Havlicek Stole the Pod NBA Basketball Podcast

It was supposed to be the battle of the Jays, with former Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown facing off against each other for the first time since Boston dealt Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. But another revenge game emerged in the second half as veteran forward Paul George torched his former team while all the eyes were on the feuding onetime teammates.How did the Celtics secure their 123-101 blowout of the Sixers, exactly? What were the key factors that helped Boston capitalize on the few weak spots this star-studded roster has show so far? And what did we learn about both ball clubs and the players we expected to see some ire from in their first regular season tilt of the season?To get an answer to all of these questions and more, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down with Liberty Ballers and Bleacher Report senior contributor Bryan Toporek. Hear what they had to say about a wild game that upended more than a few expectations.Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

We are now two weeks into the 2026-27 NBA regular season, and with that, have some rough outlines on who this Boston Celtics ball club might be. We are seeing some positive signs from the Jaylen Brown trade for Paul George, the latter looking like a real difference-maker for Boston. Star forward Jayson Tatum is playing like an MVP candidate, and reserve center Luka Garza is playing his way into a bigger role with the team.But there are some concerning signs to taker into account as well. Mitchell Robinson, chief among them, has not been playing up to the standards expected of him. And the lack of secondary scoring alongside Tatum (and the lack of clear steps forward from Boston's young wings) are also issues of concern. The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over, as well as what they hope to see in response. Check it out below!

The first full week of the 2026-27 NBA regular season has come and gone for the Boston Celtics, and it has been a busy one for the storied franchise. The Celtics notched their first three wins of the season against the reigning champion New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls, and Brooklyn Nets after dropping their season opener to the Detroit Pistons the week prior, for starters.The beef (or lamb chops and gravy or whatever we want to call it) between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown not only took on new life, but picked up new combatants. Around the rest of the league, a number of teams have surprised early, others disappointed, and injuries are running rampant across the Association before we hit the month of November. To talk it all over and then some, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with Nets Wire editor Sharif Phillips-Keaton.Take a look to hear what they had to say about a bumpy but mostly good start to the 2026-27 season.Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com

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