn't all bad -- what were the good, bad, and irretrievably broken aspects of the week-long event?

To talk through the state of All-Star Week, how the Celtics did in it, what needs to change and what was done right, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with Thunder Wire editor Clemente Almanza.

We also touch on the post-deadline order of the West, where OKC sits in it and who will come out of it in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, so buckle up for a bumpy ride into what All-Star was and can be.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

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The NBA's 2024 trade deadline has come and gone, and with it the ability to make trades to improve the Boston Celtics' roster. But Boston picked up Xavier Tillman, Sr. and Jaden Springer ahead of the deadline to bolster their deep rotation before the 2024 postseason arrives.

The league around the Celtics did not stand still, with several teams in the East also making moves to try to challenge Boston in the playoffs. On, in particular, may challenge the Celtics in ways they likely couldn't have before. Thankfully, Boston still has an open roster spot to add a buyout or unsigned prospect in case that mystery Eastern Conference ball club can give the Celtics more than we collectively expect.

To talk through the new order of the East and what Boston can do to fortify their spot atop it, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast took out a magnifying glass to scour the option available to the Celtics.

And to see if there are any threats who might spoil a return to the league's biggest stage for Boston. Come for the news, stay for the surprise top target the crew collectively settles on in this week's Lab.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

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The NBA's 2024 trade deadline now perhaps better measured in hours than in days. And knowing what the range of possibilities that exists for the Boston Celtics to choose from to make moves to bolster their roster for a push to the 2024 NBA Finals is a good place to start.

What can the Celtics do to get better? Which moves are more likely, and which make little sense? Who are the likely targets, and which ones might surprise us? More importantly, what is off the table for Boston's front office, and which trade targets should the Celtics be pursuing?

To get our bearings for what should be an impactful if comparatively quiet trade deadline for Boston, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with "How Bout Them Celtics!" cohost Jack Simone to talk ourselves through his recent trade deadline primer for Celtics Blog.

We also touch on the news, recent games, Marcus Smart's return, Joel Embiid's knee, and a ton more, so be sure to tune in.

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