CelticsBlog: for Boston Celtics fans

SI released a Top-100 player list featuring Marcus Smart, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. We debated the criteria, with a preview of Coach Nick's assessment of the four players who represented Boston with Team USA coming up later this week on the pod. Is Smart an offensive player? Has Caris LeVert or Jaylen Brown progressed more to this point? Did Jayson Tatum progress? Is Kemba on the verge of breaking into the elite of the NBA? And why in the world is Zach...

As Team USA leans hard into Kemba Walker for offensive production, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown eat what's left on the wing and Harrison Barnes plays some center this looks more like the Celtics. Forget four Boston players on the team, the wing-heavy attack, defensive concerns inside and a system reliant on egalitarian movement outside of the heavy-usage point guard signals issues the C's could face. Does the international game and the thrown-together roster make this comparison...

"This transaction stuff, it's good for the league." The New York Times' Sopan Deb dropped by Havlicek Stole the Pod to fill us in on the NBA's tampering investigation. Several sources believe it involves the Clippers' pursuit of Kawhi Leonard and hidden promises. As Adam Silver pitches tampering reform, Deb makes the case: the NBA should allow it. Since it happens anyway, there's slim odds of stopping it, should basketball allow open tampering? We love the show, it'd surely add to it, and...

Jared Weiss traveled to Japan and unexpectedly found Kemba Walker. A sit-down interview progressed and soon the Celtics had Charlotte's point guard. Are tampering fines in order? We did discuss tampering plenty, with Marcus Morris' retreat from the Spurs after agreeing to sign and countless backroom deals is it time for change? Jared called for a ban on players who back out of agreements. Tacko-mania did not dodge the show. Weiss does not see him making the active roster, which leaves him...

Would the Celtics have signed Durant with the torn achilles to appease Kyrie? Nick Gelso and Josue Pavon discuss the shifting wave toward player empowerment in the NBA. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving reportedly coordinated destinations. Reports of Kemba Walker finalizing a move to Boston rose days before the moratorium. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sought out the Clippers as a shared destination, forcing LA and OKC into a mega trade. How will this impact the league going forward, for better...

Bobby Manning and Alex Kungu's live super show. First eight minutes wrapped the late night signings, including Al Horford putting the speculation to rest and officially leaving the Celtics. Hope remained during the day for a Boston sign-in-trade which we discussed in our first half hour. Terry Rozier will still head to the Hornets through that outlet. Boston will have more money to spend on a big man now, as we hit on in the second half hour with Justin Poulin. Third half hour: a laugh at...

Kemba Walker will become a Boston Celtic on Sunday. We look ahead to Kyrie Irving's departure, a Nets rivalry and big men options ahead. We also reviewed what was lost to make this happen. Could a trade be in the works for a center, or is it finally time to see what these young players have there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How'd the Celtics let it go so wrong with Al Horford? 00:00-10:30 Romeo Langford? 10:30-18:34 18:34-21:10 Grant Williams the future center? 21:10-27:32 possible Ainge insert, free throws and the rest of the draft, trading up 27:32-33:00 The thirst for bigs and fighting over Vucevic 33:00-41:16 Where's this cap space going? 41:16-45:40 Giving the Bucks a run a different way Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celtics take a clear stand on draft night. They carved out as much cap space as they could, drafted a few gritty non-shooters and traded Aron Baynes to Phoenix. In other words, they stuck to their guns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Prada, Ben Epstein and Ricky O’Donnell host a recap of this year’s SB Nation NBA Bloggers’ Mock Draft. In addition to going through the picks that were made and discussing fits of certain prospects on certain teams, the guys also talked with Sabreena Merchant (18:20) about the Lakers’ trade for Anthony Davis and the Clippers’ free agent aspirations. Later, they welcome Joe Mullinax (29:00) to talk about the Grizzlies trading away Mike Conley and why Ja Morant is a perfect fit for...

00:00-9:00 The pain of Anthony Davis 9:00-11:35 End of a (brief) era 11:35-16:30 The start of Terry Rozier's? "Brad Wanamaker is a better play than Terry Rozier" ??? 16:30-18:55 Did you say Al Horford? "Rebuild the culture" 18:55-21:25 Sounding smart on NBA Draft night 21:25-24:10 The best athlete in the draft 24:10-25:45 What about the need? "Best hands I've ever seen" 25:45-27:45 How down can you go? "He'll take a boatload of three-pointers" 27:45-31:00 Let's drive up the views...

CelticsBlog primes the offseason, where the C's will likely have to decide between the youth movement that led them to the ECF two years ago or go all in on Kyrie Irving and a core of veterans 0:00-8:25 Summer of Rozier? 8:40-16:07 The Pelicans rule the lottery, where does that leave Boston? 16:07-21:17 Navigating Anthony Davis to Boston, Brown or Smart? 21:17-26:40 Rounding out this picture and sending out the ECF team for Kyrie? 26:40-28:05 What if Irving leaves? 28:05-end Al...

Forget about the Al Horford defense articles. His playoff performances have been so overwhelming that he practically writes them for us. Mike Budenholtzer called for more fouls. The Bucks probably didn't play Brook Lopez enough. We had a bit of a Celtics schmooze party in this one. Horford shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo as the central figure in Boston's scheme to slow the Bucks' superstar. He even stuffed Giannis into oblivion two straight times inside. In all, the Celtics unloaded the...

What's the difference between the Bogdanovics? Tony East fills us in on that, Nate McMillan, the Pacers' rotations and more entering Game 1 of the first round of the long-awaited NBA Playoffs. Marcus Smart is out and Indiana could break into some smaller sets to pull Marcus Morris into action. Does Indy have the scoring to compete in a matchup they went 1-3 in during the regular season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Kungu and Justin Rowan agree on one thing, Kyrie Irving's headed to the New York Knicks. We imagine the possibility of life without Irving after the Celtics won against the Cavaliers without him. Could Nike be in on the action? Rowan has a theory. As well as insight on flipping the switch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Celtics continue to struggle to assert control over the flow of games, losing large leads and falling further away in the face of small deficits. Kyrie Irving talks flipping the switch. Is there any chance he travels to Cleveland next week? Bobby makes the case for the 76ers as a first-round wake-up call for the Celtics, and gripes on about the Celts' inability to reach the free throw line. Alex makes the case against benching Marcus Morris and the notion that Philadelphia reached a...

After nine episodes we say goodbye to Chris Grenham in his final episode with Havlicek Stole the Pod. The best of his time on the pod, remembering his days at CelticsBlog and the Isaiah Thomas era. Who'll be taking his place? Find out on this brief farewell. We break down a bit Nuggets-Celtics and if Thomas could return. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bobby's officially out, Chris still thinks the Celtics can turn this thing around. After five losses in five games, including a stinker at the Bulls and blowout losses to the Rockets and Raptors, Boston sunk back to its old ways. They look dejected, Kyrie Irving isn't talking and can't seem to get up for these post-all-star break games after winning 10 of 11 before. How low could this sink, and should we start preparing for Irving and Al Horford to leave? What does this season start to say...

Bobby and Chris discuss their biggest storylines from the pre-All-Star break Celtics. The guys each pick three things that stuck out to them from the first 70 percent of Boston’s season. From the importance of Al Horford, to Gordon Hayward’s confidence, to Kyrie Irving’s drama, the guys discuss it all. Even the emergence of Time Lord! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Celtics had fun again in Philadelphia as Boston trounced the 76ers behind maybe the dunk of the season by Jayson Tatum. Marcus Smart dunked off one leg, Al Horford held it down on Joel Embiid and the new Sixers additions made a quiet debut against Brad Stevens and company. The C's have won 21 of 24 against Philly, and 11 of 14 overall, so why the panic? Is the fun that big of a factor, as Marcus Morris says? How much stock do we put in the two Lakers and Clippers losses despite all the...